Capital Projects team effort protects precious wildlife

When Steve Crawford, Director of Capital Projects, arrived for work one day in late July, he was greeted by two gangly balls of chirping fluff on the ground outside his office at the administration building. Apparently, a green heron—which is much rarer in this area than a blue heron—had nested above the roof, and something had caused her to abandon these two chicks. Crawford guessed that the little ones had become hungry and jumped overboard, landing on the roof, then the ground.

"It didn't look like they'd be capable of surviving too long on their own," Crawford said.

He immediately put out water and seed for the chicks while Construction Coordinator Tom Mullins tracked down a local wildlife agency. He was referred to Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington, an organization that rescues and rehabilitates wild animals.

After returning from a construction project later that afternoon, Crawford noticed several menacing crows harassing the two chicks, which had found the only patch of shade along a nearby fence. He shooed the bullying birds away and stood guard over the chicks for about 20 minutes until the Sarvey team arrived.

Not only did Crawford take on the role of surrogate green-heron father that afternoon, he also became a TV star. A National Geographic film crew happened to be traveling with the Sarvey van, shooting footage for a show about wildlife rescue agencies. The crew promised to send a copy of the show when it airs.

The celebrity didn't go to his head, however. Within the same hour, Crawford was busy as usual with another heroic effort-making sure the district's newest school, Grand Ridge Elementary in the Issaquah Highlands, is ready for opening on Sept. 6.