Piping Plover numbers increase
Twan wanted to share the following article: http://worldwaders.posterous.com/plover-population-up-after-25-years-of-manage
While it centers mostly on Massachusetts, it speaks to Piping Plovers across their range on the Atlantic coast. It has been 25 years since they were listed as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Through a lot of hard work and cooperation between government entities like the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, the Department of Environmental Protection, and independent groups like the Connecticut Audubon Society, things have improved. The article states that the Atlantic coast Piping Plover population has increased 234% since the beginning of their management. You can also see a table with their numbers per year along the Atlantic coast as well as Massachusetts. The population increase seems to have hit a wall, though. The Piping Plovers face so many threats, from high tides to predators to vehicles and beach-goers, that it is hard to point to one specific ongoing problem.
Connecticut Audubon Society works with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service each year to monitor the Piping Plovers. We help by educating the public on the species, assisting in the training of volunteer monitors, and working with towns and municipalities on their protection when the need arises. Please be mindful of the birds as well as the string fencing and cages placed around nest sites on Connecticut beaches and islands this summer. We thank you for your consideration and if you are interested we welcome you to join in Piping Plover monitoring activities to further their success story.
