MACo's Gold Corporate Partner
BGE
, utilizes the power of crowd-sourcing to identify osprey nests build on electric equipment. The program helps BGE find and relocate nests that pose a risk to the birds and potential power outages.
In early spring each year, Maryland welcomes back ospreys returning to settle in breeding areas around the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, one favorite osprey nesting spot—the top of utility poles—poses a danger to birds while raising the risk of disruptions to electric service.
BGE encourages the community to lend a hand through
Osprey Watch
, a crowd-sourcing initiative to identify the location of nests built on electric equipment. Customers have reported 100 osprey nests since the program’s inception in 2016, and BGE is catching potential outage issues sooner as a result of the Osprey Watch program and seasonal inspections of equipment frequented by osprey.
Here’s how the program works: anyone who sees an osprey nest on BGE equipment may report it by emailing the following information to
ospreywatch@bge.com
:
- The pole number, located on a placard near eye level on the pole (**Only if the pole is easily accessible**)
- The nearest address to the pole, and photos of the pole taken from different perspectives (**If the pole is not easily accessible**)
Alternatively, osprey nest location information may be shared over the phone with BGE’s customer service team at 1-800-685-0123.
Crews follow all federal and local wildlife regulations in the process.
More information about BGE’s other environmental work is available at
bge.com
.
