Please join us for our monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5th, at Sandy Creek Nature Center where our very own president, Lauren Gingerella, will discuss her work developing a conservation strategy for Wilson’s Plovers.
Wilson’s Plovers are listed as a “Species of High Concern” on the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. Predators limit their nesting success, leading to a decrease in the number of chicks produced each year. Lauren conducted an experiment to determine how well nest exclosures work to increase the number of nests that successfully hatch. She found that exclosures were successful at preventing mammal and bird predators from eating eggs or destroying nests. However, ghost crabs were still able to get in, suggesting some modifications to the exclosure design could help fully protect nests.
Photo: Lauren Gingerella
Photo: Lauren Gingerella
Lauren Gingerella is a native Rhode Islander who received a B.S. in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from the University of Rhode Island. She worked a variety of avian-focused research and management jobs before landing on Little St. Simons Island, where she worked as naturalist and ecological coordinator. Little St. Simons was also the site of her M.S. work through University of Georgia studying Wilson’s Plovers. Lauren currently works as a wildlife biologist for North American Land Trust.
Photo: Lauren Gingerella
Photo: Lauren Gingerella
The meeting will be held in the Nature Center’s Education and Visitor Center, 205 Old Commerce Road off U.S. Highway 441 north of Athens. To reach the center from the Loop 10 bypass, exit at U.S. Highway 441/Commerce Road and turn north toward Commerce. Go approximately a mile, turn left at the Sandy Creek Nature Center sign and go to the end of the road. Turn left at Old Commerce Road; parking for the Education and Visitor Center will be on the right.