During construction of the Meinig Fieldhouse, the two poles where Cornell’s famous red-tailed hawks share their nests with the world via the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams were spared from demolition.  

Seizing the opportunity to develop a more resilient and maintainable system, dozens of people came together. Their goals included accommodating the camera's technical requirements, the Lab of Ornithology's expectations, and the Meinig Fieldhouse project team. CIT collaborated with project managers, the project design team, and Bird Cam staff among others to make it happen.

CIT's Infrastructure Engineering and Network Engineering and Field Services teams worked to move network equipment while simplifying the infrastructure for long-term maintenance. The team installed an outdoor Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF) 12 feet above ground, conduit and cabling from the IDF to the weatherproof distribution box, plus new underground conduits and fiber, a network switch within the IDF, and camera integrations.

The result was improved safety and reduced need for specialized equipment like lifts, simplified infrastructure, near-seamless operation of the Hawk Cams, and successful collaboration between CIT, Facilities, the Lab of Ornithology, and contractors.

Learn more about the Meinig Fieldhouse built to protect iconic red-tailed hawks.