Merriam-Webster defines a bird strike as “a collision involving one or more birds in flight”.
“The big problem is windows,” Mariah Hole, an undergraduate student working with the Intermountain Bird Observatory explained. “Since birds can’t see glass as a solid surface. Their brain doesn’t register it as something that they can’t fly through. A lot of the time, these big reflective windows [look like] trees or fruit bushes to birds.”
The Intermountain Bird Observatory (IBO), a research unit within the Biology department at Boise State, aims to spark conversation and contribute to bird conservation throughout Idaho.
IBO highlights two Boise State buildings as significant when addressing the issue of bird strikes. University Plaza, across the street from Albertsons Stadium, is built almost entirely with reflective windows. University Plaza acts as an office space for BSU’s non academic functions. The Idaho Architecture Project’s website states that this design choice intended to reflect Boise’s natural environment onto the building.
The Center for the Visual Arts (CVA) has a similar structure, with five stories of floor to ceiling windows facing the Morrison Center parking lot.
In efforts to mitigate this issue, IBO connected with Eryn Pierce to get students involved.
Pierce is an assistant Graphic Design professor within Boise State’s College of Art, Design and Visual Studies Service-Learning program.
Pierce’s Applied Projects in Graphic Design Service-Learning (ART420) course chooses a community partner each semester to act as a stakeholder for the students. Service-Learning projects provide students with the opportunity to gain hands-on learning experiences and create impact in their community.
Pierce says integrating professional practice into her classroom motivates students. When given the opportunity to tangibly see their outcomes create change in the real world, students naturally feel more attached and excited about the topic.
The course is structured the same way each year. For the first half of the semester, students work with various community members in order to research and understand the problem at hand. Over the second half of the semester, students work collaboratively to address the issue and spread awareness to both Boise State University and the immediate community.
“This has been my favorite class ever, for sure,” Pierce said of the collaboration with IBO.
As a self-proclaimed “closeted birder”, she says the subject of this Service-Learning project resonated with her and the students very quickly.
“This group has been trusting of the process and willing to be creative and work out of their comfort zone,” Pierce said. ”Graphic designers are really good at empathizing. Being able to extend [empathy] to other living things is hugely important to me. It’s been really cool to pass on those values to my students and see how they’ve picked them up and ran with them. I hope they continue to think about more than just their human counterparts in future design projects.”
The class is split up in two project directions, with each group aiming to raise awareness surrounding bird strikes and create change in the way urban landscapes impact birds.
“Project Direction A” consists of eight students prototyping bird-safe vinyl displays for the windows of the CVA.
Jason Le, sophomore, notes that this hands-on design experience has played a significant role in his college experience.
“We have data to show these windows are a problem and causing bird deaths. Even if it’s not my design that is chosen, I’d be really proud if we got something up on the window,” Le said. “Honestly, [designing for birds is] not too different from designing for humans. Birds also have their own inherent goals. A lot of this class has been researching and learning to empathize with our bird friends.”
“Project Direction B” is designing an advocacy campaign encouraging community members to take ownership of their bird count. Students in this group are creating posters, managing social media accounts and planning events to generate engagement with the cause.
“I really like the blend of science and art in one class. It’s been really fun to get out into the community and do something that’s impacting others and helping out. I feel like sometimes the arts doesn’t get a lot of credit for that,” Carissa Branesky, senior, said. “It’s crazy how in eight weeks you can become totally immersed in something and care really deeply about it. In school we don’t always get to do [projects] that we’re super passionate about and that feel this meaningful.”
On Monday, Nov. 18, the Intermountain Bird Observatory met with the University Arts Collections Committee (UACC) to discuss funding and installation of the students’ window decal designs on the CVA.
IBO plans to hear results on the final decision over the next few days. If the design were to be approved, it would be installed on the frontward facing windows of the Center for the Visual Arts in spring 2025 — just in time for spring migration.
