If there’s a spike in the local wood duck population next year, it could be due to the efforts of Oxford resident Adam Bertich.
On Sunday afternoon, the 14-year-old Oxford High School freshman placed a pair of wood duck nesting boxes inside Oakwood Lake Township Park.
He built them as his Eagle Scout service project in order to do something positive for the 300-acre nature park, which needs some attention, in his opinion.
‘It’s kind of a neglected park and there’s been a lot of vandalism (there),? said Bertich, who is a Life Scout with Oxford Troop 366.
Wood duck females are known to build nests in tree cavities near wetlands. But they often have a hard time finding natural nesting sites and that’s when nesting boxes can be very helpful.
‘Wood duck boxes provide a man-made alternative where hens can nest in relative safety from predators,? according to the Ducks Unlimited website. ‘The deployment of large numbers of nesting boxes can be used to help increase local or regional populations of wood ducks in areas where natural cavities are limited.?
The first recorded use of nesting boxes for wood ducks occurred in the late 1930s in Illinois.
Bertich’s boxes are made of cedar wood and mounted on metal poles. Each was filled with fresh cedar shavings to be used for nesting purposes.
He hopes they will attract more wood ducks to the area, which in turn, could help draw more nature lovers to the scenic park.
The park contains a branch of the Flint River, two lakes, a creek, a significant amount of wetlands, seven hiking trails and a plethora of native plants and wildlife.
‘This is just another example of our youth getting involved and making a statement,? said Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Director Ron Davis. ‘It’s great. Very neat.?
Helping Bertich install the nesting boxes were scouts Evan Covert from Troop 108, David Moore and Steven Patterson from Troop 366 and Ben Covert from Cub Scout Pack 4.
Bertich has been involved in scouting since the fourth grade.
‘A lot of my friends were doing it, so I figured I would give it a try,? he said.
He wants to become an Eagle Scout because the path to scouting’s highest rank offers valuable learning experiences and it’s something that will help him later in life, particularly when it comes to finding a good job.
In addition to scouting, Bertich is involved in the high school’s choir and competitive robotics programs.