Gulf Coast Residents Oil Spill Response
Beach protection efforts and how you can help
Preventative Beach Cleaning May Harm Nesting Shorebirds

May 1, 2010, Tallahassee, FL - Well-intentioned requests for volunteer efforts that urge eager people to move beach litter above the high water line to make cleaning up oil that may come ashore easier may prove harmful to beach nesting shorebirds.  Click here to view flyer.
The Florida Wildlife Federation encourages willing volunteers to add their name to a volunteer registry so we can connect folks with appropriate activities when they are made available. To find out more about the registry, visit: Volunteer to Rescue Injured Birds and to Clean Oil off Beaches

Florida's beaches and marshes are the nesting sites for many different species of birds-Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, Rails, and more. Beach and marsh nesting birds camouflage their nests, which are usually found above the high water line. In many cases, eggs blend in perfectly with the sand, are hard to see and are easily stepped on and can be inadvertently crushed.

If parent birds are frightened off of their nests even temporarily, eggs and chicks are exposed to extreme weather (sun or rain) as well as predators. Moving beach litter from the shoreline into dunes and areas above the high water line will lead to impacts to nesting birds and could result in damage to the dunes.

Some official sites inadvertently posted materials to their website directing people to move litter above the tidal line. This recommendation was made without guidance from wildlife biologists and may result in more harm than good. FWF joins Audubon of Florida in urging that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) be consulted for direction on appropriate measures to protect wildlife while preparing for potential oil landfall.

For those who want to clean litter from the beaches in anticipation of oil coming ashore, we recommend the following:

•Use approved access points.

•Stay below the tidal line.

•Leave natural debris in place because it provides nesting benefits to shorebirds and other wildlife.

•Only remove man-made litter.

•Do not place litter in the dunes or above the high water line.

•Don't use equipment such as rakes, shovels or tractors.

•Do not bring dogs onto the beach (dogs are a primary sources of beach bird disturbance and mortality.)

Our thanks to Audubon of Florida for providing this valuable information and support.