WESTWOOD—A Westwood Regional High School student is preparing to install a series of owl houses and bat boxes in two borough parks as part of his Eagle Scout service project.
Simon Maver, a sophomore and a member of Boy Scout Troop 350, has constructed five bat boxes and five owl houses that will be installed in Westvale Park and adjacent Pascack Brook Park as soon as conditions allow.
The project includes three screech owl houses and two barred owl houses, along with five bat boxes designed to provide habitat for species that Maver said have become less common locally.
“I chose this conservation project because of the bat box project our troop started together,” Maver said in remarks prepared for the Westwood Borough Council while presenting the proposal. “That experience inspired me to do more to support animals that are threatened in our environment and that benefit our community.”
Maver said he also has a personal connection to the project. A large owl once lived in a tree near his home and occasionally flew over his family.
“Seeing it always brought us joy and fascination,” he said. “In the past, I often heard and saw owls in my neighborhood, but now I rarely do.”
Maver said he hopes the structures will help attract owls and bats back to the area over time while also raising awareness about their role in the local ecosystem.
Both species act as natural predators of rodents and insects, helping control pests such as mice, rats, and mosquitoes.
Populations of owls and bats have declined in many areas because of deforestation, urbanization and disease, Maver said in his proposal to the borough.
To prepare for the project, Maver visited Westvale Park and Pascack Brook Park with his parents to identify possible locations for the houses and boxes.
He later met with Recreation Department director Gary Buchheister to review the plan and refine the placement.
Locations were selected based on habitat needs for the species. Owl houses require open flight paths and relatively low lighting, while bat boxes must be mounted high enough for bats to drop into flight unobstructed.
The structures were built during several volunteer work sessions and are currently stored in Maver’s parents’ garage awaiting installation.
He said the project cost approximately $944, raised through a bake sale at St. Andrew’s Church, poinsettia sales and online fundraising among family, friends, and the wider community.
Installation will take place with assistance from the borough Department of Public Works, which Maver said will help mount the owl houses high in trees using a bucket truck. The bat boxes will be installed on posts set into concrete-filled sonotubes.
Although Westwood is the official beneficiary of the project, Maver told Pascack Press the habitat improvements are intended at a world of good, benefitting both wildlife and the residents who use the parks.
“I have lots of great memories from spending many hours at Westvale and Pascack Brook Parks over the years playing recreation soccer, Dragons travel soccer, Little League baseball or riding my bike,” he told Pascack Press. He added that he hopes the project will help preserve those spaces while supporting local wildlife.
Once installation is complete, Maver will present the project to his Scout council’s Eagle Scout board of review.