BARN OWL REVIVAL
During the winters of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, extreme cold decimated Nantucket's population of barn owls. Bird experts from the Maria Mitchell Association, other birders and property owners with barn owl nesting boxes on their land were hard-pressed to find any eggs, young or any adult in these boxes during nesting season. Only one barn owl was found in Granger Frost's nesting box in the attic of his house off Madaket Road.

With the help of fellow birder Edith Andrews and landscaper Ted Godfrey, Frost started a barn owl restoration effort on Nantucket in 1989, putting up barn owl nesting boxes all around the island.

Now, according to Dr. Bob Kennedy, Director of Natural Science at Maria Mitchell, that work appears to have paid off.

There are currently two nesting pairs of barn owls on Nantucket with 10 baby barn owls between the two nests. Kennedy would not reveal the locations of the nests.

Anyone spotting a barn owl - they are about 13 to 14 inches tall with a heart-shaped face of white feathers with dark eyes and light tan body feathers flecked with brown higher up - should call Kennedy at 228-1782.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file The barn owls of Medouie Creek.

Not to be outdone, the island's ospreys are experiencing their most productive year ever with 15 nesting pairs that eggs and or young in their clutches.

MONEY GROWS IN FLOWERBEDS Bartlett's Ocean View Farm and the Massachusetts Flower Growers Association are going to pay lucky island gardeners gift certificates of up to $500 for the best looking home gardens.

In the second annual statewide "Love My Garden" Contest, which harvested more than 100 entries from 75 Bay State cities and towns last year, and awarded $1,500 in prizes from garden centers, amateur gardeners have until Sept. 1 to prepare their gardens.

Gardens will be judged on the variety of flowers and plants in them - a combined use of perennials and annuals earns you brownie points - design, overall appeal and the seasonal color and planting of the flower garden.

To get in on the free gardening loot, pick up an entry form at Bartlett's or at massflowergrowers.com, fill it out and send it along with two photos of your home flower garden to: "Love My Garden" contest, 156 Eighth St., New Bedford, MA. 02740. Gardening contestants must be 18 years old. To learn more about the contest, attend a free informational session at Bartlett's Farm on June 20 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. or call Hilary Newell at 508-221- 0211.

HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY IS THIS SATURDAY Is your garage packed with dangerous chemicals, used motor oils and buckets of spent batteries? Don't go running into the moors with your toxic waste. Hang in there and think of the treasures of open space we all share. The June hazardous waste collection day, hosted by the Department of Public Works, is on Saturday at the landfill.

Bring all of your nasty liquids and solids out to the garage at 188 Madaket Road from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. To get there, take the third entrance to the landfill property coming from the town and the first coming from Madaket. For a complete listing of what you can and can't unload, check out www.nantucketma. gov/departments/dpw.html, scroll down and click on the link for household

hazardous waste or call 228-7244. I