Express News Service

CHENNAI: Pushed to the corner due to severe inundation and water leakage woes following the rains, residents relocated to the Perumbakkam Slum Board tenements have now been forced to install buckets beneath the ceiling to prevent water leaking into the elevator.

The residents of the tenements had been relocated from different slums across Chennai to Perumbakkam, 25 kilometres from the city, as the authorities took up water body restoration projects.

The residents of M Block in the tenements said that for the past week, water has been leaking into the elevator through its motor room from the terrace, due to heavy rains.

We complained to officials as people found it hard to use the elevator but it has not been fixed. So we went to the terrace and installed buckets in the motor room to hold the leaking water, said Rajan, a resident of M Block.

He said that the water continuously kept leaking into the elevator set up in the seven-storied building. It is dangerous for water to leak in the elevator as it works on high-voltage electricity. What if something happens to people using it, he questioned.

The residents said they have been mopping up the water from the elevator by themselves and kept it as dry as possible so they could use it. Vasanth, another resident from the block, said since this is a seven storied building, its hard without an elevator.

Many elderly people too use the elevator daily so officials must ensure theres no water leak there, he said.

Residents also said there has been severe water seepage inside the houses from the elevator room. The water seeps from the elevator room to the houses. Water has seeped in from the seventh floor to ground floor houses as well, said Rajan.

He said there are no adequate drainage facilities in the terrace resulting in water staying stagnant. Thus it seeps through the walls, he said.

The New Indian Express spoke to Slum Board officials and shared the photos with them. They said they would visit the spot immediately.

The Perumbakkam area, where several thousands of families were relocated, has been facing severe inundation over the past week with knee-deep water.

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Perumbakkam residents forced to install buckets beneath roof as water leaks into elevator - The New Indian Express

Estonia-based Iglucraft is known for their made-to-order saunas and cabins that stand out for their distinctive shape and traditionally-styled shingle cladding. With previous clients in Instagram-worthy locations all around the world, their latest project considered the needs of guests and the unique environment of a wildlife rehabilitation center in Denmark.

Completed in March, these handcrafted Igluhuts provide overnight accommodation for guests of Ree Park Safari in Ebeltoft, Denmark, about 150 miles northwest of Copenhagen. The park rehabilitates a range of endangered species before returning them to natural environments.

Among several custom features, the clients requested a large, park-facing window from which guests could observe surrounding animals. Additionally, floor plan changes included the removal of a kitchen and bathroom, both of which were unnecessary given on-site facilities.

Iglucraft recently launched an in-house production team focused exclusively on prototyping and building custom projects.

"The main idea is to incorporate a client's needs without losing the characteristic features of our productsspecifically, the shape and shingle style," says Priit Kallas, the CEO of Iglucraft. "Our core design makes it possible to add modules that double or triple the unit in size, while adjusting the positions of doors and windows, as well as the overall layout."

For this particular project, the production team added a panoramic window, reoriented the entryway, and adapted the floor plan to create larger sleeping/lounging spaces.

The group of cabins are accessed by a decking system that connects with other paths in the park. The site setup also required Iglucraft to incorporate rear-facing entry doors instead of their standard position along the front facade.

"Most of our cabins and saunas are located in someone's backyard or somewhere that requires the door to be beautiful and accessible along the front," comments Kallas. "Yet, in this case, the clean aesthetic look of all the windows across the front is just wonderful."

In fact, the Iglucraft team liked the panoramic window feature so much they decided to add it to their standard list of options. "With increasing demand, we understand that being open to custom requests is also an essential means of communicating with clients and getting feedback for future product development," Kallas adds.

Inside, an alcove to one side contains a bed with luggage storage underneath.

On the opposite side, a dining alcove doubles as an additional sleeping area if needed.

Discussions for the project began in late 2019 with the Iglucraft team visiting the site. "The clients told us about their vision and we had professional drawings from our engineers confirmed within a month," explains Jri Ristna, the head of production. Fabrication began in February and delivery was scheduled for Marchright when border closures were imposed throughout Europe to help control the spread of COVID-19.

"Due to travel restrictions, our client faced the challenge of installing the cabins by themselves, while we were coordinating from a distance," Ristna adds. "Even so, the transport was on time and the clients were well informed about the installation."

