VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.
-- Tiny little birds called "Snowy Plovers" are shutting down beaches up and
down the central coast.
The snowy plover nests for seven
months from early March through September and that's officials warn to stay off
certain beaches.
"Snowy plovers are one of the few
shorebird species that will breed on the beaches here," says Vandenberg Air
Force Base biologist Samantha Kaisersatt. "Which is a unique and interesting
thing about the central coast."
This year, biologists are
re-launching a docent volunteer program of volunteers to educate and warn the
public to stay off certain beaches so the birds can properly nest and breed.
"The western snowy plover breeds
from Southern Washington to Baja, California so all throughout the range,
including Washington, Oregon and California, there is conservation and recovery
efforts underway," says Kaisersatt.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
reports counties from Sonoma to Monterey have about 400 adult birds while San
Luis Obispo to Ventura counties have about 1,200 birds. .
The goal is to get a breeding
population of 3,000 birds over ten years.
"It is something that people appreciate and we want to
continue that for future generations," says Kaisersatt.
Vandenberg Air Force Base has 50
volunteer docents so far.
To sign up contact Samantha
Kaisersatt at Samantha.Kaisersatt@us.af.mil
