One of the best features of Quinnipiac University is its abundance of nature. Walking around campus, you see the Sleeping Giant State Park from different angles, hear the birds chirping from tree to tree, and enjoy the beautiful fountain by the Communications and Computing & Engineering building
The university was founded on Indigenous land and was named after the Quinnipiac tribe that once lived here. The name Quinnipiac means “long water land,” honoring the sacred environment. According to Native legend, the Sleeping Giant is the formidable spirit Hobbomock.
Hobbomock would be angry with the university. Birds have been dying from window collisions with university buildings.
When angry, Hobbomock would stomp upon the land and change the course of the Connecticut River. When he felt disrespected, he made life challenging for people. One day, Kiehtan, another spirit, “transformed Hobbomock into the iconic Sleeping Giant, a guardian watching over the land in silent repose.”
This past August, the university opened two new buildings, The SITE and the School of Business. They are a great addition to the campus. People are in and out, either studying, eating at the new cafe or going to class.
I myself love the views and study there with my friends all the time. But with these new buildings come new dangers for wildlife. Birds are suffering from The SITE and SOB windows. More than once, I have seen birds die from window collisions. Spiritually, birds are seen as winged messengers in Native American culture. A few weeks ago, during Primary Recruitment, my sorority Gamma Phi Beta, was taking pictures on the South Quad when a turkey flew into one of SITE’s massive reflective windows and died. I saw the disturbing incident. It was sad to see campus wildlife drop to the ground because of the new man-made building.
While I was in the SOB, a woodpecker flew straight into the window and died. It died on the balcony facing the Quinnipiac River. Birds cannot see glass. They can’t identify it as a solid object and get confused with reflections. Yet, the two new buildings have gigantic glass windows and balconies.
Don’t get me wrong, the windows are a lovely addition that gives staff and students a view of our beloved campus, but it’s dangerous for birds.
Luckily, there is a solution! As author Kaitlyn Parkins of American Bird Conservancy (ABC) says, “The good news is, people can help.”
“For existing buildings and homes, the easiest fix is to add inexpensive, commercially available bird-safe window treatments….” she explained. One example of a bird-safe window installation company is Feather Friendly. Recommended by ABC and shown to reduce bird-glass collisions by 95%, Feather Friendly can help QU.
We need to protect the birds. With a simple installation, Quinnipiac can save the lives of many birds we all love to hear on campus. To keep Hobbomock at rest, windows need to become bird-safe.