Birdhouse-building workshop set for Old Mill State Park April 30

This season brings with it many spring delights including the welcome return a popular songbird, the Eastern Bluebird, decked out in bright blue feathers, a rusty colored throat and white belly.

The growth of the bluebird population in Minnesota is due largely to workshops and programs where individuals create nesting boxes for these birds to encourage successful population growth.

On Saturday, April 30, at 2 p.m., the entire family is invited to the picnic shelter at Old Mill State Park to ?help a bluebird? during a birdhouse-building workshop.

Park volunteers will give a presentation about the Eastern Bluebird, how to select an appropriate site to attract bluebirds, and how to maintain the birdhouse. After that, the construction of the birdhouses will begin. All nesting box material will be precut and ready for assembly. Materials for the birdhouse are free, but there is a limit of one box per family unless extra material is available.

Interested participants are asked to call the park before April 29 so volunteers can determine how many nesting boxes to have on hand. Participants should bring their own drill (cordless preferred), otherwise they will be provided. At Old Mill State Park, bluebird nesting sites have doubled over the past year.

The program is free and open to the public, however a Minnesota State Park Vehicle Permit ($25 for an annual permit or $7 for a day permit) is required to enter the park and can be purchased at the park office. For information, call (218) 437-8174.