Piping Plover Preservation The Message Behind Young Artists' Pleas

EAST HAMPTON, NY — East Hampton elementary school students tapped into their artistic talents to plead for piping plover protection.

Following a presentation by East Hampton Town’s natural resources department in April about piping plovers, fifth-graders from the Amagansett School worked with their art teacher and homeroom staff to create themed educational signage about the birds.

The signs include personal messages from the students about how people can help protect plovers and share the shore, town officials said. Just before school let out for summer, each student was presented with a weatherproof version of their sign, which will be put on display at local town beaches near nesting areas, including Main Beach, Indian Wells Beach, and Atlantic Avenue Beach.

Each student also received a certificate from Audubon New York and the Town of East Hampton
in honor of their conservation efforts, town officials said.

Similar efforts by North Fork students have been seen on Southold beaches.

The project is part of the “Be a Good Egg” outreach initiative implemented by Audubon New
York, which aims to reduce human disturbance threats to coastal birds by encouraging people to
share the shore with them.

Audubon has partnered with local municipalities, including the Town of East Hampton, to bring the program to a variety of Long Island beaches, officials said.

"Programs such as this are critical to helping our young residents understand the wealth of our natural resources in East Hampton, and the importance of safeguarding them," said East
Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc. “And the eye-catching posters created by the
Amagansett students will help to educate others as well."

According to town officials, every March through September, "vulnerable piping plovers", least terns, and other species nest and raise chicks on town beaches — chicks that weigh less than one scoop of ice cream. Beach goers across the East End are familiar with their sweet chirps and flurry of motion across the sand.

"It is critical for those using our beaches to help make them safer for shorebirds, allowing them space to nest and rest," town officials said. "When people or dogs walk through a nesting area, adult shorebirds will often run or fly away, which exposes eggs or chicks to fatally high temperatures and increases predation risk. Off-leash dogs and vehicles can also kill or injure birds, especially flightless chicks"

Local residents and beachgoers can take the following steps to “Be a Good Egg” around
shorebirds and their chicks, officials said:

1. Maintain a safe distance from marked or fenced off areas where shorebirds are raising
their young.

2. Walk on wet sand —to avoid accidently stepping on a nest outside of protected areas— and
around flocks of birds.

3. If pets are permitted on the beach, always keep them on leash and away from protected
nesting areas.

4. Keep beaches clean by properly disposing of or carrying out trash.

Under the Endangered Species Act, a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months can be imposed for the destruction of each plover egg or individual bird, officials reminded.