Wisconsin Artist Has Big Hopes for His 'Concrete Nests'

Ben Zoltak has been an artist all his life, experimenting with countless forms and mediums over the years. But his most recent endeavor involves a towering mass of concrete, a mosaic of recycled junk, and an increasingly threatened bird species. Ben plans to build enormous sculptures all around the country to serve as nesting locations for the Chimney Swift, a rapidly declining bird suffering from habitat loss and changes in the insect population. The artist hopes these ‘Concrete Nests‘ will add aesthetic and cultural value to the communities involved as well as give the Chimney Swift a fighting chance at making a comeback. Ben joined the 8 O’Clock Buzz on Monday, June 15th.