Press of Atlantic City: An Earth Day message from the beach at the Jersey Shore, by Deborah Rivel

April 22, 2023

Read the story on Press of Atlantic City here.

A piping plover feeds at the tideline in the Strathmere section of Upper Township, taking a brief break from the stresses and challenges of its life.

From bald eagles and ospreys to piping plovers and black skimmers, our New Jersey beaches play an important role keeping birds safe and protected. On the N.J. coast, birds have been integral to the beaches for likely as long as there have been barrier islands. As a child spending summers on Strathmere’s beach, I recall what is now Corsons Inlet State Park was chock full of hundreds of beach-nesting birds. Teeny piping plover chicks ran freely, the chicks of oystercatchers and least terns abounded, and hundreds of black skimmers and their silly looking chicks inhabited the area at the Point and raised their families safely.

In those days, bald eagles were on the Endangered Species List. Ospreys were close behind them as both species had been poisoned by the insecticide DDT, which weakened their eggshells, causing the shells to break when the mother tried to brood her eggs. DDT was banned, and through thoughtful conservation practices, bald eagles made a huge comeback and are no longer endangered. In late summer through fall, we see adult and first-year eagles regularly at the beach, along with young ospreys. Neither of these birds would have made a comeback, and brought delight and pride to so many people, were it not for the safety of the beaches and respect for wildlife.

Now, smaller birds nesting on our beaches are facing a similar fate to what once confronted these raptors, but poison is not the cause of their decline. The loss of safe and suitable beach habitat to nest on, coupled with the effects of increasing human disturbance, has already made some of these birds endangered species. With only about 6,000 left globally, half of them nesting on busy New Jersey beaches, piping plovers need the same safety, protection and respect we gave bald eagles and ospreys.

Nature has shown that with public education, and an active conservation strategy, species will bounce back when given the chance. And we want that to happen. Not just because they are iconic or cute or inspire us, but because every species is a thread in a tightly woven web of nature — the nature that supports the clean air we breathe, the clean water where we swim, surf and fish, and our overall quality of life. Next time someone asks about piping plovers, tell them they are 6 grams when they hatch, are bizarrely well camouflaged, feed themselves on their third day at the shoreline and just 60 days after hatching make their first grueling migration to the Bahamas or Florida — solo.

Life isn’t easy for piping plovers. The ones that live to return to us in spring arrive on our beaches exhausted. From the start of their arduous northward migration from the Bahamas or farther afield, to the time their surviving chicks learn to fly, is the most stressful time of their year. Without a break they must make a rapid migration at the right time in late winter, find a suitable and safe place for a nest, find a mate, raise and defend their young. Only after nearly half a year of high energy and stress during the summer can they take time to replenish their strength on our beaches so they can embark on their return voyage south.

These birds still raise their families alongside ours each summer, although in numbers that continue to decline. Their presence is a source of joy and hope for many people. But they face incredible odds against their survival on busy, and increasingly shrinking, beaches. With sea levels rising, there are fewer suitable nesting spots that don’t flood; the roped off nesting areas which are there to protect them and give them a buffer are encroached by humans and dogs, and highly camouflaged eggs and chicks can be crushed; chicks foraging at the shoreline face constant interruption and danger of being stepped on, injured or separated from their parents, making them highly vulnerable to predation; illegal drone use and introduced predators like foxes and feral cats take their toll. But we can change much of that. If we respect them by complying with signs and regulations at nesting beaches, give them space and a safe place to raise their families, they can have the chance to make a comeback like bald eagles and ospreys. Their future depends largely on us.

This Earth Day, we can make a conscious decision to give them that chance. It’s the right thing to do for all of us.

Deborah Rivel, of Strathmere and New York City, is an author and former wildlife film producer/director who leads the volunteer Strathmere Plover Project, as well as a board member of conservation organizations and advisor to BirdLife International.