A few weeks ago, Green Hope High School Student Naveen Domadia visited the Cary ReStore to drop off a special donation: thirteen handcrafted birdhouses.
Naveen has donated birdhouses to Triangle ReStores the past few years as part of a climate change awareness project he started at 11 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naveen aims to provide safe shelter for birds while raising awareness about how climate change is affecting their habitats and migration patterns.
“Our focus this year was birds of the Americas that are affected by climate change,” Naveen said.
He painted each house to represent different species such as the hummingbird, parakeet, American flamingo, California condor, bald eagle, scarlet tanager, puffin and more.
“My building experience before this was Legos,” Naveen said. “My parents helped me a lot to learn skills I could apply on my own.”
Through a lot of online tutorials, Naveen taught himself how to build safe, high-quality homes for birds. Each birdhouse takes him about nine hours to complete.
Naveen found some power tools and a work bench for sale this year when he dropped off his birdhouses, and Core Volunteer Frank Hiltz offered to give him lessons each week at the ReStore to learn how to safely use them.
“The ultimate priority is the safety of the bird,” Naveen said. He sands every piece of wood until it's smooth to ensure there are no sharp edges or splinters that could harm potential bird residents.
After assembling the house, the creative process begins.
He sketches a design in graphite pencil and then paints the house with bird- and environment-safe acrylics. He adds wood cutouts, all-natural moss for insulation, and finishes the birdhouse with two coats of linseed oil to protect it from natural elements.
One of his favorite features is the roof, which he paints in an ombre of blue to red, symbolizing the rising temperatures and environmental shifts caused by climate change.
“The goal is to provide shelter to birds facing the threat of climate change,” Naveen said. “But I also want to raise awareness in the community of the effects of climate change on those birds.”
Naveen’s dedication doesn’t stop at birdhouses. He’s a committed volunteer, regularly donating his time to local nonprofits.
“I volunteer to give back to the environment, and not just the environment but the people around me and the community,” Naveen said.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to Naveen for his commitment to helping us raise awareness of the importance of protecting our environment as well as raise money for affordable housing in the Triangle through the sale of his birdhouses at the Cary ReStore.
If you’re interested in donating your time and skills to your nearest Habitat ReStore, visit habitatwake.org/volunteer to learn more about how to get involved!
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