UMATILLA, Ore. – In 2008 Don Gillis, the natural resource manager at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, noticed a decline in the nesting areas for the burrowing owls on Camp Umatilla. The decline was due to a lack of badgers, which made tunnels the owls used for spring nesting.

Serendipitously that year, Gillis bumped into Mike Greg with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, who told him of a man in Virginia who was the leading expert in owl conservation. That man was David H. “DJ” Johnson, director of the Global Owl Project.

“There were only six pairs of burrowing owls left on the depot,” said Johnson.

Johnson and Gillis devised a plan to install artificial nesting tunnels to replace the ones made by the badgers at the camp, which is a National Guard training center.

“One male owl waited on a perch watching them install one of the nesting tunnels,” Gillis said. “As soon as they finished and were walking away, the owl flew down and took ownership of the nest.”

The two men have installed 96 nesting tunnels, and all but one has been occupied over the 12 years they have been tracking the owls. Every spring since 2008, Johnson and a team of volunteers have made Camp Umatilla their home. They skillfully and gently trap each owl and band their legs. The team members weigh and measure each owl, and count the eggs and the condition of the nest.

Next, they record the calling sounds the males make to other male owls, which is specific to the species. As a male owl matures, their voice changes. The purpose of the recording is that the team analyzes weaker male owl calls, which are used to lure other males (who will go and investigate the sound) into their burrows. To help the team trap them, a small Mp3 player is placed inside to simulate the actual owl in the nest.

The team works at the site until the eggs hatch. At six weeks, the team puts bands and tiny satellite transmitters on the owls to determine their migrating habits. The males usually go north to Washington State in the fall, while the females typically vacation in the south, some as far as Mexico. As of June, there are 36 pairs of burrowing owls using Camp Umatilla as their nesting location.

“Training on the camp will in no way harm the owls and their nesting, and the owls will in no way affect the training.” said Johnson.

In the 12 years of conservation efforts, this has become a victory for the owls and the military mission on Camp Umatilla. The unique partnership has brought about a new understanding of how military training sites can balance the needs of the natural environment while still conducting training and missions.