While the Iglucraft team would usually be on-site for the final installation, the Ree Park team managed much of the installation themselvesa process made easier by the turnkey designs available from Iglucraft.

With the elevated platforms built in advance, the on-site work largely required setting each unit in place. "These clients were very professional, with the knowhow and preparation," says Ristna.

As the travel industry adapts to the current lockdowns and future possibilities, the Iglucraft team is also using the time to reflect on their own products. "This is the best time to unplug and look at everything we do from a distance," comments Kallas.

"Over the summer, we started working with an interior designer who will help us review the design process at a much deeper level," adds Ristna. "We are also conducting interviews with previous clients and are planning to launch new cabin designs by spring 2021." Recently, the company also introduced a new home office concept based on their cabin design.

The project in Denmark has been so successful that Iglucraft is currently working on six additional cabins for another area of the park.

Prices for standard Igluhuts begin at19,900 (approximately $23,500), with additional costs for custom upgrades, taxes, and transportation.

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Spend the Night With Lions, Tigers, and Bears in These Prefab Glamping Pods - Dwell

Hardwood floors are one of those amazing little features that can really encourage a home buyer to sign off on buying a home. While having hardwood flooring in your home is easy if you had it from the start, converting your floors to hardwood is a whole different discussion. Hardwood floors can be pricey to pay for and install in existing construction. Their upkeep calls for a good deal of care and attention.

Something that interested parties may not know is that hardwood flooring is generally available in three forms.

If you happen to be considering whether or not to add hardwood flooring to your place, please look over the list of pros and cons weve provided below.

Hardwood gets its name for a reason. With the proper level of upkeep and attention, a hardwood floor is easily capable of lasting for over a century. If you are curious about the sort of upkeep and attention involved with a hardwood floor, dont worry at all. Its much easier to maintain than carpet. You should make sure to have a good vacuum and some quality wood floor cleaner. Thats all you need and if you suffer from indoor allergies, youll probably have to deal with less dust mites and pet dander after the install.

As mentioned earlier in this article, a hardwood floor is a major draw for home buyers. Not only do these sorts of floors tend to fetch a home seller more money, they also tend to sell more quickly than carpeted homes. Carpeting is considered the default floor aesthetic for a home. WIth added durability and resistance to stains, its no wonder that hardwood flooring is considered an upgrade by manufacturers and realtors alike.

Hardwood flooring can suit any style of room decor. When looking into hardwood, you have several options including the specific type of wood, different patterns and texture options or if you want to stain the wood a certain color. You can also change the look of these floors if you decide to change the look of your home later on.

When the cost of unfinished oak planks goes for as much as $12 per square foot, its definitely not the most affordable option for renovating a home, though you might save a bit by buying locally from a company. Flooring has to be installed over subflooring and the installation process can be a pain for some. That makes labor costs a factor in the final price of converting to hardwood, and may be the biggest variable price for the average homeowner.

Any scuffs or scratches in your hardwood floor require refinishing. Further, the softer your wood, the more easily it will become distressed. Obviously high-traffic areas, like floors where children and pets regularly travel over, are going to be more frequently marred. A professional refinishing can range anywhere from $1.25 to over $4 per square foot of work and this price can depend on factors like material, the layout of the room and even the sort of finish involved. The process of refinishing a hardwood floor also generates dust and fumes that may agitate individuals with those specific allergies.

As every new parent with hardwood floors quickly finds out, its excellent at making noise when you want to sneak out of a room and get some rest! You can almost always tell when someone is walking across a hardwood floor and this fact may be especially frustrating if you happen to have people living on the level beneath you! The good news is that this is the one drawback to hardwood flooring that can be somewhat mitigated. If you want to travel across hardwood without disturbing others, a quality rug, placed over your foot path is just the thing you need. Not only will a rug be a good investment for homes with children and pets, it can also be quite the lifesaver for your feet.

And thats another drawback to hardwood. Not only can it be rough on your feet if youre up and moving around a lot, but it also tends to be cold in the winter. If you have that problem and rugs arent enough to keep your feet warm, Holmes Flooring suggests it may be a good idea to insulate your crawl space before the next winter. This will help warm your floors up a bit and will also cut down on your winter utility bill.

