Shorebird Conservation and Education

In 2019, the Saint John Naturalists Club, with our partners Irving Nature Park (J.D. Irving, Ltd.) and Nature NB, successfully engaged with the public for the first time on the conservation threat posed by human disturbance of shorebirds roosting on Saints Rest Beach. The project has since gained momentum and has become a major project of the Saint John Naturalists Club.

The Shorebird Education and Conservation Project (SCEP) involves visits by volunteers to the Saints Rest Beach during the three hour period around high tide on six consecutive weekends between mid-August and late-September. Our volunteers wear blue volunteer “pinnies”, engage with beach visitors and initiate conversations about the shorebirds of the park including their life history, migration and the importance of allowing the birds the opportunity to rest on the beach at high tide. Beach visitors are asked to detour quietly around the birds and to consider leashing their dogs. The lead volunteer on each shift counts the birds on the beach during the shift for later data analysis and to recognize trends.

In 2022, the project expanded by introducing weekday shifts by an official counter. Future plans for this project include surveying other beaches in the region to assess their importance as shorebird feeding and resting areas.

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