Vern Johnson - 1998

The Beginnings - Vernon Johnson Founder

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It all began on June 16, 1988 when a man brought Vern Johnson of Oliver, BC six very young baby western bluebirds. Their parents had been killed and there was a great need for a foster parent. Foster parents in the bird world were not available so Vern took on the job. These young were fed every twenty minutes to thirty minutes for about 12 hours each day for the first ten days, and then three-quarters to one hour for the next 7 days. From then on every one to two hours until releasing back into the wild.

After a bit of research into the shortage of bluebirds it was soon learned that one of the main reasons of such a drastic decline of all species of bluebirds in all of North America was the loss of nesting habitat. Other reasons were the use of insecticides such as DDT and the introduction of the European starling and English House Sparrow (fierce competitors for cavity nesters). The clearing of our forested lands for agriculture and urban development were also to blame for loss of nesting habitat for bluebirds and many songbirds.
As a child Vern recalled seeing flocks of bluebirds in southern BC. In 1988 it was a rare sighting to spot more than a few bluebirds at a time. Vernon Johnson decided something had to be done to bring back the bluebirds and the rest is history!

    
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Our society was founded by a core group of volunteers in Oliver, B.C. in 1989. They identified a lack of nesting cavities as one cause for the decline of BLUEBIRDS in our area. Competition from non-native cavity nesters including the English House Sparrow and European Starling were also factors. They started out small by using scrap wood and borrowing workspace wherever they could find it. Due to the generosity of a mobile home park where they able to have a workshop during the winter months. Increased production meant the need for members to assist in construction, distribution and monitoring the nestboxes.
In 1992, the Southern Interior Bluebird Trail Society was incorporated as a registered society. With Vernon Johnson as President they received a small grant from Shell Canada. It provided an opportunity for our trails to expand and cover a larger area. This meant travelling to new areas, identifying habitat and recruiting more volunteers to monitor, build and put up nestboxes.
A standard box was researched and the Johnson Slot Box was chosen for our Society. It accommodates both Mountain and Western Bluebirds and has a slot opening at the top instead of a round or oval entrance. In 2001 the Johnson Slot Box was tested and approved by the North American Bluebird Society.
By 1994 there were over 2000 nestboxes being monitored or utilized. Oliver Secondary School students helped make some boxes and since then others have also helped including those from: Osoyoos, Merritt, 100-Mile House and Clinton.
Currently we have made and distributed over 6,000 Nestboxes, spanning an area of 25,000 square miles. They are situated anywhere from Castelgar, Osoyoos, Oliver, Princeton, Merritt, Logan Lake, Clinton, Williams Lake and up as far as Quesnel. Volunteers report on over 15 species using the nestboxes including Mountain and Western Bluebirds. Keeping this information year after year can help us determine if there are trends in the bluebird populations or other cavity nesters. Successful consistent monitoring is the key to this program.
A memorial sign about Vernon Johnson and our society is located at the Desert Centre, Osoyoos, BC. It is located at the first Trans-Continental Bluebird Trail registered with the North American Bluebird Society.

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