Earlier this week, N.J. Meadowlands Commission naturalists Gabrielle Bennett-Meany and Mike Newhouse installed new Tree Swallow housing in the Shorebird Pool.

In case you hadn't guessed already, the boxes were painted by last year's Blue K and Green K classes of The Montclair Kimberley Academy.

The Tree Swallows seemed to like the look of the houses, because they were claiming their new homes as soon as the poles for boxes hit the mud. Above, two new tenants check out their digs.

(We'll be putting more boxes soon at Mill Creek Marsh and elsewhere.)