Meet The Bird Man
This active senior citizen uses his time and talent to help our feathered friends—and raise money for a worthy cause
Ihave known George Adams for many years, but only recently learned about the great work he is doing raising money for prostate cancer research.
George, who will be celebrating birthday number 92 this month, makes bird nesting boxes for tree swallows. Working in his shed in the town of Brussels, Ont., he uses donated wood to make the nesting boxes which he sells for $10 each. All funds raised go to his Masonic Lodge in nearby Fordwich, Ont., where they donate all the revenue to prostate cancer research. Amazingly, over the past ten years, he has raised $11,000 thanks to his nesting boxes. George gives me a huge grin when he tells me the figure, knowing I will be more than impressed! He says all his friends in the lodge are either grey-haired or bald-headed, and many have faced the same prostate cancer diagnosis that he faced in 2015.
George knows about hard work and he recalls with fondness his farming days when he had a beef cattle farm in Huron County. He has always been active and enjoyed hobbies that involved woodworking. In the past, for example, he has built folding Muskoka chairs that have been donated to hospital fund-raisers. George is a generous man—there is no doubt about it.
Before heading to his heated shed to build the boxes, he rides about five kilometres a day on his stationary bike. He knows it is important to continue to stay active, and have a purpose every day.
When working in his shed, it isn’t unusual for him to have an assembly line set up. The day I checked in on him, he had pieces of wood cut to size for another eight nesting boxes. He has perfected his own design and they are made to be easy to clean, as well as withstand harsh weather
conditions. The roof has a piece of recycled roofing shingle nailed to it, and then he dabs on some roofing sealant so the nails won’t rust. Inside the front of the nesting box, George adds a few pieces of wood to make a ladder, so to speak, so the babies can climb up to poke their heads out of the hole as they wait for their parents to bring them food. The size of the hole is 1 1/2 inches in diameter and George reminded me they should never have a perch on the outside as, first of all, swallows do not need perches, and secondly, perches attract European starlings and house sparrows.
Besides selling the nesting boxes, George has also placed many on posts and poles throughout the countryside. Although, fence posts, once common places for the tree swallows to build their nests, are becoming scarce. George carries a notebook with him in which he keeps track of where the boxes are located, as well as recording the date when he cleans them. At times, as many as 100 boxes a day are “refreshed.”
George is helping nature as he continues to provide habitats for the tree swallows. Loss of habitat is a huge concern as I understand that bird populations are estimated to have dropped by three billion in the last 50 years.
George has been building these boxes for the past 20 years. At first, some people told him he couldn’t put them on hydro poles—so he put up 25 to start with and when nothing bad happened, he just kept expanding the program. George’s policy is that it is easier to ask forgiveness after the fact!
If you happen to spot George in southwestern Ontario, either putting up new boxes or cleaning out existing ones, why not stop and offer to help, or even buy a few boxes and place them where the tree swallows can move in. He usually has at least a half dozen boxes in the back of his vehicle.
If you visit him at home in Brussels, please remember he also welcomes donations o f wood. Be prepared to see lots of sawdust as new bird homes are being built.
To me, George is a senior citizen extraordinaire, who is using his time and talent to help his fellow man—and to conserve nature.