Birdhouse Forest

This isn’t your ordinary stretch of swamp. Wooden dinosaurs lurk within the mucky landscape, hidden within trees dotted with hundreds multi-colored birdhouses.

The whimsical birdhouses, which essentially form a vibrant neighborhood of homes for tree swallows, actually have a practical purpose. The marshland is prime breeding ground for mosquitoes, which just so happen to be a tasty part of a tree swallow’s meal plan.

The owner of the land originally put up a couple dozen birdhouses within his property along White’s Beach in Vermont. But after he realized each one was full, he continued adding more and more, hoping the birds would keep the bloodsucking bugs at bay.

Now more than 400 tiny wooden homes fill the wood, which people have dubbed the Birdhouse Forest. Thanks to the hundreds of birds that have made their homes in the birdhouses, the swamp seems to have far fewer pesky mosquitoes than it otherwise would have.

And the dinosaurs? Well, those aren’t as practical. The birdhouse builder is a keen woodworker and has taken to installing his various creations within the landscape.