August 23, 2011; Source: The Bay Citizen | The Hungry Owl Project (HOP) in Marin County, California suggests that if you’ve got mice, you should make your home hospitable to owls. The group, which wants to help prevent harm to wildlife and pets through the use of rodenticides, is promoting the use of “owl boxes” to attract owls to homeowners’ yards.

NPQ is a big fan of these kinds of projects that offer people a way to improve things for themselves and their community at the same time. One HOP volunteer has even started a program in the settlement of Bolinas to help it become the first rodenticide-free community in the United States. Are we surprised that the reclusive residents of Bolinas are involved in this particular project? Not at all. But we still think it should give us all ideas.—Ruth McCambridge