Virginia Bluebird Society

VBS will provide funds (**) to members of VBS who wish to build new bluebird trails or refurbish existing bluebird trails on public lands in Virginia. The nest boxes on these trails must be constructed of wood and include: mounting poles, and two predator guards. VBS defines a BB trail as having 5 or more boxes.

VBS Grant Program for New or Refurbished Bluebird Trails

PARTICULARS:

Applications for grants must be submitted to the State County Coordinator, Barbara Chambers, 8911 Moreland Ln, Annandale VA 22003 (email: bj.chambers@cox.net).

All grants will be decided and awarded in a timely fashion.

All grants awarded in the fall must be completed by 3/1 of the following spring.

The applicant must purchase the materials and submit complete receipts for any reimbursement, to VBS, through Barbara Chambers. Submission of receipts will be sent to the VBS Treasurer.

The applicant must construct the nest boxes using two predator guards and the mounting poles, from materials purchased at a local home improvement store. The boxes MUST be mounted on one inch electrical conduit poles with BOTH a snake and a raccoon guard on each unit, for the grant to be considered (see our website for these plans).

The cost of building a nest box with two predator guards and the one inch electrical conduit pole will be awarded according to the costs at the time of the grant submission. The applicant may also purchase already constructed nest boxes from approved sources (VBS can provide sources for these). Refurbishing (roofs, predator guards, etc) should be compatible with the rest of the trail. Upgrades for adding mounting poles, predator guards, etc will also be funded.

VBS prefers the nest boxes to be constructed using the Carl Little design (see our website) but will entertain other proposals. Contact us about your design before applying for the grant.

The trails must be located in appropriate bluebird habitat on any public land. This land can be in a park (city, county, state or federal); school property; public golf course; or any other appropriate land. VBS can also assist with the placement of nest boxes for your trail in bluebird habitat.

The grant recipient must ensure that the bluebird trail will be monitored weekly from April 1 through August 31st (see below for help with this aspect of the grant).

New trail grants can be for as many as 20 nest boxes. Refurbished trail applications can be for as many as 25 nest boxes (a refurbished trail should already have BB boxes mounted on metal poles).

**A portion of the available grant funds are provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) for construction of URBAN bluebird trails. Ask if your proposed trail qualifies for this grant money. All grants awarded will be given signs (provided at no charge) for the boxes on that trail. These signs can be seen on our web page and remind visitors NOT TO DISTURB the tenants, and have both VBS and DGIF on the sign as well as a place for your box # and the name of your trail or the person to contact about a problem.

How to find BB monitors:

Write an article for your local paper.

Give a program to a local civic organization, bird club, or garden club meeting.

Ask one of the VBS board members to come to your area and give a program.

Place a request for volunteers in your local paper (VBS has a generic article that can be used for this).

The individual VBS County Coordinators can also help with additional advice.