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- BYU students monitor bird populations near Provo Airport to enhance air safety.
- Their research at the Provo River Delta shows increased bird diversity and abundance.
- Collaboration with Utah wildlife officials aids in balancing conservation and aviation needs.
PROVO — A group of BYU students is helping protect bird populations while also making the skies safer for air travelers near the Provo Airport.
Their work is taking place at the Provo River Delta along Utah Lake, a restored wildlife area that has become a habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife. Students regularly monitor bird populations in the area as part of ongoing research aimed at understanding how wildlife can flourish while reducing the risk of bird strikes near the airport.
"I'm a master's student, and I'm studying the bird populations here at the River Delta and Utah Lake," said Leslie Clark, a BYU student.
The delta restoration project has created valuable habitat for wildlife, something the students said benefits both nature and the local community.
"It's amazing to have a place that brings more wildlife, more fish, birds, everything like that to our backyards," BYU student Aspen Johansen said.
But the wildlife area sits just north of the growing Provo City Airport, where large concentrations of birds can create safety concerns for aircraft.
To address that challenge, BYU students are tracking bird populations to help ensure birds are using the restored habitat while avoiding airport flight paths.
"The airport just wanted some monitoring done to make sure that there wasn't going to be any risk of increased bird strikes," Clark said.
The research appears to be paying off.
"Just preliminary results, we've seen an increase in diversity and abundance," Clark said. "So the total number of birds here has increased at the delta, and it's actually decreased over at the airport, which is what we wanted to see."
The project also includes working with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials to safely capture birds using mist nets, allowing researchers to band, count and monitor the health of various bird populations.
Students visit the preservation area about three times a week to conduct surveys and participate in bird-banding efforts about once a month.
Johansen said the project shows how conservation and community needs can work together.
"Having a place for the community, for the airport (and) for the wildlife, everything working together is exactly how I think ecosystems and how our community should work," she said.
Researchers said the findings will help guide future management of the Provo River Delta, benefiting both wildlife and air safety in Utah County.
