THOMAS DAMBO, an artist from Denmark, is using his sculpting skills to help thousands of urban birds around the world. Fueled by the belief that humans should coexist peacefully with other species, he makes use of scrap wood to build houses for birds everywhere he goes.

    “Over the last seven years I have made more than 3500 birdhouses in various projects all over the world,” Dambo wrote on Bored Panda. “Birds are some of the few animals still living in our cities, and I began this project because I thought that it was important to make sure that they can continue living here. It’s about creating a shelter for birds and also about reminding us that it’s important to leave room for birds in the urban world.”

    “I have a graffiti background, but I find it a lot more meaningful to do ‘streetart’ that actually has a purpose and everybody can relate to and understand,” the young artist said.

    Dambo’s birdhouses are creative and unique, incorporating sophisticated design into reclaimed wood and other junk materials that he regularly collects. “I live in Copenhagen where I have a big workshop filled with different trash I scavenge around the city and bring back to my workshop on my cargo bike,” he said. “All my projects are made from trash – entirely! My mission is to show the world that you can create something beautiful from trash, in this way I hope to inspire other people to waste less of the world’s resources.”

    His inspiration for building recycled birdhouses apparently comes from birds themselves, who are known to repurpose twigs, fibers, and various other materials to make nests. “Birds are actually great at recycling and we need to appreciate this,” he said. “They eat old foods, fruits, berries, and nuts lying about. In that way, they help to clean and distribute seeds around our cities, so new plants can grow.”

    Dambo describes his own creations as “colorful, positive, childish, and fun.” In fact, many of his birdhouses are actually sculpted to resemble birds like owls or parrots. But he also makes camouflage birdhouses that easily blend into city environments, so the little creatures can feel safe in these dwellings.

    One of Dambo’s recent projects involved making a birdhouse decor for the Nordic Council during Copenhagen’s Culture Night.

    The final piece consisted of several small scrapwood birdhouses, painted in colors matching the flags of the Nordic countries. Dambo is also working on the Happy City Birds project, which consists of 300 birdhouses installed on a tree. Some of his past projects include a collection of birdhouses made from broken skateboards in 2012, and a boat house for ducks that resembles a mini castle. (SD-Agencies)