If youre thinking about making the switch to hardwood, consider all the pros and cons carefully. If you plan to be in your home a while, it may make sense to upgrade now and not have to worry about replacing carpet every few years. On the other hand, the added material and installation costs just might not be the best fit for you.

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HOME SERVICES: The pros and cons of hardwood flooring - Trussvilletribune

Photo: Halstead Connecticut / Contributed Photo

Nantucket colonial offers open floor plan and great flow

Built in 2012, this wondrous and spacious Nantucket colonial is in one of Dariens most desirable neighborhoods in the Tokeneke school district.

Private and full of light, the best feature of this home - which has four bedrooms and 2 baths - is its open floor plan, according to listing agent Caroline Hanley of Halstead Connecticut.

I just love the open floor plan, the updated finishes and the flow of the house, Hanley said.

The white home - which is professionally landscaped, has flowering trees and sits on a cul-de-sac - has had many recent updates and improvements.

They include hardwood floors put down in August, newly painted garage doors, a new dishwasher put in this month, the house being power washed in September and the master bedroom being freshly painted. In the dining room, the light fixtures were put in two years ago, and the kitchen was updated in 2019.

The living room was painted white last year.

The home - which is 2,250 square feet and sits on 0.54-acres - has a basement for storage, a main level, second level and hatch attic.

Address: 3 Wakeman Road, Darien

Price: $1.495 million

Rooms: 7

Features: Includes new hardwood floors, newly painted garage doors, a new dishwasher, newly power washed and fresh paint in the master bedroom. In addition, the kitchen was updated in 2019.

Schools: Tokeneke Elementary, Middlesex Middle and Darien High School.

To the left of the foyer on the main level is the two-car garage and powder room.

To the immediate right of the foyer is a nice-sized living room and fireplace converted from regular wood to a gas fireplace.

In the front of the living room, Hanley said, is the formal dining room with big, beautiful windows that looks on out to the trees. There are also nice moldings.

Travel from the dining room to the walk-in eat-in kitchen.

The kitchen, Hanley said, has a big island that can seat five people comfortably. It also boasts stainless-steel appliances including GE Monogram. The kitchen also has new backsplash, a newly installed dishwasher, shiplap ceiling and updated new countertops.

The second level, Hanley said, has a 19-by-16 master suite with walk-in closet and brand-new carpet. The grey bathroom, she said, has two sinks and a big shower. The bathroom was completely redone two years ago.

There are three other bedrooms on that level and one full bath. The laundry is also located on the second level.

We do have plans if the buyer wants to add a third floor, Hanley noted.

There is also another patio in the backyard. In addition, she said, there is a brand-new irrigation system put in during the summer.

There is insulation throughout the house and a generator was installed in 2018. A hot water system was also put in that year.

The house, Hanley said, is energy efficient and offers Energy Star appliances and a programmable Thermostat sprinkler system.

The neighborhood, Hanley said, holds many events. They include block parties, trick-or-treating and holiday parties. There are 19 homes on the street and its a great street to walk dogs or see kids riding on their bikes, Hanley added.

Listing agent: Caroline Hanley, Halstead Connecticut, 917-699-9713, Chanley@halstead.com

Original post:
Nantucket colonial offers open floor plan and great flow - The Advocate

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumber Liquidators ("LL Flooring" or "Company") (NYSE: LL), a leading specialty retailer of hard-surface flooring in North America, today announced that it intends to release third quarter 2020 results on Monday, November 2, 2020.

The Company plans to host a conference call and audio webcast on November 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference may be accessed by dialing (877) 407-9039 or (201) 689-8470. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the call ends through November 9, 2020 and may be accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671 and entering pin number 13711148. The live conference call and replay can also be accessed via audio webcast at the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, http://www.LLFlooring.com.

About LL Flooring

LL Flooring is one of North America's leading specialty retailers of hard-surface flooring with 422 stores as of June 30, 2020. The Company seeks to offer the best customer experience online and in stores, with more than 400 varieties of hard-surface floors featuring a range of quality styles and on-trend designs. LL's online tools also help empower customers to find the right solution for the space they've envisioned. LL Flooring's extensive selection includes waterproof vinyl plank, solid and engineered hardwood, laminate, bamboo, porcelain tile, and cork, with a wide range of flooring enhancements and accessories to complement. With over 25 years of experience, stores are staffed with flooring experts who provide advice, pro partnership services and installation options for all of LL Flooring's products, much of which is in stock and ready for delivery.

