Piping plovers have settled in at New Hampshire beaches and volunteers are needed to help babysit the delicate birds.
Brandan Clifford, with the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Service, says that COVID-19 restrictions allowed the endangered birds to nest freely on the beaches. Now that people are back, the state needs volunteers to watch and protect the nest areas both day and night.
Don Felix saw his first piping plovers in 1997 while on a run along Seabrook beach. Since then, he’s been a recurring volunteer with the wildlife service. He’s encouraging others to sign up like him.
“We need lots of volunteers. The chicks are so fragile they need people to keep their eyes on them and volunteers are everything because we can’t just do it all by ourselves.”
Hampton officials say they may cancel the town’s annual fireworks display to protect the birds. People interested in volunteering can go to the Fish and Game website for more information.
