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- Western Snowy Plovers are found
all up and down the Pacific Coast.
At one time, California beaches supported thousands
of Snowy Plovers but with the loss of nesting habitat
and the impact of visitors on nesting areas,
the number of Snowy Plovers have declined significantly,
so Point Reyes is a very important
breeding population for Northern California.
They start pairing and courting with one another
starting in March and then the breeding season
goes all the way until September.
Once all the eggs are laid, the female and male
will both incubate the eggs until they hatch.
They like to nest right on the ground in the sand
where people and dogs come to recreate.
Humans can cause direct nest loss in the form of trampling.
They can also cause indirect nest loss
in the form of potentially leaving garbage,
which will then attract predators.
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I found the first nest of the season in mid-March.
I went back to check on it
and a raven had picked up the eggs and flew off,
which is a very common occurrence.
Ravens are probably the number one nest predator
of Snowy Plovers here in Point Reyes.
- The Western Snowy Plover tries to select habitats
that are more open so that they can actually have
a better view of their predators,
but non-native invasive species like European Beachgrass,
had some pretty big impacts because they provide
a lot of cover for predators of Western Snowy Plover.
Starting in 2001, they actually started
to try to do some manual removal of invasive species.
We have really made a big emphasis to try to help the public
understand what the value of dunes are
and why is it important that we restore them.
And some of the ways that we have been doing that
is really trying to bring people out
to do some of the dune restoration out here
and then also some mechanical removal as well.
Shortly after we finished the work,
we started to notice Plovers already moving in
and using some of the restored for dune areas.
By having a more sustainable dune ecosystem,
it ensures that these habitats remain here
for the threatened and endangered species.
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- Here at South Spit, we have created habitat
for the Snowy Plover by adding shell fragments
to their natural habitat to enhance
the quality of their camouflage.
They rely on little pieces of shell and wood debris
to hide their nest so by improving the habitat,
we really give the Plovers a leg up
to nest successfully here.
We've seen a high level of productivity
out of this nesting location
and part of that is working with others
to keep the habitat pristine, in good condition,
and less subject to disturbances.
- ATVs and other OHVs have caused problems for us.
They can pretty much go anywhere
out here through the terrain.
There have been instances where they ran over nests,
so what we've done is we've carved out a little area
for the Snowy Plovers to use and provide for their needs
while allowing the other recreational uses.
All you have to do is stay low on the wave slope
in the wet sand and go slow enough where they can move
out of the way, and stay out of the posted areas.
There's plenty of room to spread out
and give the Plovers room for what they need to do
during the breeding season.
- With us all pitching in together,
we've had a real success here at South Spit
and I think it's a model that we can apply elsewhere.
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- Conservation efforts rely on the public
being knowledgeable and aware of their impact
wherever they go and having our docent program here
in the seashore helps with spreading awareness
and educating visitors when they come out here
just so they're a little bit more aware
of what a Snowy Plover is and what they can do
to help recover Snowy Plover populations.
- [Docent] Hi there!
- Hi. - Hi.
- [Docent] Welcome to North Beach
at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Have you been here before?
- Yes, we have.
- Awesome!
Well then you're probably aware that we do have
a threatened species that's here at Point Reyes
National Seashore that we're trying to protect,
which is the Western Snowy Plover.
Off leash dogs are a big cause of disturbance to the nests.
So volunteers like myself will be out here on beaches
sharing information about the species,
why is it threatened, what can we do to help support it,
and that is really the only way
to really advocate for species protection,
to also get them off the Endangered Species list.
- It's great to see such a range of people and ages,
seeing them excited about volunteering
and the conservation of Snowy Plovers.
It's just very exciting to see.
- All the people who live in California
need to work together, whether you're doing it
by working in a land management agency
or whether you're a member of the public
coming out and doing volunteer work.
- None of us can do this work by ourselves.
It really is a partnership up and down the California coast
to help improve numbers of Western Snowy Plover,
so that we can really have a strong and healthy population
for future generations to enjoy.
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