The sounds of a productive summer are in full swing along the coast of South Carolina. Squeaking Least Terns fly between fishing holes and their nests, feeding chicks and incubating mates. Wilson’s Plovers tiny ‘peeps’ alert their mates of potential dangers as humans walk by. Juvenile American Oystercatchers wander along the beach learning where to feed, their parents barking alarm calls to any potential threats. These are the sounds of vulnerable coastal birds raising young during breeding season—and they need our help. 

Dogs, kites, drones and humans pose threats to coastal birds this time of year. Simply walking too close to roped off nesting areas can threaten their lives. Although preventable, most beachgoers do not know how vulnerable these birds are. Luckily though, Audubon South Carolina’s volunteer Shorebird Stewards have been diligently working this summer to spread awareness and encourage beachgoers to share the shore with shorebirds and seabirds. 

After completing this year’s training, Shorebird Stewards hit the beaches at twelve sites along the South Carolina coast to educate beachgoers about how to protect coastal birds and encourage everyone to do their part in their conservation. Our Shorebird Stewards take pride in being part of a large community that is doing the necessary work to preserve our threatened wildlife. In fact, this has been another record year for participation in this program. 

While many Stewards work throughout the year to educate beachgoers in their own backyards, the bulk of our Shorebird Stewards begin the season in March, with the arrival of migratory species, like the Red Knot and continues throughout the summer until nesting is over – around the end of August. To illustrate this massive stewardship effort, we wanted to share a mid-season update with data compiled between March and June!  

In total, 120 Shorebird Stewards have volunteered 1,726.6 hours and reported interactions with approximately 1,639 beachgoers between March and June, protecting hundreds of individual birds throughout their migratory and breeding seasons. In combination with the tireless efforts of staff at ASC, SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Shorebird Stewards clearly play a huge role in the future survival of our coastal birds in South Carolina and beyond. Below are more statistics organized by stewardship site. 

Want to be a part of the community? Reach out to Allyssa Zebrowski at allyssa.zebrowski@audubon.org to get started.