On Monday, September 8, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., students were invited to Julia and James Rea House for a night of making bird feeders and build-your-own trail mix.
The room was set up very simply, without decorations, allowing the focus of the small event to be on the subjects: bird feeders and trail mix, which were scattered about the large table.
Everything that students were invited to make was very simple, allowing virtually anyone to make the bird feeders or trail mix, regardless of previous knowledge of either.
Most attendees were initially most interested in making the bird feeders, which were extremely easy to make. Students first took a cardboard cylinder (these came from either toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls), and covered them in peanut butter. They then rolled these peanut-butter-covered rolls in birdseed (which was set out in a large tray so multiple people could make the feeders at once) and threaded a string through the roll as a hanger.
Students make trail mix and bird feeders
Equally simple, if not more simple, was the making of the trail mix. Each attendee was given a small Ziploc bag in which they were to put whatever foods they wanted. There was a variety of options for students, everything from peanuts to granola to chocolate chips were available for addition to the bags of mix.
The event had a very casual, come-and-go atmosphere, so most people did not stay the full duration of the event, but left once they felt they had completed everything they wanted to. They were then encouraged to hang their birdfeeders about campus.
The event produced more people than even the organizers planned for, with around thirty people making their way over to Rea. As a result, the bird feeders can be seen hanging all over campus—nearly every tree around Rea, Laughlin, and Fickes residence halls can boast a hand made bird feeder as a result of the evening.
The event was created for fun, of course, but it also helped to raise environmental awareness. Students were reminded of the number of birds that enjoy Chatham’s campus, and the ability each student has to make the world a better place for all living creatures.
Sophomore Maraena Testa said, “I really enjoyed the event because it gave me the opportunity to connect with other people as well as the wildlife on campus. I feel better knowing that the birds of Chatham University have something good to eat.”
The event was certainly a success and achieved the goal of allowing students to meet new people and raise environmental awareness.