The osprey couple, playfully dubbed Donny and Marie, originally nested on a utility pole on Zidell's property in 2007.  The following year, the place that they called home was capped, due to safety issues.  Most osprey mate for life, and are highly drawn to return to the same nesting location each year;  and because of this disruption to their nest, the pair were sadly unable to reproduce that year.  to remedy this, Zidell constructed a man-made nesting structure for Donny and Marie in March of 2009.  The pair acclimated nicely to their new nest; but unfortunately, the nesting structure had to be taken down in efforts made toward the environmental remediation project.  Initially, there did not appear to be many relocation options for the osprey nest, as scientists advised that the nest be relocated no more then 150 feet from the original nesting location.  However, after much collaborative effort, the South Waterfront community and Zidell are pleased to announce that they have found a spot at the South Waterfront Dog Club (SWDC), which occupies the land just adjacent to Zidell.  This is ideal, as the nest they are now residing is only 100 feet away from the original land they took so fondly to.  The birds are reported to be doing very well in their new location, and have already started building their next and engaging in the early stages of mating!

Many individuals worked for months behind the scenes to make this transition possible.  Beginning with Zidell's Jim Fox carefully designing the structure in 2009, to SWDC obtaining permits and insurance to move the nest to its new location, and a tireless work crew who helped to dismantle and reassemble the pole.  It was genuinely a community effort, and was accomplished with the hard work and generosity of: Zidell Marine, Hoffman Construction, Williams Construction, Portland Parks Department, and South Waterfront Birders Association.

This is a only a temporary seasonal relocation for Donny and Marie, as there are no plans currently for a permanent osprey platform anywhere in the vicinity; though the SWDC are currently petitioning to have a platform plan included in the Central Greenway Plan in 2012.  They are also accepting donations to help with the $2,000.00 - $5,000.00 expense of implementing a permanent platform.  If you have any questions, comments, or contributions please direct it to South Waterfront Dog Club with "osprey" in the memo, and drop it off at the Meriwether concierge.