Have you heard about the Piping Plover? It is an adorable tiny shorebird that is seen to nest as well as feed along coastal sands and gravel beaches throughout North America. These sweet and loveable birds NEED our help! Between environmental, human, and predator impacts there are only around 6,000-8,000 of them left in the world. Luckily, we have the NYC Plover Project, which has been working towards bringing awareness of the Piping Plovers and striving to help them to their fullest abilities to repopulate and stay safe. Please read further about how you can help protect the Piping Plovers, especially on your trips to the beach this summer, with the founder of NYC Plover Project, Chris Allieri.

Where are you based?
Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, the only place Piping Plovers can be found in NYC. They can also be seen along the Atlantic Coast, near the Great Lakes and Great Plains during the breeding season (May – August). They winter along the Gulf Coast in the U.S., throughout Florida, the Bahamas and across the Caribbean.

Can you tell us a bit about the Piping Plovers and why they are special (besides them being adorable)?
Piping Plovers are a federally-listed species protected under the Endangered Species Act, one of the most important environmental laws in the country. They are listed as an endangered species in most states where they are found, including New York and New Jersey in our area. Fewer than 100 Piping Plovers come to NYC each year, and between 6,000 – 8,000 remain in the world. They come here with one purpose in mind, to try to raise a family. They are perhaps the only endangered species to nest consistently in NYC in consistent numbers.

As they nest right on the busiest beaches from Rockaway Beach to Fort Tilden, there are numerous threats against them, with us humans being at the top of the list. Most of their chicks do not make it. We began our efforts to reverse that trend. They are the ultimate underdog and we are here to do everything we can do to protect them.

What inspired you to get involved with helping Piping Plovers?
At the start of the pandemic, I was out at Fort Tilden and noticed Piping Plovers and other vulnerable shorebirds out on the beach, people entering closed areas, not giving them space, and many dogs off leash. I started contacting NYC Parks and the National Park Service with photos and reports of what I was seeing. While I did that for most of 2020, I knew that I had to do more, and to be a part of the solution to protect them. In March 2021, I began the NYC Plover Project.

What are the main reasons that Piping Plovers need our help?
Other than being an endangered species, with their numbers being pretty dire, their babies are perhaps the most vulnerable beings on the sand. They nest right on the beach, and the adults need protection while they incubate their nests. Once the chicks are born, they run all over the beach, with their parents barely able to keep up. They must feed themselves and need about 26-28 days to be able to fly. This is a critical time to give them space and give them free access to the shoreline to feed. Without it, they simply cannot survive.

Birds all around the globe are disappearing, why focus on the Piping Plovers?
Piping Plovers are an endangered species in our midst, in our city. Without intervention, they face extinction. By focusing on one species, in one city, we believe that we stand to have the greatest impact.

How can the average person help save the birds and the environment?
Make financial donations to conservation groups working in your communities. Volunteer your services and time. If you go to the beach, of course, follow posted rules, leave your dog at home until September, and never bring drones or fireworks. Also, carrying out what you bring in, you will help cut down on attracting predators, which are a threat to Piping Plovers.

What are the biggest threats to the Piping Plovers?
The threats are numerous from rising seas and tides caused by climate change, to more severe storms and predators of all kinds, such as feral cats, gulls, and raptors.

We notice at the local NYC and NJ beaches sections have been roped off to prevent people from going into the certain areas. Can you tell us a bit about the importance of this?
The only protection birds have sometimes is what is called a ‘symbolic fence.’ It is symbolic as it is not a physical barrier but a visual one to keep humans out. There are very few areas closed off like this. The birds rely on these areas for their nests. We see far too many entering these areas for a host of reasons, including relieving themselves and getting a cell signal. Neither of those are good reasons.

As Piping Plovers often get their eggs taken by predators due to living on beaches, is there anything you can do to protect them and stop this from happening for population reasons?
The best thing that beach goers can do to protect nests and eggs is staying out of roped off areas and dunes. Even if you think you can carefully enter them, the nests are well camouflaged and you can easily step on them.

How do Piping Plovers affect the earth and what is their role in nature? As we see less of them are we seeing any changes to the ecosystem?
Piping Plovers are a critical indicator species, showing us a glimpse of the health of a particular ecosystem. If Piping Plovers are doing well, our beaches are in great condition.

Can you tell us a bit about your piping plover and shorebird beach ambassador program?
We have a corps of committed volunteers on the beaches each and every day, now in our second season. We have trained over 75 volunteers that have conducted outreach at the beach since March and connect with beachgoers to educate them about shorebirds and remind them to stay out of closed areas and leave their pets at home during the breeding season. We also partner with the seasonal biologist team at Gateway National Recreation Area to help carry out their work to protect Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers.

In the future, we will be launching a schools program for schools on the Rockaway Peninsula to provide lesson plans and materials to teach about the nesting shorebirds in our communities.

How can the public make an effort to get involved with this project?
We invite people to follow us on social media, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and now, TikTok. We also ask people to speak up if they see people entering closed beaches or harassing wildlife in any way. You can be the one person to prevent a tragedy. And last, as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, we rely on donations. You can make a financial donation at our website.

What would you like the average beach goer to know and keep in mind as they visit the beach this season and moving forward?
Our goal is to educate the entire city of New York about the plight of the Piping Plover. We want the city to look out for our most vulnerable residents, the ultimate underdog. With awareness and interest, comes action.

What is your motto in life?
Do something. Don’t complain, be a part of the solution. Posting to social media, without action, is useless.

To learn more about these incredible birds and the NYC Plover Project, please follow them via the links below:
www.nycploverproject.org
Twitter: nycplover
Instagram: nycploverproject
Facebook: nycploverproject
Tiktok: @nycploverproject

Bringing Awareness of Piping Plovers (The Ultimate Underdog) with NYC Plover Project