Beach-Goers Reminded to ‘Be A Good Egg!’

Beach-Goers Reminded to ‘Be A Good Egg!'

Audubon Launches New Regional Initiative to Protect Beach-Nesting Birds; School Children Unveil Handmade Signs to Remind Residents to ‘Share the Beach.’

Jones Beach State Park - April 22, 2013 – With spring migration heating up on Long Island’s beaches, Audubon New York, the state’s largest bird conservation organization has teamed up with New York City Audubon and New Jersey Audubon to launch a new initiative to protect beach-nesting birds. Tens of thousands of birds rely on New York and New Jersey’s beaches and barrier islands for their survival, and the new “Be a Good Egg”campaign will work with area beach-goers to encourage them to ‘share the beach’ with beach-nesting birds.

“Our beaches and coasts are important summertime destinations for millions of people, and we all share the responsibility to preserve the habitat they provide to birds,” said Erin Crotty, Executive Director of Audubon New York. “There is no better place to make a difference for these unique and threatened birds than on the sunny beaches of Long Island with the very people who play a direct role in their survival. We’re excited to be working with our partners to launch this innovative education campaign at a critical time in these birds’ life cycles.”

The “Be a Good Egg” campaign will utilize public education, social marketing, and citizen science to decrease threats to these birds. The initiative, which was launched at Jones Beach State Park, an important bird nesting site and popular recreation beach, will focus on a variety of activities to inspire greater awareness of protecting beach dependent birds. These will include shorebird migration surveys, “on the beach” outreach events led by Audubon staff and local chapters including the North Fork Audubon Society, a “share the beach” pledge drive for beach-goers to commit to conservation, and school outreach that culminates in the installation of student designed signs at important Long Island bird nesting sites. Volunteers are an important part of this campaign and more are needed to help outreach events and shorebird surveys.

“Species like the Piping Plover, Least Tern, and American Oystercatcher nest directly on the beach and face a myriad of threats each year from predators, extreme weather conditions, and human disturbance, which contribute to population declines,” said Jillian Liner, Audubon New York’s Director of Bird Conservation. “Ensuring these birds are undisturbed so that they can nest and successfully raise their young is critical to their survival. We thank State Parks for working with us to educate visitors on the importance of protecting these species.”

“State Parks are not only wonderful places for millions of people to explore and have fun, but they also shelter an incredible diversity of plants and animals within their boundaries.” State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey said. “I’m grateful to Audubon New York and its partners for helping us strike the balance between offering much-needed places for recreation and being good stewards of our unique natural wonders.”

The program is being enhanced by students from the Drexel Elementary School who designed signs as part of Audubon’s For the Birds! classroom education program. These signs, which are being installed at Jones Beach State Park and the Town of Hempstead beaches, will alert beach-goers of bird nesting areas, including those of the federally threatened Piping Plover, and urge visitors to share the beach with nesting birds. “These students are very fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher who is not only fostering a spirit of conservation in the classroom, but does so in creative ways,” added Crotty.

“Our Drexelites were once again true to our school motto--’At Drexel, We Get Smart, Have Heart and Stay Fit!’,” said Dr. Wanda Toledo, Principal of the Drexel Avenue School. “They used their “smarts” to research the plight of the piping plover and create an in-Movie about the threatened species. They designed a beautiful wristband, raised over $ 700, and created elaborate posters which will be on permanent display at Jones Beach. Our Drexelites used their “hearts” to help our feathered friends. I am very proud of them and of Patricia Matarazzo, our Library Media Specialist extraordinaire, who worked tirelessly with our students to coordinate this effort.”

In future years, Audubon plans to expand the “Be a Good Egg” effort to additional beaches on Long Island. To learn more about the initiative visit: http://www.goodeggnjny.org/ or find them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/GoodEggNJNY?fref=ts. To get involved in the “Be a Good Egg” campaign contact Kerri Dikun (kdikun@audubon.org) for volunteer opportunities.

Audubon New York, the 50,000 member State program of the National Audubon Society, is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitats that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.