Learn more about LL Flooring:

For further information contact:

LL Flooring Investor Relations [emailprotected] Tel: 804-420-9801

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ll-flooring-to-report-third-quarter-2020-results-on-november-2-2020-301158390.html

SOURCE Lumber Liquidators

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LL Flooring To Report Third Quarter 2020 Results On November 2, 2020 - GuruFocus.com

Although the coronavirus pandemic has savaged cultural institutions around the world, museums across the U.S. are slowly reopening at reduced capacity. Still, its a perilous time for art and design museums, and thats why Manhattans Rubin Museum of Art is reconfiguring its third floor into the forthcoming Mandala Lab, an interactive space for social and emotional learning for all ages, according to a press release.

The new, 2,700-square-foot lab should be right at home at the Rubin Museum. Primarily displaying works of art, cultural, and religious artifacts from across the Himalayas, the museum has also put a strong emphasis on mindfulness. Take its 2020 theme, for instance, a yearlong exploration of Buddhist Impermanence, and the associated, ongoing Measure Your Existence exhibition; an entire lab devoted to the subject is the logical next step.

The museum launched a design competition for the Mandala Lab earlier this year, and the project will replace the third-floor galleries, which currently house the permanent Masterworks of Himalayan Art exhibition (no worries though, the show will be moved to the fifth floor and reopen on January 21, 2021). The Brooklyn-based Peterson Rich Office (PRO) ultimately won, and this marks its first museum project in the city (though not the first gallery there).

The aptly named Mandala Lab will, according to an announcement by the museum, be architecturally influenced by the mandalathey also noted that the spiritual symbol appears in over 100 pieces in the museums collection. The focus of the Mandala Lab will be to teach users how to deal with their emotions and focus their energy on coping with the especially tumultuous times through meditation and other Buddhist practices.

Our society is struggling right now. We are navigating a pandemic, we are grappling with a climate crisis, and we are confronting longstanding inequities and deep divisions in our society, said Rubin Museum executive director Jorrit Britschgi in the project announcement. With the Mandala Lab, our hope is to empower us to face these challenges: to widen our imagination, understand and manage our emotions, enrich our capacity for empathy, and connect with others. Our hope is for the Rubin to be a Museum where art, ideas, research, and our emotions connect.

The lab will be divided up into four quadrants, both referencing the cardinal directions as well as the four classical elements (earth, fire, water, and wind), and each area will teach participants how to deal with a particular emotion (ie, anger, jealousy, etc). Contemporary artists will also be commissioned to create site-specific, multidisciplinary work for the lab.

PRO has designed an open-floor space convertible for different purposes through mesh partitions and included an amphitheater, modular furniture, flexible learning spaces, and a screening area.

The Mandala Lab is scheduled to open sometime in the fall of 2021, when visiting a museum in-person will hopefully be a much less harrowing experience.

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Peterson Rich Office will install a social learning lab in NYC's Rubin Museum - The Architect's Newspaper

This 17-story building encompasses three separate programs: The David H. Koch Center Ambulatory Care Center, Integrative Health, and the Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns that occupies the top six floors and is designed to support a future 230,000-sf overbuild.

The clients vision was guided by six patient-centric and operational-efficient planning and design principles that emphasize quality and flexibility.

Three architectural firms collaborated on devising a unified concept that achieves the highest degree of patient experience. Doctors, nurses and staff were involved in the development of the facility, too. During the design phase, the team conducted a series of future technology work sessions, seeking opinions from clinical leaders, medical equipment research and development teams, and IT experts in order to anticipate future developments in healthcare technology, effectively designing flexible rooms that could be equipped with technology that didnt exist yet.

A 40-ft-high lobby offers transparency into the hospital, and looks onto an adjacent garden at Rockefeller University.Courtesy Albert Vecerko/Esto.

For example, a vertical zone of removable curtail wall panels, known as the zipper, enables new medical equipment to be hoisted into the building. The selective use of long structure spans in procedure areas maximizes floor plate efficiency by created large zones of unobstructed floor area and enabling floor-to-floor standardization.

