Bird Stewards
The purpose
Weekends, especially long holiday weekends, can be disastrous for nesting shorebirds and seabirds since the level of disturbance from people, pets, and vehicles is often higher than usual. Under these circumstances, signs posted around the nests may not be enough, and it will require the watchful eye of bird stewards to keep sites fully protected.
How the program works
For the most part, bird steward programs are organized by the regional partnerships. Where and when bird stewards will be needed is not fully determined until the birds have started nesting. After the nests and colonies are located and posted, bird stewards begin their watches- in general, at sites on busy beaches during the weekends. While out on the beaches, stewards carry out two important tasks: 1) minimizing disturbance to the nests, and 2) informing others about the need to protect beach-nesting birds and the sites they depend upon.
Programs typically equip their volunteers with gear to help identify them as "official" bird stewards, optics to offer people a closer look at the birds (very popular when chicks are running around), and educational materials with information on beach-nesting birds and how to help protect them.
