The Albert Lea Audubon Society extends a YUGE thank you to Joe Grossman, superintendent of parks, and his fine crew for installing our supplemental purple martin apartment unit very near the T-14 unit in Edgewater Park over the past day or two. The T-14 unit was designed many years ago by Mr. Andrew Troyer Sr. of Pennsylvania and grew into a family business in 1991. It is a wood apartment house with 14 rooms for purple martins to occupy safely as they return each spring from wintering in Brazil. The new Troyer AAA-16 consists of 16 plastic gourds. Native people traditionally used gourds suspended several feet above their homes for purple martins to occupy for mosquito population control, hence, the plastic gourds hearken back to their tradition. Folks interested in the pleasure of purple martins on their properties are welcome to contact me for more information.

 

Rick Mammel

Albert Lea