On May 25th, Aylus participated in a bird protection program at Jones Beach State Park, where we helped protect the Piping Plover, a tiny, sand-colored endangered shorebird. From March through late summer is their breeding season, so the park ropes off the nesting areas to make sure the birds and their eggs stay safe. The time is from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
The staff members told us that Piping Plovers are very “lazy.” Unlike turtles, which dig deep holes to bury their eggs in the sand, the Plovers simply lay their eggs on the sand and sit on them without much cover. If there is danger nearby, the birds may run away and leave the eggs exposed. That is why these birds need extra protection, especially during Memorial Day weekend, when large crowds come to the beach for the first drone show.
Our Aylus members gathered at 5:00 p.m. We filled out volunteer intake forms and picked up our gear, including flashlights, safety vests, and volunteer hats.
At around 5:30 p.m., we headed out with the staff members to the eastern side near Field 1 because it was closer to the drone show area and had more visitors. Most of our members spread out around the protected fencing area, while others stayed near the beach entrance routes to guide people to the correct locations.
Our main responsibility was reminding visitors to stay away from the fenced nesting areas and reporting any unusual situations to the staff leaders. Thankfully, there were no serious problems, and all of the Aylus members did a great job helping protect the Piping Plovers.
However, there were also some challenges. After sunset, the temperature dropped very quickly, and many members and parents became extremely cold. Because we lacked experience, we did not bring enough warm clothing, and it was difficult to endure the cold weather. Personally, my mom and I even caught slight colds the next morning. This Memorial Day weekend was also one of the coldest in recent years. Even so, our Aylus members stayed committed to their responsibilities. At the end of the night, we were also able to enjoy the beautiful drone show together.
Overall, this event was very meaningful. Not only did we help protect an endangered species, but we also learned the importance of environmental conservation, teamwork, and responsibility. It was a memorable experience for everyone who participated.
Reported by Jason Huang
4hrs:
Zachary Chen
Nuoxi Jiang
Alice Wang
Aimee Wang
Sumeng Liu
Jason Huang
Elly Sun
Shuxuan Bai
