Following an absence of breeding pairs in Ontario for more than 30 years, Piping Plovers have been making a gradual return at selected nesting locations on Canadian Great Lakes shores since 2007. Federal and provincial governments and local agencies cooperate to protect these Endangered shorebirds and their habitat.
To some, spending countless hours from May through August protecting an endangered, camouflaged bird, its four eggs, and its flightless chicks on the open sand – exposed to the elements and busy activities of beachgoers – would sound daunting, and perhaps a bit nuts. I’ve come to learn that cautious optimism and resilience are handy qualities for biologists and Citizen Scientists engaged in Piping Plover conservation.
