S.I. exhibitor, New Orleans-based design firm Crookedworks, will lead an all-ages DIY workshop on how to build beneficial bird habitats from salvaged urban debris. Reclaimed and recycled materials will be provided, and participants will be invited to make their own Toss! units, which can be taken home. This workshop is an informal, drop-in making lab, where individuals can build their own Toss! units from materials scavenged locally. Crookedworks provides tools, found materials, and advice for collaborative building efforts. While the process is simple and open to all ages and skill levels, a single Toss! unit can take anywhere from one to two hours to fabricate.

Toss! designers are encouraged to deploy units in their own urban environment. Crookedworks has been gathering data from Toss! creators and deployers to learn what kinds of habitat are most effective in supporting beneficial bird populations. Through a web-based platform that houses information on each Toss! unit’s location, condition, and habitat use, we are creating a crowd-sourced research project to inform urban ecological design efforts in the future.  www.crookedworks.com