One of the Building Teams key objectives was the implementation of the Last Planner System, which began during the foundation and superstructure phase in 2015. This collaborative approach produced a detailed master plan whose result was the completion of the building ahead of schedule.

A curtain wall with an undulating frit pattern is one of this hospitals distinguishing design characteristics. The Building Team improved the projects production schedule significantly by installing the glass panels using an existing tower crane.Photo: Albert Vecerko/Esto.

The scheduling was abetted by a Clean Sweepapproach that organized each floor into three zones, each of which was treated as an independent handover. As a result, punch-list items were completed in half the normal time. Task forces were formed specifically to resolve punch-list and Department of Health-related items.

Other discussions among the Building Team and experts helped to identify changes and accommodations that made this project work. These include:

Shifting the location of caissons and installing added grade beams to maintain the structural integrity of five sub cellars.

Locating the diagnostic imaging department to the 7th floor rather than the basement, partly for purposes of sustainability;

Locating infusion and radiation oncology departments on the 4th floor with daylight and views. Moving the LINAC Vaults to that floor required coordination among multiple trades to sequence installation. The infusion spaces range from private to community areas and are designed for a variety of treatment types. The surfaces installed in these roomsmade from wood, stone, and natural materialsare meant to evoke comfort and ease.

The buildings curtain wall is one of its distinguishing features.

On the clinical floors, wood screen was inserted into the triple-glazed assembly, along with an undulating frit pattern, giving the curtain wallthe first of its kind at this scaleits rich character. Each of the curtain walls 18x18-ft panels was initially loaded onto floors, staged, and installed using an outrigger system. For purposes of trade efficiency, the team eventually switched to using one of the existing tower cranes, a decision that increased production by 37%.

A green roof covers 30% of the buildings roof area. This is the first hospital in New York City to be certified LEED Gold. Photo: Ari Burling.

This strategy enabled a visually distinctive and highly sustainable curtain wall that recesses at the 40-ft-high lobby level to give the building institutional gravity and transparency. The lobby looks onto an adjacent garden at Rockefeller University, and its open staircase inside leads to a mezzanine with food service, seating options, and connection to the Integrative Health program. Gathering areas were designed with a welcoming, hospitality-like ambiance.

The exterior edge of each floor plate is reserved for circulation and open areas, which provide occupants with natural lighting and views, even during infusion or when in transit to operating areas. The clinical floors, organized with perimeter circulation, give patients and visitors the opportunity to experience the faade on a more personal scale.

A clinical floor typically includes a sky lobby, 12 procedure rooms, and 36 private prep and recovery rooms, whose proximity minimizes patient movement. Operating rooms are accessed through a light-filled corridor. The operating suites and interventional procedure rooms are equipped with the latest in advanced medical technology.

This is New York Citys first hospital to be certified LEED Gold. A green roof covers 30% of the roof area, helping to reduce the urban heat island effect and to slow stormwater runoff. The curtain wall system is designed to mitigate solar heat gain and ensure interior comfort.

Natural light bathes the corridor leading patients to the hospitals operating rooms. Photo:Frank Oudeman.

Critical building systems and infrastructure that are essential to maintaining building operations during an emergency were located to protect and isolate them from hazards. Back-up systems and redundancy are incorporated into the design so that the hospital can deliver uninterrupted care during a severe weather occurrence.

The Koch Center also showcases a fully integrated art program that hosts a diverse collection that includes a vibrant mosaic-tile wall by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes that adorns the buildings patient drop-off area.

Submitting firm and Architect: HOKOwner: New York PresbyterianMedical Architect: BallingerConsulting Architect (lobby and faade): Pei Cobb FreedStructural Engineer: Thornton TomasettiMEP/FP Engineer: Syska Hennessy GroupCivil Engineer: AKRFGC: Turner ConstructionLighting: Cline Bettridge Lighting Design, HOKAcoustics: Cerami and AssociatesGeotechnical Engineer: Mueser Rutledge Consulting EngineerSize: 734,000 sfConstruction time: 2014 2020Cost: NADelivery Method: Design-Build-Bid, Design-Build, CM at RiskPhoto credit: Albert Vecerko/Esto, Ari Burling,Frank Oudeman, Eric Laignel

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Judging a book by its cover - Building Design + Construction

You deal with Jim Rohan, the owner, from the moment you come in or call to the completion of your job

by: Jim Loboy

If you want to have your floors redone before the holidays begin, check out Jim Rohan Floor Covering in Liberty.

