In a new effort to involve local communities in conserving one of California’s most endangered birds, four local Audubon chapters (Los Angeles Audubon, San Diego Audubon, Ventura Audubon and Redwood Region Audubon in Humboldt County) are using children’s art to build awareness about the need to safeguard beach nesting sites for the Western Snowy Plover. Using grants facilitated by Audubon California, the coastal chapters held art contests at local schools to determine the signs that would be placed near nesting sites to warn beachgoers not to disturb nests during breeding season. “Not only is this a great way to educate and involve community children in an important local conservation issue, but we have also found that people respond better to signs made by local kids,” said Andrea Jones, Audubon California’s Important Bird Areas director. “It’s a great way to help a threatened bird such as the Western Snowy Plover.” (photo by Glen Tepke)

The four chapters involved in the program are each receiving a total of $4,500 for outreach, education and to print selected children’s signs. Funding is coming from Audubon's Pennies for the Planet program and from a local matching grant from the Morrissey Family Foundation.

The Western Snowy Plover is a small Pacific Coast shorebird that makes its nest in the sand between March and August. In recent decades, human activity on the beach has taken a tremendous toll on the bird. Vehicles crush nests, dogs chase adult birds away from eggs, and development removes more and more habitat each year. The Western Snowy Plover has been listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1993.

“This is really a bird that benefits greatly from public education, so these types of programs that build on the local enthusiasm of chapters to help have proven to be very successful,” added Jones.

Audubon California was inspired to create the program for local chapters after witnessing the success that the Morro Coast Audubon Society had when it placed signs made by local children around Snowy Plover nests in Morro Bay. Beachgoers tended to obey the kids’ signs more than more official warnings.

Because funding for federal and state recovery programs are limited, hope for the Western Snowy Plover relies also on scattered groups of nonprofit organizations and volunteers. Local Audubon chapters are among these, doing important work monitoring beaches, restoring habitat, protecting nests, and advocating for protections. More than two dozen chapters are involved in helping the bird on beaches up and down the California coast.

Pennies for the Planet is made possible by support from TogetherGreen (www.togethergreen.org), an Audubon initiative – in alliance with Toyota - created to promote conservation action and support current and future environmental leaders. It is powered by kids collecting contributions to help save wild places and wildlife in the United States. Learn more about Pennies for the Planet at www.penniesfortheplanet.org.