On Friday, July 4th, from 5pm to 10pm, members of the Roslyn AYLUS branch volunteered at Jones Beach State Park to protect Piping Plovers during the annual 4th of July fireworks.
Piping Plovers are an endangered shorebird species that migrate to Jones Beach every Summer to raise and breed their young. Their nesting near the shore is surrounded by fencing to prevent any disturbances.
On this national holiday, thousands of people come to Jones Beach to watch the annual firework show. Thus, AYLUS volunteers are relied upon to protect the shorebird nesting and foraging habitat of Piping Plovers from the public.
Volunteers were posted along the string fence to cover as much area as possible. The objective was to guard the fence area and watch out for disturbances. This included deterring anyone from crossing the protected habitat, spreading awareness of the birds to others nearby the fence, and notifying the group leader in situations of a difficult patron.
Volunteers were able to protect the Piping Plovers’ nesting while simultaneously having a fulfilling time at the beach and watching the fireworks!
Reporter: Serena Wu
Participants: Amy Wu (5 hours), Serena Wu (5 hours), Jolina Wu (5 hours), Leo Zheng (5 hours), Maxim Li (5 hours), Yinshuo Gao (5 hours), Rongcan Gao (5 hours), Remon Cao (5 hours), Brian Xiong (5 hours), Eric Xiong (5 hours), Jason Wei (5 hours)
