Volunteers needed at Milford Point and Sandy/Morse Points on July 3

I am re-posting this from an entry I made this morning on the blog for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. I hope that speaks of the importance of it, and how badly we need some of our Piping Plover monitors and other volunteers to help us out for the fireworks displays on July 3.

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We are looking for volunteers to assist the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in monitoring beaches on the evening and night of July 3. This is the night of the fireworks displays in both West Haven and Stratford. Since the Stratford fireworks are set off near Short Beach, this means a great deal of traffic comes on Milford beaches surrounding Milford Point. The Coastal Center at Milford Point will be closed from Tuesday, July 3 at 4:00 pm until Thursday, July 5 at 7 a.m. to all foot and vehicle traffic, but many people still take to the beaches and general area. West Haven's display will create a lot of traffic on Sandy/Morse Points.

Essentially we are seeking monitors to keep an eye on our birds and talk to any beachgoers who may not realize the importance of providing a little room for the nesting species on this active evening. We will have seasonal and full-time staff posted at both of these locations at the same time. CT DEEP staff will also be present all along the coast, and police officers will be patrolling both locations. However, the more eyes the better in these large areas! We really need all the help we can get considering the number of people that will be on the beaches. This is a stressful night for Piping Plovers, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, and Common Terns, and anything we can do to ensure their safety is vital to their overall success for the season.

If you can make it to Sandy/Morse Points or the Milford Point area on July 3, in the early evening before sunset or after dark during the display, we would love to have you join us. Please email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com to tell us you will be there or if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for the consideration and all your efforts this successful season! We hope to see you then.

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Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician