The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) seek volunteers to help in community efforts to reverse a longer term fall in the number of threatened and endangered shorebird species which are just starting to nest on the Far South Coast.

Volunteers have been the backbone of the NPWS Shorebird Recovery effort for the past decade and have made a
huge impact in helping to stall the decline of species such as the threatened Little Tern.

NPWS Shorebird Recovery coordinator for the Far South Coast, Amy Harris, says that without volunteers shorebirds would really struggle.

“The big issue for shorebirds is that they breed in the same space that people like to play at around the same time of the year - on beaches and sand spits. To make things more difficult they lay eggs which are speckled and really well camouflaged to blend in with the shell grit, seaweed and debris that washes up on the shoreline. So often people and their pets can interrupt nesting on a beach or sand spit without really knowing.

“With people, dogs, foxes, crows, gulls, storms and big tides the challenges for shorebirds are significant.

“This is where volunteers come in. They help us set up fenced off areas, post signs and some just spend days taking turns watching over nesting groups of birds, explaining things to locals and visitors and reminding people to keep pets under control.

“The beaches get busier over the summer holidays so volunteers play a critical role in helping shorebirds have a successful breeding season.

The NPWS is always looking to involve the community in the program “we are looking for as many people as we can find because many hands makes light work and the shorebirds really need all the help they can get,” the NPWS shorebird Co-ordinator said.

For more information about the threatened shorebirds and how you can become a volunteer contact NPWS on 44760834