Students are speaking out against Florida Atlantic University’s decision to relocate burrowing owls after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) approved a permit to clear space for the construction of the new residence hall set to open in 2026. 

While the FFWCC permits FAU to “non-lethally harass” the owls from their campus habitat, FAU’s representative said only a cluster of owls were affected.

“The permit was for the removal of just one burrow cluster, and the team had observed only two pairs of owls on the construction site,” wrote Joshua Glanzer, FAU spokesperson in an email on Feb. 14. Glanzer has not specified where the owls have been relocated to.

Students like Trayten Wilkins, a sophomore English major who lives on campus questioned the university’s priorities.

“I don’t think FAU wants to be known as the university that evicted its own special and unique mascot off the campus for more subpar dorm quality,” Wilkins said. “We could be improving the dorms and expanding what we have now.”

Will Larkins, a secondary science biology education major who values environmental conservation, was disappointed by this decision from the university. 

Larkins said one of the main reasons he decided to attend FAU was the four burrowing owl sanctuaries and the history of owls tied to the university’s mascot, Owlsley. 

“I had respect for the university for the fact that they valued the burrowing owls, and I’ve lost it,” he said. “If you’re harassing them out of their homes, that’s no sanctuary.”

Natasha Perez, a business administration alumna, expressed her dissatisfaction with this initiative as a Boca Raton native. 

“It’s insane to even consider evicting the mascot from the only place they can call home,” she said. 

Jose Camacho, FAU’s Sustainability Club president and an environmental engineering senior said he was surprised by the notice, particularly because it didn’t come directly from the university’s administration.

“It definitely was a shock, but we thought it was not too late to do something about it,” he said.

On Feb. 12, Camacho created a petition to urge the university to consider a more eco-friendly approach to campus development. The petition has accumulated over 1,000 signatures in five days. 

However, Glanzer stated in the email that FAU’s burrowing owl population is expanding, rather than declining. 

“The latest species assessment report conducted in August 2024 showed that the burrowing owl population has more than doubled from 23 ten years ago to an estimated 59,” he wrote.

According to Glanzer, only a few owls will be affected by this relocation. Larkins said regardless, it’s the beginning of a larger problem. 

“Pay attention to how fast the wild land around you wherever you live is disappearing because it’s happening at a shocking rate every hour,” Larkins said. “If we keep developing at the pace we’re developing, by the time that I have kids, there’s not going to be any wild land left in Florida.”

In Florida, 120 acres of land are used for construction development every day, according to the Florida Conservation Group. In this conversation, FAU’s housing crisis on the Boca Raton campus has also been brought up in relation to this issue.

“I can understand the need for more housing, but students who live on campus have complained about the poor state of the dorms,” said Ash Ramirez, a graphic design alumna. “It doesn’t seem like FAU has really ever had their priorities straight regarding housing.” 

Instead of building a new dorm near the owls’ sanctuary, students and alumni said FAU could have chosen an alternative solution.

“The university could have worked with students and professors whose education is focused on wildlife conservation and preservation, or even FAU’s Sustainability Club,” Ramirez said. “This would have been a wonderful opportunity to get their own students involved in real-world scenarios and allow the education they received at FAU to circle back and better the institution.”

Larkins suggested the university seek opportunities to collaborate with local real estate agencies to provide off-campus housing and a shuttle service. 

“There are so many communities and apartment complexes within a couple miles of campus that have really high vacancy rates,” he said. 

For many, the main issue isn’t just about housing; it’s protecting and preserving the wildlife on FAU’s campus.

“We just want to stand together to let the school know that these little guys don’t have a voice,” Camacho said. “We are trying to be that voice for them.”

Sephora Charles is a Reporter for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email Charles at sephoracharl2024@fau.edu.