Gateway & NYC Plover Project Set Up for Shorebird Protections
On Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, dozens of volunteers from NYC Plover Project helped National Park Service – Gateway National Recreation Area staff with the set-up of miles of habitat fencing and signage from Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden to the Breezy Point Tip.
Each year, federally protected and endangered migratory shorebirds like Piping Plovers begin to arrive on our peninsula beaches in mid-March. National Park Service staff and volunteers were ready, and braved the elements to install the protective measures.
“Now more than ever we need to protect threatened and endangered species, and their habitats, across our city and nation,” Chris Allieri, executive director, NYC Plover Project said. “What’s clear is that more education and community outreach efforts are needed. We have expanded our work to include education programs in peninsula schools and exciting programs like bird walks and arts initiatives.”
While the fencing may seem minimal, it is a commonly used approach from Maine to the Carolinas. Symbolic fencing (symbolic as it’s a visual barrier, not an actual physical one), along with signage, does help keep people out of closures while helping to educate them of the measures that agencies and volunteers are taking across the city to assure better breeding success.
“We are very grateful to Gateway for our ongoing partnership and to the community for their support for fragile shorebirds,” Allieri said. “We have to help the most vulnerable, even if they have feathers. They are New Yorkers too.”
To volunteer with NYC Plover Project this season, you can contact gina@nycploverproject.org or go to nycploverproject.org/volunteer.
Photos from NYC Plover Project.