They have a great selection of flooring from hardwood to carpet and even have stone that can be used to decorate around a bar or the exterior of your home.

Jim Rohan Flooring makes it a priority to provide personal care and service to each customer that comes in.

You deal with Jim Rohan, the owner, from the moment you come in or call to the completion of your job.

I try to tell my customers, I do every job like its my house, said Rohen.

They have labor warranties on all installations. Jim stands by everything he sells.

Brands include Mohawk, Armstrong, Tarkett, Southwind Carpet, Mirage & Bella Cera, just to name a few.

You can call (330) 759-7900 or visit their store at 3100 Belmont Ave. in Liberty.

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Jim Rohan Floor Covering has you covered this holiday season - WKBN.com

The sagging house on the edge of Newports East Row neighborhood looked unsafe and uninspiring to most passersby. Mark Ramler, owner of Mansion Hill Properties, looks at houses like this a little differently. He jumped at the chance to bring it back to life, uncovering unexpected treasures in the process.

This house was built before the Civil War, Ramler explained. One of the coolest things I found was a mold for casting a Union belt buckle.

He also found extra-wide wood planks originally used as attic flooring. When he and his team vaulted some of the ceilings, they used those planks to make an unusual kitchen island, range hood and bathroom vanities.

I loved repurposing the materials and keeping them in the house, Ramler said.

Other examples of creative repurposing include the installation of two interior windows that came from the building that is now Hotel Covington. Kitchen cabinets from a few different Newport renovation projects were brought together in this home and look like they have always been there. One wall of the master bathrooms shower is actually a bricked-up fireplace that was original to the house.

When Ramler opened up the ceiling in one of the bedrooms, he left part of the attic level intact, creating a loft area. It is currently used as a home office but would also make an inviting playroom.

The episode features photos of the home before the renovation and the changes are dramatic. What once was a tumbledown multi-family house is now a one-of-a-kind home for a young family, putting down roots in Newport.

Catch new episodes of Beyond the Curb: River City Living every Friday. The previous 12 episodes can be viewed here.

The Catalytic Fund is the private sector, not-for-profit organization that provides financing assistance and related services for developers of quality residential and commercial real estate projects in Northern Kentuckys urban cities of Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Dayton. Its mission is to accelerate Northern Kentuckys urban renaissance through targeted investments in catalytic real estate development projects in urban neighborhoods.

After and before fireplace

Before and after house

The new kitchen

The new living room

The new staircase

The new bedroom

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Beyond the Curb: Creativity and vision transform a Newport house featured in River City Living - User-generated content

