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The Piping Plover, a tiny shorebird
that likes to nest on the same sandy beaches that appeal to humans, was listed as
Endangered in Canada in 1982. Supported by the James L. Baillie Memorial Fund, the Island
Nature Trust of Prince Edward Island conducted intensive censuses on all plover beaches in
the province in 1991 and 1996. These censuses revealed a 40% decline in the PEI population
in the years between the two surveys (110 birds in 1991 versus 66 birds in 1996). Atlantic
Canada's total Piping Plover population declined 17% over the same time period (509 birds
in 1991 versus 422 birds in 1996).
Because of the on-going troubles faced by this species, the Piping Plover Guardian Program
was launched in 1992 in three Atlantic provinces: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick. The Guardian program is now going strong in Newfoundland, and an equivalent
program exists in the Magdalene Islands in Québec.
Volunteer "Guardians" help Piping Plovers during the breeding period, ensuring
that the chicks survive through to fledging on beaches that are not protected by National
Park legislation. The Guardians monitor beaches before, during and briefly after the
breeding season, educate the public, erect and remove signage, observe behaviour of the
birds, record observations, and report results to the responsible agency within each
province.
In 1995, the Island Nature Trust began coordinating the PEI program for Piping Plovers
nesting on beaches outside of Prince Edward Island National Park. Each year the number of
volunteers, total hours committed and amount of information reported have increased.
Results of the 1997Guardian program in PEI are encouraging: plover nesting sites outside
of Prince Edward Island National Park supported 30 adults. Of these, 12 nesting pairs
produced 47 eggs. Thirty young hatched and an estimated 24 chicks fledged: an average of 2
chicks fledged per nesting pair. This represents a modest 3% increase in Piping Plover
numbers over those recorded in 1996, and marks what we hope is the beginning of a brighter
future for one of Canada's most imperilled species. Good work, Guardians! And thank you,
Baillie Fund!
— from a report by Paul Walker & Jackie
Waddell |
