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Little carpenters create bird houses
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By REBECCA MacFARLANE
Tap, tap, tap. All day long the sound of nails piercing wood
interrupts the otherwise natural tranquility of the Kirtland
campus during the Warbler Festival.
But these aren’t woodpeckers. These are youngsters hammering away,
some of them pounding their first nails into freshly cut wood,
making birdhouses. It’s one of the primary enterprises in the
Kid’s Activity Tent near the pond in front of the picturesque
campus.
Under the guidance of several adult volunteers, kids can build
their own birdhouses and take them home to hang in their yards.
It’s a KWF tradition that involves charity, volunteerism and long
hours of hard work.
Mase Lumber of Rose City provides the wood, from odds and ends in
its scrap yard. Marvin Morse and Melvin Near sort out the pieces
to find what they can use. Then they cut the wood for the
birdhouses into backs, fronts (with holes), roofs and walls. Both
men cut enough pieces to make about fifty each.
And it still isn’t enough. Last year, the pounding started at
about 9 a.m. and the birdhouse kits were gone before the end of
the day. Near and Morse, along with Tom Dale and Jan Farmer, spend
their day with the youngsters, making sure the hammers hit more
nails than little thumbs.
“It’s a real fun activity for the kids,” Morse said. “They love
it.” |
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