Saunders, S. (2023, September 15). Great Lakes piping plovers are flying high with a second record-breaking breeding season. Audubon Great Lakes. https://gl.audubon.org/news/great-lakes-piping-plovers-are-flying-high-second-record-breaking-breeding-season 

The efforts of the Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Team, comprising researchers, agencies, volunteers, and organizations have led to a remarkable recovery of the endangered shorebird species. Their success led to the nesting of 80 pairs, surpassing previous counts and bringing the population closer to the 150-pair recovery goal. Last year saw 150 chicks fledge in the wild, the highest since the species was listed as federally endangered in 1986. The recovery efforts involve protection measures, such as nest exclosures and fencing, site monitoring, education, captive rearing, and annual banding. The program released 39 fledglings outside Michigan in 2023 which contributed to their goal of having at least 50 successfully nested pairs outside the state. The recovery team’s dedication has played a crucial role in the successful conservation of the Great Lakes Piping Plovers, and the achievements include re-establishing nesting locations and observing a fledgling rate above the annual goal.

I really like how the recovery team began on a smaller scale as they aimed to increase the population of the Piping Plover in the Great Lakes and once they achieved the goal in the Great Lakes they moved on to expand into other states. I like how the article provides so much numerical evidence that shows how successful the project has been and how it continues to grow. Additionally, I think this it is great that the team is taking such a vast approach to protecting the species. They cover all the bases by educating people they ensure that they understand the effect they have on the environment and other living species, but they also talk about traditional protection approaches by using enclosures and captive repairing to support the regrowth of the species. Restoring the population of the Piping Plovers also stabilizes the insect and small crustacean populations on beaches.