The Sanctuary's bluebird trail was established in 1995 in memory of Gayla Schaubel, a woman who dedicated her life to the preservation of the natural environment.

Bluebirds are secondary-cavity nesters, which means that they nest in holes of old trees or tree cavities made by woodpeckers and other cavity-producing species. If natural cavities aren't available, people can put up nest boxes to mimic the natural breeding habitat for bluebirds. A bluebird trail, like the one we have at the Sanctuary, is a series of predator-proof nesting boxes designed and placed in habitat specifically for bluebirds.

Originally, the Sanctuary's trail featured three different styles of bluebird houses: standard, Peterson, and treebranch style. Some of the boxes were placed in pairs and some as single. Over the years, however, many of the nest boxes had become in disrepair and needed to be replaced.

Eagle Project to Refurbish the Bluebird Trail

Matt, a scout from Boy Scout Troop 294 in Richland, Michigan, contacted us in March 2007 asking about possible Eagle projects at the sanctuary. Matt quickly decided to refurbish the Gayla Schaubel Memorial Bluebird Trail.

He has done an incredible job, organizing the project from start to finish. The boxes are up and look beautiful. We cannot wait to see who decides to nest in the boxes!