Owl habitats will help rodent control
The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Board of Directors was presented the first of eight barn owl roosts from Ty Kastendiek, an instructor at Camp David Gonzalez in Malibu Canyon, at its April 12 meeting.
District staff looked into providing owl habitat in response to growing regional concerns about the use of rodenticides and the harm they cause to predators in the food chain, including coyotes, beneficial reptiles and mountain lions.
Kastendiek had CDG students research the optimal designs for barn owl habitats and worked with them on the project up through final construction of the finished unit.
LVMWD is funding the necessary construction materials.
According to Larry J. Miller, LVMWD’s water systems and facilities manager, the district will place the owl habitat structures at Las Virgenes Reservoir in Westlake Village and the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility in Malibu Canyon as well as the Rancho Las Virgenes Composting Facility and LVMWD headquarters, both in Calabasas.
Rodent control is essential, especially at facilities where earthen embankments are used to store water.
