While the new lab was being constructed, Lister made due with the use of an old barn on the property, which had no running water, no restroom, no heat and no electricity.

“We had to make a warming room for our Harris hawk, which is a desert bird,” she said. “But it was all worth it.”

She said that in addition to providing students improved working conditions, the new structure will allow for field trips by schools and Scouting organizations, and will provide the birds a more comfortable home in inclement weather.

“I’m also hopeful it will serve as an environmentally green model for future PSU buildings,” she said.

Collaborative effort

Steve Scott, PSU vice president for academic affairs, said the project was an example of a collaborative effort that spanned four years, and included labor by hundreds of volunteers and construction-technology students.