Bird Strike Mitigation
Collisions with windows kill up to 1 billion birds per year in the U.S. alone, causing detrimental effects on vulnerable populations of both migratory and local birds. I am working to raise awareness about the issue and ways that others can help make a difference for our feathered friends!
01
Roots in Conservation
I have always loved birds. In 5th grade, my Girl Scout Troop raised $500 for Kea Parrot Conservation at the Cincinnati Zoo as our Silver Award Project. We even got to name a Kea chick after the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low!
02
Learning about Collisions
Years later, as a ZooTeen volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, I learned (and taught guests) about bird-window collisions, which kill an estimated 1 billion birds per year in the U.S. alone. Millions of birds migrate through my own Ohio Valley each spring and fall.
03
Bird-Collision Film
I also learned about "bird-collision film," which is used on glass-walled habitats all around the Zoo. This film is a transparent sheet with a dot grid that breaks up foliage reflections, which is the cause of birds’ confusion.
I reached out to some of my mentors there, who helped me learn more about bird conservation. This film is highly effective and has reduced collisions at the Zoo by about 99%.
04
Advocacy Expands
While conducting research for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I discovered that staff at Cincinnati Children's Hospital had been finding dead birds on their campus. I saw an opportunity to combine my experience in civic engagement with my passion: conservation.
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05
Reaching Out
I contacted the hospital's Sustainability Director & grounds team to explain my passion and see if my idea might have a place at Cincinnati Children's. With guidance and resources from mentors at the Zoo, I presented to hospital leadership about the installation of bird-collision film on the hospital's high-risk windows.
06
The Result!
As a result of my advocacy, Cincinnati Children’s committed to a $36,000 pilot project with the installation of 1,500 square feet of film in a “collision hotspot” near their visitor café. It represents the first installation of many, with potential for campus-wide expansion!
We'll also create a QR code to link visitors to an educational video, so staff and patients can learn more about the new windows!
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07
Education & Awareness
To increase awareness, I created an educational video featuring interviews with experts at the Zoo. I'm also developing a podcast episode about World Migratory Bird Day and have organized meetings to integrate Bird-Window Collision Mitigation into Hamilton County's 2025 Sustainability Directives.
Together, we can build sustainable infrastructure that is safer for wildlife and healthier for humans!
Watch my TEDsua Talk!
This capstone is part of my lifelong motivation to make a positive impact in the world, as a leader in sustainability and a nurturer of God's creation.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to leadership at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center, especially Ron Moore, for listening to the voice of a young environmentalist.
Thank you to both of my mentors at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Kimberly Klosterman and Mollie O'Neal, for your brainstorming, advice, resources, and cheerleading. Thank you to Michelle Curley and Pat Story for all of your help when filming, even in the rainy weather.
I am grateful for all my support from Saint Ursula Academy and in the Global Scholars program, especially Ms. Rachel Kemper and Ms. Laurel Fiorelli.
Thank you to Girl Scouts of the USA and of South West Ohio: Glenna Stricklett, my Gold Award Advisor; Laura Roman & Angie Gehrum, my troop leaders; and Girl Scout Troop #43130, for every Golden Girls meeting.