Protecting Piping Plovers
On Tuesday, March 22nd, Harwich Conservation Trust and the Harwich Conservation Department teamed up to install shorebird nesting fences at Forest Beach and Bank Street Beach in Harwich, with the help of three Americorps members and volunteers. These fences help protect piping plovers, which are endangered, migratory shorebirds. Some plovers travel to Cape Cod for breeding season, where they will nest in the upper reaches of beaches, far away from the water. Much of their habitat has been impacted by human activity, but one way that we can help this species is by installing fences to protect nesting areas. Although it is very early in the season, some plovers have already returned to the beaches of Harwich for the start of breeding season.
Please enjoy the pictures below of the fencing installation process, as well as some photos of the piping plovers who have already returned to Bank Street Beach.
Photos captured by Halley Steinmetz.