Fort Benning Public AffairsFORT BENNING, Ga. To his coworker watching from the forest floor, the wildlife biologist 90 feet up the tree may not look to be moving much in the gusting wind.However it may look from the ground though, the one strapped to the pine tree high above Fort Benning's sprawling woodlands knows all too well that the tree is swaying in a long arc, now 40 feet this way, now 40 feet thatSometimes too, looking into the holes in old pines where red-cockaded woodpeckers make their homes, the biologists sometimes find the occupants are no longer the birds but the bees, or maybe wasps, unregistered tenants suddenly roused. Rattlers and other venomous snakes inhabit the forest undergrowth.But such encounters with raw nature are a routine part of the steps Fort Benning has been taking for more than two dozen years to help the red-cockaded woodpecker population grow and keep growing. They often refer to the bird as the "RCW" for short. Their nests are typically referred to as cavities."In the spring of every year we go and we inspect all of the red-cockaded woodpecker cavities on the installation," said Doug Linden, a wildlife biologist with the Natural Resources Management Branch of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Benning's Directorate of Public Works.As the branch staff identifies a tree that's home to the woodpeckers, it records the position using the Global Positioning System, or GPS, said Linden."We know the location, they're all marked and tagged," he said.When the biologists check those cavities, they clear them if need be of debris, water, or anything else that might trouble the woodpeckers.The RCW has been on the endangered species list since 1970. By the 1990s, under federal conservation guidelines, U.S. military installations with large RCW populations began a set of actions to help the bird along. That's been part of a broader effort that has included various federal and state agencies and private sector organizations.Since then, the overall red-cockaded woodpecker population has recovered enough to where federal authorities recently proposed changing its status from endangered to threatened.Officials traveled to Fort Benning last month to formally announce the proposal, which is currently open to public comment, after which a decision is to be made.Since the push to help the RCW began in earnest at Fort Benning in 1996, its population here has nearly tripled, said Linden.But Fort Benning continues measures to help the woodpecker, among them a major focus on ensuring they have suitable living spaces.For the red-cockaded woodpecker that means a live pine tree, but one old enough, and therefore soft enough, for the bird to be able to pick out a living space. That usually means pines older than 70 years.The RCW is the only woodpecker species in North America that makes its home only in live pines, Linden said.It can take an RCW years to peck a big enough cavity in the body of a living pine, he said. That's partly because a live pine heals itself when injured, making it for the woodpecker a protracted labor one peck forward, two pecks back."It may take them anywhere from six months to three years to complete a cavity, depending on how often they work on it," said Linden."So it's not like where they start something in a dead tree, and they can come back to it a few days later," he said. "In a live pine tree, it's constantly trying to heal itself."So Fort Benning helps house the RCW by using box-like wooden cavities called inserts, Linden said. The inserts are about 10 inches tall, four wide, six deep. They make their own out of blocks of western red cedar they order from a local mill, he said.Most cavities at Fort Benning tend to be about 30 to 35 feet up the pine. Some are as low as five feet from the ground and others as high as 95, said Linden."One of our technicians can climb up the tree, with the chain saw, cut out the hole, put this cavity in place, and be finished in about an hour," he said."As opposed to a bird that might need a couple of years to get that cavity completed, we can go out to a stand and put in numerous cavities," said Linden. The birds may start roosting right away.It's a climb they make with safety gear and a variety of tools."We'll wear hard hats and chainsaw chaps and long-sleeved shirts and leather gloves, etcetera," said Linden.And they rely on lightweight aluminum Swedish ladders that can be added to a section at a time for the needed length. Each section is 10 feet, and the bottom section has spikes that can be sunk in the ground to anchor it.It's not ideal for those who fear heights, especially in a good wind."When you're up there, you know it's movin' 30 or 40 feet in any direction every time the wind blows," said Linden. "You know it can certainly make for a hairy time."And then we have a safety protocol, only climbing with two people present. So nobody's out there climbing by themselves," he said."Someone might check a cavity to see what the contents were and it happens to be full of bees or wasps and they come flying out like crazy."When they need to gauge how many birds are living within a particular place they sometimes draw them into the open by playing digital recordings of RCW calls.The birds hear the calls and fly out for a look.Another measure that aids many creatures, including the woodpecker, is the setting of carefully controlled fires at key points on the forest floor. Known as prescribed burns, the flames consume unwanted debris and generate chemical changes in the soil that make it ultimately richer in insects and other nutrients the RCW and other animals feed on.The RCW's population is measured not in individual birds but in breeding groups, said Linden. A group consists of, at a minimum, a male-female pair. Each group may contain two to seven individual birds typically, he said."We don't count these particular species by individual because they don't function as individuals, they function as one family group, with only one nest in that group," he said. "So even if you had seven birds, they're still only having one nest. Whereas a group that has two birds is also only having one nest."In 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set Fort Benning the goal of increasing the RCW population to 351, said Linden. At that time the number of RCW breeding groups here stood at 143. It's now 412, he said."We've surpassed that number pretty significantly," he said of the original goal.Fort Benning's abundance of live pines and its efforts to help the red-cockaded woodpecker keep a proper home has led to that outcome, said Linden.And the installation of artificial cavities has been perhaps most crucial of all for the woodpeckers being able to thrive here, he said."They have a better chance of doing that than they do of striking out on their own and then trying to create a new territory," said Linden. "Because it takes so long for those birds to be able to excavate a cavity and then to also try to defend that area at the same time. We can install those cavities in a matter of hours, and that allows them to create these new breeding groups almost immediately."

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Climbing the pines, wildlife biologists put in ready-made homes to help woodpeckers thrive - United States Army