The Town of Hull, Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program, and Hull’s Piping Plover Ambassadors are committed to monitoring and protecting piping plovers. Mass Audubon will make weekly visits to the beach and set up the necessary signage. If plovers are present, they will provide additional monitoring and support.

Hull’s Plover Ambassadors educate beachgoers to what is happening with Plovers on the beach in real time and enlist beachgoers help when needed. There has been significant success in the restoration of these endangered and threatened populations in Massachusetts. While it may seem that piping plovers are in abundance, there are only about 8,000 piping plovers in the world. Massachusetts is home to almost 4,000 of the birds, and Nantasket Beach has been a nesting ground for piping plovers since about 2016.

A key reason piping plovers are vulnerable is that the chicks begin foraging for food 24 hours a day as soon as they hatch. But, for their first 30 days or so, they cannot fly. They are vulnerable to being crushed by people or vehicles, or killed by dogs, cats, and other predators. In addition, plover nests blend in with the beach, making it easy to mistakenly step on a nest. Fortunately, once the chicks have fledged (learned to fly further), they do not need protection.

As the plovers make their nests and begin the incubation period, warning signs and roped protection areas will begin to appear on the beach. These roped off area may seem large, but as the chicks start to mature, Mass Audubon can reduce the area of protection.

If a plover nest is damaged, destroyed, or chicks are not able to fledge, they will try to produce another clutch (nest). When this happens, protective fencing will be reinstalled.

Though piping plovers are small, their contribution to our region’s biodiversity is immeasurable. They keep ecosystems in balance by controlling insect and small crustacean populations, and, as an indicator species, they also provide a glimpse into the overall health of Nantasket Beach.

Interested in learning more about piping plovers or want to help? Attend our plover kickoff party at the Parrot on Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m. Cash bar, complimentary appetizers, contests, merchandise for sale, Liz Varga slide show featuring piping plovers on Nantasket Beach, and much more. If you have questions, susanmann.mann23@gmail.com.

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