Save OC Cougars

05/07/2026

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

A barn owl family removes thousands of rodents in a nesting season — voles, mice, rats, gophers. No poison involved. But she needs a cavity to nest in, and old barns and hollow trees are disappearing.

One box changes the equation.

🪵 The build:

- Interior at least 24" deep × 18" wide × 18" tall — room for a full brood
- Entry hole 5½" round or elliptical
- Interior divider to shield owlets from reach
- ¾" exterior-grade plywood with drainage holes in the floor
- Hinged panel for annual cleanout

🌿 The placement:

- 12-15 feet high on a pole or building wall
- Entry facing away from prevailing wind
- Open grassland or meadow within sight
- Avoid areas where rodenticide is in active use — barn owls absorb it through prey

🐾 What to expect:

- Install by late winter — barn owls begin scouting sites as early as February
- Occupation can take a full season of patience
- Whitewash streaks and pellets below the box mean she found it
- A mated pair often returns to the same box year after year

Forty dollars of plywood. One afternoon. A rodent patrol that runs itself 🌿

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

04/27/2026

After millions made their voices heard, the House scrapped a vote on the Endangered Species Amendments Act—a bill that would’ve gutted protections for wildlife and opened the door for big polluters to destroy critical habitat. Americans overwhelmingly support protections for endangered species and made it clear they want to safeguard imperiled wildlife, not sacrifice them for industry profits. This is a major win for wildlife, and we must keep fighting to defend irreplaceable species for generations to come.

04/27/2026

On Earth Day, the House of Representatives removed a bill that would have weakened the Endangered Species Act.

The proposed changes would have delayed protections for at-risk species, sped up removals from the list, reduced habitat safeguards, and increased allowable harm to wildlife already under pressure.

For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has helped over 99% of listed species avoid extinction, serving as one of the most effective conservation laws in the world.

This moment is a reminder: protecting wildlife isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a shared responsibility.

And when people stay engaged, those protections hold.

04/24/2026

04/24/2026