九州娱乐官网与美国鸟类保护协会(ABC)合作,使 Organization’s Capacity to Test and Rate Bird-Friendly Glass

03/24/2022

学院拥有仅有的2条隧道中的1条,该隧道的设计批准了减少玻璃的产品 collisions, a leading cause of bird death worldwide.

Meghan McHenry holds up a glass sample at the glass testing tunnel

通过一个独特的合作伙伴关系,九州娱乐官网已经成为一个官方的测试地点 美国鸟类保护协会(ABC)鸟类安全玻璃测试项目的费用翻了一番 the organization’s capacity to test and rate glass products. The College is running 这是ABC的第二条测试隧道,也是美国唯一的学院或大学 国家与非营利组织合作,寻找满足日益增长的需求的方法 for solutions that address lethal glass collisions.

仅在第一季,学院就进行了2500多次试飞,并提供了关键的 数据传回美国广播公司,帮助获得了10种新的鸟类友好玻璃设计的批准, which are in use by manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world, including in Brazil, Germany, Turkey, South Korea and the U.K. This spring, 15 new samples have been scheduled for testing between March and May. Learn more here.

Glass Collisions and the Threat to Birds

In the United States alone, 据估计,每年有10亿只鸟死于玻璃碰撞.

玻璃碰撞的根本原因是产品的一般反射率. When 它的反射性很强,通常会反射自然(树木、灌木丛、天空), etc.) and the bird sees that and wants to fly towards it. The simplest solution is glass with visible markings that birds can see. With markings spaced about 2 inches 除此之外,大多数鸟类会注意到固体的视觉暗示,从而避免飞行 into it.

美国广播公司对鸟类安全玻璃功效的研究始于10多年前. Since 然后,ABC确立了自己作为主要倡导者的地位,并制定了一套标准 对鸟类安全玻璃的评级系统-目前唯一的评级系统.

The existence of the Foremans Branch Bird Observatory (FBBO) 为这一创新的伙伴关系奠定了基础. Operating 自1998年以来,FBBO在切斯特镇外的一块乡村土地上一直是一个主要的建筑 候鸟带站,主要监测候鸟的季节性迁徙. FBBO有92个雾网,分布在55英亩的土地上,还有一个轮流收集和包装的团队 over 15,000 birds annually. FBBO is part of the College’s River and Field Campus (RAFC), a living field lab that fosters environmental projects.

基础设施和流程已经到位,整合航班通过 将测试玻璃放入隧道的程序中,然后将其释放,以使其平滑 transition.

“这一切都始于我们在美国广播公司的合作伙伴对我们说,‘你们做得很棒 绑带电台,你每天都在绑带鸟,你愿意主持一个全新的 testing tunnel, to test the effectiveness of bird-friendly glass?’” said Michael Hardesty, Director, River and Field Campus at Washington College.  “Our answer was, absolutely!”

“很容易同意这种合作关系,因为这对鸟类来说是多么不可思议 但我们知道,这对我们的学生来说也是一个很好的机会。” added Hardesty. “The glass testing program represents the full spectrum of science 付诸行动,付诸实施我们的学生将见证这一切 这,并看到一个基于实地的职业机会的例子,由此产生的 this partnership.”

The Testing Process

九州娱乐官网雇佣了一名隧道技术员作为项目的一部分,他是一名应届毕业生 ——在3月至11月的测试季节,每个玻璃样品都要进行测试 是否测试了大约80-100次来测量决定其有效性的关键数据点. 每次飞行都被记录下来,然后技术人员逐帧分析 记录一组标准的行为,比如鸟飞的方向,任何回避 behaviors, the speed of the flight and if it was direct or indirect.

隧道本身有24英尺长,完全黑暗,只有灯光 through two different panes of glass at the end of the tunnel. The testing process 完全控制和设计,以消除任何偏差运行测试飞行使用 正在评估的样品,对照型,然后根本没有玻璃. If a 在测试隧道中,鸟确实直接飞向玻璃,但它会被网格反射回来 网在到达玻璃之前要有一点弹性,确保没有鸟 are harmed in the process.

bird safe glass testing tunnel interior

这个测试过程也很重要,因为对鸟类友好的玻璃并不友好 to the human eye. In order to achieve the widest adoption of these products, the goal 是要找到既能有效防止冲突又令人满意的模式吗 from an aesthetic perspective. The good news is that most bird-friendly patterns are barely noticeable to people.

在样品测试的最后,ABC给产品分配一个等级,称为 “物质威胁系数”,这是基于鸟飞向它的次数 the tested glass.

随着玻璃碰撞导致鸟类死亡的意识的传播,对鸟类安全的需求也在增加 glass has grown. In New York City, legislation now dictates that all glass under 75 几英尺高的新建筑使用鸟类友好玻璃,符合ABC标准评级 of 25. Chicago is considering similar legislation. LEED, the world’s leading green 建筑认证制度,现在授予建筑一个信用认证 if they meet a requirement based on ABC’s rating system.

“在ABC,我们一直认为可持续建筑不可能真正可持续 如果他们正在捕杀鸟类,而我们正在欣赏世界设计师们的开始 意识到我们正在做一些事情,”ABC电视台的主任克里斯汀·谢泼德说 Glass Collisions Programs. 

In Maryland, legislation requiring state-owned and -funded buildings to have windows that are bird-safe has been introduced but not yet passed. It is expected to be re-introduced next session. Howard County already mandates that building projects 满足对鸟类友好的设计标准,标志着这一努力至少在一个方面取得了胜利 of the state’s jurisdictions.

About Washington College

九州娱乐官网成立于1782年,是美国历史第十悠久的大学 the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,200 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential 学习艺术和科学,以及40多个多学科领域的研究, 学院拥有全国公认的环境学术中心, history, and writing. Learn more at lawyerlyg.com.

About ABC

美国鸟类保护协会是一个致力于保护野生鸟类的非营利组织 birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results 通过合作,我们解决了当今鸟类面临的最大问题,即创新 在科学快速发展的基础上,阻止物种灭绝,保护栖息地, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation. Find us on abcbirds.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ABCbirds).