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Minimal Optimist

9230 Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37922

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Bluebird Borbhouse

The Birds and the Bees?

It's that time again. Spring is finally here and many birds are starting their nesting season.

The Bluebird Borbhouse from Oak Ridge Bird Man is the perfect addition to every yard.

Bluebirds use natural cavities or nesting boxes to build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young.

While traditional wooden nest boxes have played a key role in bird conservation, their shape and construction material have several major drawbacks: namely, that they are difficult to clean, and offer only moderate insulation from extremes of heat and cold.

Enter: the Borbhouse! 3d printed from 100% plant-based materials, neither the inside nor the outside of the box absorb water. While wooden boxes will soak up rain on the outside and filth on the inside, leading to rot and unhygienic conditions for its occupants, the Borbhouse can be easily cleaned after every clutch, and stands up to the elements for years to come! This unique style of bluebird house is 3D printed locally in Oak Ridge, TN.

The Borbhouse (pictured) was installed in late July last year (2023), and has already had one bluebird family nest and fledge back in August and has bluebirds currently nesting for the spring season. Follow along in our stories on Instagram for more updates on our Borbhouse at @shopminimaloptimist.

The Borbhouse is now available for purchase online. To purchase the mounting kit and baffle, you need to shop directly in the store since it is unavailable for shipping.

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What does Minimal Optimist mean?

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  • Confidence in a Better Future

  • Each and every day, our choices have impacts. When you choose better products, you are voting with your hard earned dollars that our earth and its people are worth being maintained and protected.
  • A Better Way

  • The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste. We toss out two billion plastic razors, a million and a half tons of paper towels, and 12 billion disposable diapers annually. We can do better. One way to cut down on our paper towel use is to switch to the endlessly reusable UNpaper® Towels
  • Shop Local Small Business

  • We currently support 20+ different small businesses/ local makers and artisans by sharing their products in our brick and mortar location. These items include everything from hand-made jewelry, pottery, hand crafted charcuterie boards, hand-made soaps, deodorants, salves and much more. Each item is made with care locally, is made sustainably, and helps support our local economy. When sourcing products made locally we are helping to offset our carbon footprint by cutting down on shipping as well.

Confidence in a Better Future

Each and every day, our choices have impacts. When you choose better products, you are voting with your hard earned dollars that our earth and its people are worth being maintained and protected.

A Better Way

The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste. We toss out two billion plastic razors, a million and a half tons of paper towels, and 12 billion disposable diapers annually. We can do better. One way to cut down on our paper towel use is to switch to the endlessly reusable UNpaper® Towels UNpaper® Towels

Shop Local Small Business

We currently support 20+ different small businesses/ local makers and artisans by sharing their products in our brick and mortar location. These items include everything from hand-made jewelry, pottery, hand crafted charcuterie boards, hand-made soaps, deodorants, salves and much more. Each item is made with care locally, is made sustainably, and helps support our local economy. When sourcing products made locally we are helping to offset our carbon footprint by cutting down on shipping as well. Shop local