Seabirds are often the first thing we see—and hear—on the coast. A day at the beach would be incomplete without spotting terns, plovers, Black Skimmers or Brown Pelicans. These iconic birds nest in coastal habitats like beaches and barrier islands, where they are affected by the pressures of human development and sea level rise. Boaters and beachgoers, unaware that birds are nesting at these sites, may get too close, flushing parents from their eggs and chicks. Without the protection of their parents, well-camouflaged chicks and eggs can be crushed underfoot, overheat in the sun without shade from their parents, or succumb to opportunistic predators like crows and gulls. 

That's where you come in. Audubon's Coastal Bird Stewardship Program trains volunteers to protect our coastal nesting birds through long-term monitoring, signage and fencing, beachgoer education, and working with coastal communities.

How to be a coastal steward for nesting shorebirds