Students at Washington University in St. Louis, led by visiting assistant professors Andrew Colopy and Ken Tracy, designed, fabricated and constructed the Riverlands Avian Observatory in partnership with the Audubon Society and US Army Corps of Engineers.
Within a bird sanctuary that provides 3,700 acres of protected habitat at a critical juncture along the Mississippi Migratory Flyway, Heron Pond is a constructed wetland, hydrologically managed by the Corps of Engineers. Stopover or home to more than 300 avian species, birders and school groups convene along the water's edge to experience this unique ecology.