Drivers passing along Golf Course Road in Warren may notice an unusual wooden structure rising near the 10th tee at the Sugarbush Golf Course. The structure, now under construction, is designed to provide a new nesting site for barn swallows displaced by a 2025 fire that destroyed the resort’s clubhouse and Hogan’s Pub deck.
For years, the swallows nested beneath the deck, returning season after season and becoming a familiar presence for golfers and visitors. After the fire, those nesting spaces were lost.
Warren woodworker and builder Matt Sargent is building the structure. He said the idea came out of a conversation with golf course supervisor Jerry Weber, who was looking for a way to replace that habitat. The new structure is intended to encourage them to return.
The project also became a tribute. During discussions, Weber mentioned the late Margo Wade, a longtime Sugarbush employee known for her concern for wildlife habitat and all things related to the environment.
Sargent said Weber told him the project was something Wade would have appreciated. Sargent, who’d known Wade for years, decided to donate most of the materials and labor in her memory.
The structure is designed specifically for barn swallows and is based on guidance from a Canadian wildlife publication. It includes three pressure-treated posts set into the ground and extending about 10 feet high, supporting a long, narrow platform. A peaked roof with metal roofing will provide additional protection.
Underneath the platform, enclosed spaces between joist bays will hold nesting cups — one per compartment — with room for about 10 nests. The design is meant to give the birds a sheltered place to raise their young.
Materials for the project came from a mix of sources. Sargent milled some of the lumber himself from trees on his land near Blueberry Lake, while other materials were purchased locally or provided on site.
He described the structure as an initial test that could serve as a model for future builds if the swallows take to it.
Warren zoning administrator Ruth Robbins said structures under 200 square feet are exempt so permitting is not needed for the nesting boxes. She also noted the swallows’ practical impact, saying their presence around the former deck helped keep insect populations down.
Sugarbush spokesperson John Bleh said the resort supports the effort to provide replacement habitat and expects the structure to be completed around the time the golf course opens fully for the season in mid-May.
If successful, the structure may not only bring the swallows back, but also serve as a template for similar habitat projects in the future.
