MONITORING

Volunteer — Piping Plover Monitoring

We have a team that is given enhanced training to monitor the endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers if they nest on the beaches in Waukegan. Volunteers are given training that includes:

• Identifying Piping Plover Habitat:

  You'll learn to recognize suitable breeding habitat, which typically includes gently sloping, sparsely vegetated sand beaches with a certain shoreline length and beach area. 

• Piping Plover Behavior:

  You’ll learn how to understanding their nesting behavior, including nest location, incubation periods, and chick rearing.

• Monitoring Techniques:

  You'll learn how to conduct surveys, record data, and identify potential threats to plovers and their nests. 

• Disturbance Mitigation:

  You'll learn how to minimize human disturbance to plovers and their habitat, such as educating beachgoers about the importance of keeping a distance from nests and chicks. 

• Data Collection:

  You will learn how to fill out monitoring forms and collect data on plover nests and chicks.

• General Monitoring Basics:

  The training covers basic information about the SOS-W program and situations that volunteers may encounter. The program is useful whether you are a new or returning volunteer for the monitoring support team.

The piping plover monitoring team is active from approximately mid April through the end of August. We begin by scouting the beaches for signs that the plovers have returned and are preparing to nest. If nesting occurs, we monitor the adults, nests and chicks throughout the breeding season. In some years, Waukegan may also serve as a release site for captive reared piping plovers, which our volunteers help monitor as they adjust to life in the wild. Monitoring continues as long as piping plovers remain on the beach.

Monitoring takes place seven days a week, with volunteers signing up for morning or afternoon shifts based on their availability.