The Origin of (FAU) Species Part 1: The Burrowing Owl

By Chris Persaud

Courtesy of From the Archives of the Atlantic Sun

While the Allies were fighting Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo in 1942, burrowing owls made their way onto the fields near the Boca Raton Airport and U.S. army base where FAU now stands.  According to FAU biology lab team member Joshua Scholl, the land cleared by construction of the two places “created a more suitable habitat for the burrowing owl than there was before.”

Indeed, the College History Series book on FAU says that the soil around the airport’s runways provided a “perfect home” for the future university mascot.

In October of 1970, students voted on making the burrowing owl the official mascot of FAU.

In April of 1971, the Audubon Society — a nonprofit organization that focuses on protecting birds —designated FAU as an owl sanctuary, and placed the burrowing owl under “official protection.” FAU’s old student newspaper, the Atlantic Sun, reported:

In an 11 a.m. ceremony that will designate the FAU campus a burrowing owl sanctuary, Roger Miller, vice president for the Royal Palm Chapter of the society will dig the holes for a sign denoting the sanctuary.

…

Thus will a state institution and a national organization combine to preserve the small brown ground-nesting owls and one of their habitats.

“Our owl population has grown and prospered along with the University,” Miller said.  “We hope the trend will be preserved as a symbol of FAU’s regard for ecology.”

Back then there were as many as 150 burrowing owls on campus.  By December 2010, that number dropped to between 10 and 25.

To read more about the history of FAU as told by the now-defunct student newspaper, the Atlantic Sun, visit From the Archives of the Atlantic Sun.

Courtesy of From the Archives of the Atlantic Sun