By Matt Hollo, Connor Messer-Kruse, and Jessika Selfridge

The Design (Birdhouse or Feeder?) When we started thinking about what we wanted to accomplish with our project, we had to deside whether we wanted to build a bird house, a bird feeder, or even a birdbath. As a group, we came to the conclusion that a bird feeder would be the most beneficial to the roof-top garden because it would attract the largest amount of birds, thus adding to the aesthetic appeal of the garden.

The next thing we had to decide on as a group was what kind of bird we want to attract. In the end, we decided on hummingbirds for many reasons. First, hummingbirds attract butterflies, which will make the overall appeal of the rooftop increase. Secondly hummingbirds don’t eat seeds, they eat a combination of sugar water and flower nectar. This allows them to maintain their astonishing metabolism needed for the way they flap their wings. We thought not using seeds to feed the bird was good because then we could keep the roof free of mess, keeping the whole operation relatively.

North-West Ohio’s native hummingbirds Green Violetear

North-West Ohio’s native hummingbirds  Ruby-throated Hummingbird

North-West Ohio’s native hummingbirds Anna’s hummingbird

 For our design, first we had to select a place on the roof- top garden.  We selected a place for the hummingbird feeder by making sure the spot was farthest from the air- conditioning so as not to disturb the wildlife. We decided that placing it next to the fountain in the middle would be beneficial because it is relatively far away from the air- conditioning units and because the running water attracts more hummingbirds as well butterflies.

HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER DESIGN When researching what kind our birdfeeder we wanted to buy, our overall goal was finding one that was environmentally friendly. We found the site, called songbirdgarden.com, and they use only 100% recycled glass. The birdfeeder is a red glass hand-blown hummingbird feeder that has crystals embedded in the glass. This lets it reflect the sun at sunset beautifully, making it even more especially pleasing. It is 13 inches tall 7 inches in diameter. This allows it to hold a lot of nectar, which limits the amount of maintenance required. It has four feeding ports on the base and a wire edge surrounding it so birds can rest while feeding.

Hummingbird nectar recipe The recipe for hummingbird nectar is very simple. All it takes is 4 parts lukewarm water and 1 part sugar! And if you want to especially sure that the food is clean, then you can boil the water while stirring in the sugar until it is dissolved. Then let it cool back down before filling the feeder. If the temperature outside is between degrees change the water every 5 to 6 days. If its between change the water every 2 to 4 days. And finally if its above 90 degrees, change the water everyday.

 Because of the fact that our project only includes the cost of the feeder and that we can make the hummingbird food ourselves, there is no need for a budget spread sheet. When figuring out the cost of our birdfeeder, we searched websites with eco- friendly products until we found the most aesthetically please feeder at the most reasonable cost. The feeder is $42.99 not including shipping. The website is call SongBirdGarden.com and the feeder is feeder number (SKU# EV5238)

The Green Effect:  When picking out the birdfeeder, we only wanted one that was made in eco-friendly ways.  The website we choose only uses recycled glass, which is a great way to keep the project green.  Recycled glass is much more efficient than producing glass from its raw materials, and for every metric ton of glass that’s recycled, it save over 300 kilograms of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere!

The Green Effect (continued)  Our project is especially green not only because of the materials used, but also because hummingbirds are great pollinators, and will help the vitality of the plants in the garden.

Action Plan  Our first step was determining what species we want to attract. We then determined which type of bird feeder would attract certain types of birds and how they would affect the garden and make it a better surrounding. After finding what type of bird house we were going to choose we had to decide if we were going to build a bird feeder or buy one. We found it would be a better solution to buy an eco -friendly bird feeder, rather than build one. We then took the steps to determine which web site would be best for finding our specific bird feeder. Lastly, once finding our bird feeder we had to decide where to place the birdfeeder on the rooftop garden and we found it would be best suited towards the black wall near the fountain.

 "Feeding Hummingbirds." Wild Bird Shop. N.p., Web. 2 Apr  "Hummingbird Feeders." Hummingbirds. Gambrill State Park, June Web. 2 Apr  "Illuminarie Red Top Hummingbird Feeder." Song Bird Garden. N.p., 2 Apr Web. 2 Apr <