Non-Profits making Change
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CA Least Terns are protected by the Audubon Society, a non-profit who focusing on beach restoration and removal of non-native species and beach cleanups (San Diego Audubon Society, 2017). The San Elijo Conservatory, located at the San Elijo Lagoon, also protects the CA least tern by doing conservation and restoration; with many opportunities for people to donate or volunteer at (California Least Tern, 2017)(Volunteer with San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy, 2017). Sea and Sage Audubon Society protects the CA least tern population specifically in huntington beach by being educators of the bird species, and take shifts patrolling the beaches (The Least Tern Project, 2016).
Refuges/Parks/Sanctuaries/Reserves Doing Their Part:
Refuges, parks, sanctuaries, and reserves act as a safe place for the California Least Tern to come lay their eggs, nest, and raise their young. Volunteers are working to protect the birds on the reserves and keep them safe during this sensitive time. Maintenance is done by the volunteers to take care of the birds and protect them from humans, and predators. The Alameda Point Wildlife refuge is one example of a reserve working to protect the Least Tern. The Alameda Point has been incredibly successful in starting many new colonies of the Least Tern! (Protecting the California Least Terns at the Alameda Point Wildlife Refuge, 2012).
Who and How?
The San Diego zoo is also doing a conservation research program for the California least tern. It is focused on adaptive management strategies to encourage successful nesting at Naval Base Coronado and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Approximately 35-percent of the population breeds at these two sites, making continued protection and monitoring of these sites critical for least tern survival. Every year, their Recovery Ecology field crews conduct systematic searches to locate and mark nests and alert the military of their presence. They record nest success and chick survival, estimate the number of pairs and offspring, and identify predation threats and human disturbances (California Least Tern, 2017).
By setting aside space at beaches around the state, many agencies and organizations are helping these birds succeed. The south end of Wrightsville Beach is just one piece of the puzzle, but it’s a big piece. If the posting and the outreach and education provided by the Beach Bird Stewards can ensure that the colony is free of disturbance and a safe place for the young chicks to grow up, the south end of Wrightsville Beach can make a big contribution to this year’s class of terns and skimmers (Maholley, 2017).