Dolní Vítkovice and Zoo Ostrava are two of the largest tourist attractions in the Moravian-Silesian Region. Both institutions have been closely cooperating for many years, particularly in the areas of education and mutual promotion. One of their joint activities is the production of nesting boxes for wild birds – in Dolní Vítkovice, they are made by primary school students, and the boxes are then installed in the grounds of Zoo Ostrava. The first boxes made by students from Moravian-Silesian primary schools (ZŠ Dolní Lutyně and ZŠ Kravaře) were brought from Dolní Vítkovice to the Ostrava zoo two years ago. Then the activities were interrupted by the closure of schools and other anti-coronavirus measures. Last autumn, cooperation was successfully resumed, and students were able to produce more boxes during project days and workshops held as part of the FUTUROVA 2021 project. “These are birdhouses of the 'tit type', i.e. boxes for small songbirds, such as tits, creepers, and others, which are most commonly hung in the zoo. They have been modified and improved to ensure they are as safe as possible for their inhabitants,” explains Otakar Závalský, who is the author of the improvements and is responsible for hanging and checking the boxes in the zoo. The second batch of finished birdhouses, made by students from Ostrava schools (ZŠ Kpt. Vajdy and ZŠ Nádražní), will be hung to serve as nesting sites for small cavity-nesting birds, of which there are quite a few living in the natural area. In recent years, over three hundred various nesting boxes have been hung in the zoo as part of the Biodiversity project, serving as substitute tree cavities. The spacious grounds of the Ostrava zoo can easily accommodate more boxes; some have been in place for over 10 years and are slowly wearing out, so they need to be replaced. “The students worked in pairs, received semi-finished products from us, and followed a detailed guide and drawing. It took them about three hours to make a birdhouse. I must say they were very skilled,” describes Radim Zahradník, a lecturer from the World of Technology, who devised the Birdhouses for the Zoo program. “I greatly appreciate the approach and precision in making the boxes with the lecturers from the World of Technology. Anyone could probably hammer together a box, however, our long-term experience shows that the box must meet certain parameters. To be functional and safe for its inhabitants, it must primarily protect against predators,” adds Otakar Závalský. The boxes were delivered to the zoo on Thursday, February 17, which coincided symbolically with National Nest Box Week, declared by the British Trust for Ornithology, running from February 14 to 21.