Rotting trees on a South Surrey golf course must come down. Can eagle and osprey nests be saved in time?

An eagle's nest is visible at Nico Wynd Golf Club, where residents are raising money to build two platforms to relocate protected birds. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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For years, two aging fir trees on a South Surrey golf course have sheltered a bald eagle and an osprey. Now, the trees are becoming a safety hazard — and residents are racing to build the birds a new home before they fall.

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Residents of the 65-acre Nico Wynd Estates are raising money to help offset the hefty cost of installing and monitoring artificial nests for the protected birds.

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The firs were flagged after the estates’ strata hired an independent arborist to assess their condition. The review found the trees had been weakened by fungal rot and needed to come down, according to Myles Lamont, a wildlife biologist and founder of TerraFauna Wildlife Consulting.

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“The problem in this case is the trees could fall onto the houses if it’s not dealt with,” said Lamont, who was contracted by the strata to develop a wildlife mitigation plan that would give the birds a new place to nest before the trees are removed.

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The bald eagle and osprey nests are protected under the province’s Wildlife Act and the aging trees cannot simply be removed without authorization of proposed mitigation measures.

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The mitigation plan is to install a tall artificial nest pole with a basket on top, about 50 to 80 metres from the existing eagle nest. The 21-metre structure would give the birds a nearby place to return after their annual migration. The project will also include an osprey nesting structure on another part of the property.

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“They’ll be leaving now through mid to late September. The hope is that when they return in spring, they’ll have nesting habitats in place with the existing trees already gone,” Lamont said.

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Lamont says when the birds come back, they may choose to take up nests in other old trees on the property.

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“They usually like to get as high as they can,” he said. “There’s a chance they will take up a nest in a natural tree on their own. In that case, some other bird will eventually take up the replacement habitat.”

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The mitigation plan is being submitted to the Province of B.C. for approval as part of the permitting process required before the trees can be removed, according to Lamont.

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“It’s an expensive project the strata didn’t ask for,” he said. “It’s not like they’re developing the site and going to profit from it. So, it’s a good thing the community is stepping up to help.”

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For the people living in the 132 homes on the property, the work is about more than following environmental rules — it’s about protecting a habitat that species have used for decades.

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Nico Wynd resident and strata council member Peter Ufford started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help offset the project’s total cost of $25,000. As of Thursday, the online campaign has raised close to $3,000 of its $9,000 goal.

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Ufford said he hopes donations will help reduce the financial burden falling on residents and the Nico Wynd Golf Course.