We have worked on several large projects to help clients reduce the risk of birds being impacted by the built environment.
Warblers are migratory birds at risk to colliding with skyscrapers. Photo by Brian Willson
This work has been focused on two practice areas:
- Impact of artificial lighting
- The impact of tall buildings and telecommunication towers.
Regarding the former, Podolsky has consulted with the largest wetland complex in the LA County, CA, The Ballona Wetland, to reduce artificial lighting impact to wetland birds from roadways surrounding the wetland complex. He has also advised Walmart and other companies on reducing reliance on artificial lights at their facilities that are sited near to wetlands.
Podolsky is currently under contract to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for all four towers being proposed to be built at the former Twin Towers site at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. In this context, Podolsky advises the developer, Silverstein Properties and their architects on how to reduce collision risk of birds with tall building. Specifically, this entails minimizing the use of reflective facades that can reflect surrounding vegetation. Also, dimming the facilities lights at night will allow migrating birds to fly past and thereby not collide or die of exhaustion.
Regarding telecom towers, including those sited in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC and in California, Podolsky has conducted biological assessments on approximately 20 cell phone tower locations in Hawaii to try and assess their potential for impact endangered Hawaiian water and sea birds.