Highway to Haven

Aveen Nagpal and Aveen Nagpal

Aveen:

The Highway to Haven is a tunnel system for squirrels and chipmunks to keep safe in the dash from bush to bush and burrow to burrow. In the wild, chipmunks and squirrels' main predators are hawks and eagles. Highway to Haven protects them in the journey from point A to point B while also allowing for humans to interact with them on the way. Chipmunks and squirrels normally have a system of running from one pile of leaves to another to cross large fields without being spotted by hawks and eagles, but this doesn’t always work.

The solution; construction of multiple tunnels made out of plywood that stretch between multiple landings, feeding banks, and planted landings that allow humans to view and interact with whatever passes through them. Highway to Haven is a modular system that can be installed on the siding, along gutters, and under window sills of a residential or commercial building. When installed, the system mimics the natural way in which a chipmunk constructs its burrow, this helps them feel safe and more relaxed around the bustling city. In the seed bank unit, humans can dispense seeds into a feeding tray that squirrels and chipmunks can eat out of. With the planted landing, humans can plant various flora such as berry bushes where chipmunks and squirrels can feed. With the landing, squirrels can make their nests.