Hello fellow students, faculty, and community members. I'd like to draw your attention to a pressing issue on our campus that is personal to me, and should be to you too. Our beloved mascot, the burrowing owl, is under threat due to campus development of a new dorm West of Parliament Hall.

These spirited creatures have been a part of our college's identity, symbolizing wisdom and knowledge. Yet they are being dismissed indiscriminately. Even though they are a threatened species, the college plans to build a new dormitory on one of the last remaining natural spaces, thereby displacing our feathery companions.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) has recently given FAU permission to "non-lethally harass" owls off their nests and relocate them to an area that still has not been determined. According to Colin Hughes, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at FAU, these animals cannot easily be relocated since they can't adapt to artificial nests that are built for them. Consequently, these owls will be either killed or have no where to go during this process that will take place in the following weeks.

According to the Audubon Society, burrowing owls are experiencing habitat loss throughout North America, including in our state. This small piece of land on our campus that is planned for development is one of their last refuges.

It's crucial that we pause and reconsider the implications of our actions, ensuring we protect the species that add character to our campus, while also bearing in mind the environmental responsibilities we have.

By signing this petition, let's urge the college to take a different approach to campus development – one that is mindful of our school mascot, the burrowing owls. Let's stand up for the preservation of their current burrows, and for making ecological awareness a driving principle in future campus developments.

Please, sign this petition to protect our college's burrowing owls.