Many Audubon chapters provide opportunities to help protect Western Snowy Plovers, California Least Terns, and Black Oystercatchers, often in partnership with State Parks and CA Department of Fish and Game and other landowners. Opportunities include beach cleanups, summer and winter snowy plover surveys, installing fencing for plovers, serving as beach docents, monitoring and restoring least tern colony sites, monitoring oystercatcher nests, pacific flyway fall shorebird surveys educating the public about shorebirds, etc.  Reach out to your local chapter to find out more about opportunities in your area!

Mendocino Coast Audubon: Save our Shorebirds program – volunteer for survey wintering shorebirds, snowy plover breeding season surveys, and Black Oystercatcher nest monitoring at MacKerricker State Park, in partnership with State Parks. 

Golden Gate Audubon: Crissy Field – Beach Cleanup, San Francisco. In partnership with the National Park Service, monthly beach cleanups for the Snowy Plover and other shorebirds are held at Crissy Field in San Francisco.   All equipment (gloves, pickers and buckets) are provided by the NPS.  A commitment to learn more about the Snowy Plovers and their environment and assistance at six or more beach cleanups per year is requested. Next event is on the second Monday of the month from 10am until noon. Directions: Volunteers meet at 10am at the Warming Hut, 983 Marine Dr, San Francisco CA 94129

Monterey Peninsula Audubon: Share our Shore program – volunteer to help install kids arts signs at State Parks beaches in Moss Landing area and monitor Black Oystercatcher nest sites. 

Morro Coast Audubon: Snowy Plover outreach program – volunteer with state parks to be at docent or install signs at Morro Strand State Beach, monitor Black Oystercatcher nest sites, count shorebirds in annual fall shorebird survey, help restore coastal sage habitat at Sweet Springs Preserve, and work on BLM project to monitor seabirds on offshore rocks. 

Santa Barbara Audubon: Snowy Plover docent program – volunteer to become trained as a docent and work 2-hour shifts at Coal Oil Point Preserve.  Docents monitor the Snowy Plover nesting areas, and educate the public about nesting birds. 

Ventura Audubon: VCShorebirds Program – volunteer to help protect nesting Snowy Plovers and Least Terns at Ormond State Beach and McGrath State Beach, and assist with bird surveys, field trips, and more.

Los Angeles Audubon – Snowy Plover and Least Tern program: volunteer to help count wintering Snowy Plovers at LA County beaches (Santa Monica) and volunteer to help monitor Least Tern colony at Venice Beach in partnership with California Department of Fish and Game or volunteer for fall shorebird survey at LA River mouth and other sites.

Sea and Sage Audubon: Least Tern and Snowy Plover monitoring project – volunteer as a Docent at Huntington State Beach to help educate the public, in 2 hour shifts. 

San Diego Audubon: Least Tern and Snowy Plover volunteer program – volunteer to help manage and monitor Least Tern colony and restore dune habitat at Mission Bay and help install kids art signs to educate the public about snowy plovers at Silver Strand State Beach and Tijuana Slough.