With Community Support, Snowy Plover Population Thriving at the Coal Oil Point Reserve

For Californians, seeing the Western Snowy Plover is a delightful bonus of spending time at the beach. No bigger than the size of a tennis ball, the plover can be found running quickly on its little legs as it dodges the waves washing up and back on the ocean sand. Moving through the kelp wrack, it feasts on beach hoppers and kelp flies before returning to its nest.

Historically, plovers nested on Sands Beach in Goleta, but as the beach became more open and accessible to the public (in the late 1960s, early 1970s) the birds stopped breeding, completely disappearing from the area during nesting season. More than 60 years later, the population is once again thriving thanks to the UC Santa Barbara Snowy Plover Conservation Program. “The conservation program has been incredibly successful for the Western Snowy Plover population in Santa Barbara,” said Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve Conservation Specialist Jessica Gray. “In the last 20 years, community awareness has increased so that people truly understand the importance of setting aside protected habitat for these birds.”

Sands Beach is located in the Coal Oil Point Reserve – one of 41 reserves managed by the University of California Natural Reserve System (UCNRS) utilized for research, education, and public service. With 170-acres of protected land right next to the UC Santa Barbara campus, the reserve hosts a number of ecosystems including the Devereux Slough, a seasonal dune pond, and grasslands. The protected ecosystems are home to more than 300 bird species (including the threatened Western Snowy Plover) as well as insects and other animals, and a number of species of native plants. Because these ecosystems are protected in perpetuity, researchers and scientists often collaborate on long-term projects. With funds from the UC Santa Barbara Coastal Fund and with donor support, the reserve provides more than 60 stipends per year for students to learn conservation skills in the field. In addition, the reserve has a new program to support students underrepresented in biological sciences, which encourages and prepares them to pursue a career in conservation or restoration. Students also benefit from the opportunity to engage in field trips, retreats, and student projects while the public can enjoy recreation such as walking the beach and birding. “It is important to us that people feel like they can come and enjoy nature without impacting the species that live here,” said Jessica. “With several species sharing this area, we have restored a nice balance of educational opportunity, passive recreation, and ecosystem health.”

Before the reserve was established in 1970, the area was used for agriculture and ranching. The beach did not have protections and fencing and the dune vegetation was trampled. The Western Snowy Plover, whose small nests are made right on the beach, could not survive the constant human disturbance and accidental crushing of their eggs, which look like small pebbles in the sand. In 1993, the birds were listed as a threatened species, prompting the reserve to start the Snowy Plover Recovery Program in 2001. Fencing and signage were put in place, and volunteers began educating the public about the program. Within the first year, there was one successful plover nest, making Coal Oil Point Reserve the first place to restore a nesting site that had previously been abandoned by Western Snowy Plovers. And since then, the birds have continued to breed annually. Now, on average, 40 plovers nest on Sands Beach from March through September. Depending on the season, plovers can have anywhere from one to four nests, with about three eggs per nest, which means they produce around 60 to 100 nests every year. “It is amazing to see the chicks hatch and take their first few steps,” said Jessica. “Or to spot a parent plover looking really puffed up as the little chicks come running out from underneath. Watching snowy plover behaviors is one of my favorite things to do.”

The success of the recovery program is buoyed by the Snowy Plover Docent Program, which started as a collaboration with the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and reserve Director Cristina Sandoval, PhD. From humble beginnings, the program now boasts at least 40 student interns and community volunteers who walk the beach in two-hour shifts every day from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Program participants educate the public and protect the plovers all while learning more about conservation right in their own backyard. “With the reserve located right in the middle of an urban environment, it is inevitable that humans are going to interact with the wildlife,” said Jessica. “It is important to us that people feel like they can come and enjoy nature. We need community support and participation to maintain that vital balance between recreation and conservation.”

While on the beach, docents keep an eye on an 800-meter stretch of land, encountering frequent visitors who understand the conservation project. But many more are new visitors, needing information about the importance of staying outside the fencing as well as the policies such as keeping dogs on leashes. Docents point out where the nests are located as well as the birds and their little chicks, which further connects the public to the investment the community is making in their conservation. “When you are a docent on the beach for two hours every week, you get to see how the beach changes throughout the year while learning a lot about the behaviors of individual birds – witnessing everything from courtship to the birth of chicks,” said Jessica. “If you have a passion for nature, supporting and protecting snowy plovers is a local example of how you can get involved.”

At UC Santa Barbara, a culture of giving is woven into the fabric of the university with many individuals, departments, and groups on campus volunteering to make the community a better place. Opportunities like the Snowy Plover Docent Program are just one example of how powerful bonds are created in the continued vibrancy of our society. “It is wonderful working with students and members of the community because we immediately connect on a shared goal of caring for and wanting to preserve nature,” said Jessica. “We would not be able to do what we do without our docents educating the public and it is reassuring to know that they are on the beach keeping an eye on the birds. Our program is successful because of our volunteers.”

To read more about the Western Snowy Plovers at Coal Oil Point Reserve, check out this UC Santa Barbara Current article celebrating 20 years helping the tiny shorebirds come back from the brink.

UCSB – Connecting to Community

Looking to volunteer? The Snowy Plover Docent Program would love to hear from you! To learn more about the program (whether to become a docent or tour guide), please visit https://copr.nrs.ucsb.edu/get-involved/snowy-plover-docent-program or contact Jessica Gray at copr.conservation@nrs.ucsb.edu.

Want to take a tour? Public guided tours are led every first Saturday of the month. The two-hour tour begins at the beach and goes around the full reserve. Additional tours can be provided upon request for UC Santa Barbara staff looking to get out in nature with their departments, for field trips, and UC Santa Barbara classes. To reserve a public or private tour, please email Jessica Gray at copr.conservation@nrs.ucsb.edu.