Life will be a hoot for college’s latest residents

Archie Cooke, Oliver Armstrong-Richards, Billy Statham, Kailan Hughes, and Jordan Brophy with the model owl sanctuary

Students at Hopwood Hall College are designing and building a new house…for owls!

The students, who are all studying carpentry at the College, were asked by Andy Dawson, Centre Director for Life Sciences, to come up with a design for an owl sanctuary, which will be the latest addition to the College’s growing collection of animals.

After taking a brief from Andy, the students set about designing and building a model of what the sanctuary will look like and presented it to the life sciences tutors for their feedback. With the thumbs up from the tutors, the students will now start to make the real sanctuary, which will be over five metres by three and a half metres in size.

Once complete it will house two European eagle owls, the largest species of owl in the world. Although originally found in Britain, since the eighteenth century the owls, which can live for over 40 years, are more commonly found in mainland Europe, particularly Scandinavia.

The sanctuary will mainly be made of wood, with a metal sloping roof. Inside it will feature plenty of nesting boxes and feeding areas and lots of room, so that the eagle owls will enjoy their new home.

Rob Wilson, construction lecturer at the College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the students and one which they are really enjoying. It is a real work project which gives them great experience for when they finish College and look to start their careers in the industry. It’s given them experience in every aspect of business, from taking a brief from a client, to costing and building. What is even nicer is that they will get to see their finished work every day at the College! I’m sure the students will make a fantastic new home for the owls.”