Announcing the recipient of our 2023 World Migratory Bird Day Birdathon

We are excited to announce that the recipient of the 2023 World Migratory Bird Day Birdathon, which takes place Saturday May 13th, will be the NYC Plover Project https://nycploverproject.org/  Specifically, for this exciting opportunity with the Brooklyn Bird Club, they would look to launch an educational program for primary school children in the Rockaways, in concert with Birds Caribbean and local civic and primary education partners in Andros, Bahamas where many Atlantic population Piping Plovers spend their winters. Funds raised would go towards a seasonal coordinator in the Bahamas to work with 1-3 pilot schools in the Fall 2023 (off) season. This program would be multimedia and offer educational tools for the instructors to engage with students about the wintering and summering locations of the birds, further engaging school kids from both countries about endangered Piping Plovers.

For information on how to participate, see: http://brooklynbirdclub.org/event/spring-birdathon-2023/

A bit more about the NYC Plover Project:

The NYC Plover Project began in March 2021 with one goal – to help protect an endangered shorebird in our city that was otherwise left to fend for itself. In less than two years, they have personally connected with thousands of beach-goers in person and thousands more people on social media. What became immediately clear was that most New Yorkers didn’t know about Piping Plovers or the challenges they face, that their very existence was at risk of extinction. Most didn’t know that fewer than 8,000 remain in the world and just less than 100 come to Queens, NYC each year.

The mission of the NYC Plover Project (www.nycploverproject.org) is to bring together New Yorkers, from the Rockaway Peninsula and beyond, to protect the endangered Piping Plovers, tiny shorebirds that nest on our beaches. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Rockaways, Queens that works with a number of partners, including the National Park Service and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, along with a dedicated volunteer corps of nearly 200 volunteers to help protect nesting Piping Plovers. Their conservation activities include in-person engagement and education of beach-goers, and helping partners with nest monitoring, increased signage near nesting habitat, and data collection of nesting outcomes. In 2022, they were named national volunteer group of the year for the entire National Park Service.