This park was selected as one of three sites in the United States to host the World Cup of Cricket. A major stadium expansion was needed to accommodate the international tournament. But the park is home to a large population of burrowing owls – a threatened species – and some of the owls lived in the new stadium’s construction zone. Broward County engaged WGI to create a plan that would allow the expansion of the stadium while also protecting the owls. Using our own FWC Registered Agents, WGI conducted numerous wildlife surveys, developed a protection plan, established an onsite owl preserve area, constructed new starter burrows, obtained an FWC owl relocation permit, and safely relocated owls from the construction area. WGI was onsite throughout the construction phase to help the construction contractors comply with the owl management plan and FWC guidelines. Two owls, in particular, named Wicket and Willow, were actively nesting at the time of construction. Since their burrow has a front-row seat to the cricket field, WGI worked closely to accommodate them during construction and sporting events. Wicket and Willow were given a fenced protective buffer zone around their burrow to encourage them to continue nesting and protect them during the World Cup. Wicket and Willow became the beloved mascots of the games and were the center of a marketing campaign to educate the fans on the importance of protecting threatened species.

Project Highlights:

• A large, complicated, and highly successful wildlife protection and relocation project on a high-profile construction site