USFWS, CT DEEP, & Audubon Alliance training videos

You probably read about how wonderfully the training session went for our volunteer monitors last weekend at Milford Point, and that we still need more caring citizens to help out the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds this spring and summer. The following videos are only portions of the three-hour plus session conducted by the aforementioned parties, and they are meant to be used as a part of training future volunteers or those who could not attend the session.

Anyone else who signs up now will also be given further information, instruction, and documents by the USFWS and Audubon Alliance plus some time on the beach with Master Plover Monitors or our staff. If you're considering signing up or just interested about what goes on, they give you a great sense of what volunteering involves, from how to handle yourself on the beach to legality to the work being done by the Audubon Alliance.

The videos are primarily of USFWS Ranger Shaun Roche and Refuge Manager Rick Potvin. You will also see and hear from CT DEEP Supervising Wildlife Biologist Jenny Dickson, Audubon Connecticut IBA Coordinator Corrie Folsom-O'Keefe, and hear Connecticut Audubon Society Conservation Technician Scott Kruitbosch, who was behind the camera.

The first video discusses the job of a volunteer monitor, their role, responsibilities, and some of the legalities pertaining to this service.



The second video details the difference between volunteering some of your time for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as well as more on your role as an educator on the beach, how to go about that duty, situations to avoid, and how to report incidents or disturbances.



The third video goes further into handling situations on the beach, everything from who to approach or not approach, what to do when you see loose dogs, and what the responsibility of USFWS is to you and the municipality is with respect to their beaches and laws.




Again, if you want even more information or to sign-up as a volunteer please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com or call/email USFWS Ranger Shaun Roche at (860) 399-2513 or Shaun_Roche@fws.gov.

Please stay tuned for upcoming information on International Shorebird Surveys that we will be seeking volunteers for this year, a unique project run solely by the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds that is perfect for the birder who loves the shore.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician