Resarch Paper

Piping plovers are sand birds that nest and breed on flat and open beaches and along rivers and lake shores. According to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2003), piping plovers began to become in danger in the late 1800s to early 1900s, because people were hunting piping plovers for the millinery trade and wanton shooting sports. Moreover, people also used to use its feathers and the birds on hats as a way of decoration, thus contributing to its decline. In 1918 was introduced the Migratory Bird Treat Act, which made hutting piping plovers illegal. Thus, due to this law the number of piping plovers recovered. However, after the Second World War the number of piping plovers started to decline due to the increase of the number of people frequenting the beaches, thereby contributing to piping plover’s habitat loss and by disturbing them. In addition, recreational activities and commercial developments along or near the beaches were threatening them. Therefore, it was discovered only in 1986 that piping plovers were endangered. Since then, organizations that protect piping plovers from danger and voluntaries people had been done so many things to protect them. However, the efforts seem to be insufficient because the number of piping plovers is still declining (J. Dineen, 2008)

Therefore, piping plovers can be protected by introducing programs “to educate students about piping” (piping plover.fws.gov 2002), “to fence off or to install electric fence around the piping plovers’ area” ( Division of Fish & Wildlife, 2008, para,3), by closing the beaches and areas for conservation of piping plovers, and by not allowing people to leave food or food containers on the beach (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service).

First, one of the ways to protect piping plovers from danger and extinction is to first inform and “to educate students about piping” (piping plover.fws.gov 2002). For instance, in New Jersey environmentalists and volunteers that protect piping plovers, inform the public about piping plovers nesting and breeding through posted messages near piping plover’s area. On the posts the messages explain the piping plover’s biology and life requirements. Besides that, they also post massages about piping plovers’ predators like cats and dogs because some people walk with them on the beaches. Piping plovers’ eggs are too tiny to see; thus, as some people are aware of piping plovers’ eggs characteristics, which can make them walk more carefully on the beaches so that they do not step on the eggs, pets do not have that information, which make ok some of them step on the eggs. That is why pets are not allowed near the piping plovers’ area. In addition, adult piping plovers are able to fly or run whenever there is a danger or whenever they see a predator like cats or dogs; however, piping plovers chicks do not start fly by the time they are born; they take time to learn, which makes them vulnerable to be attacked by cats and dogs. Moreover, piping plover’s chicks stop moving or walking whenever they are alarmed, thus making them exposed to predators like dogs and cats (Yee, 2008). Another way of informing the public about piping plovers’ is to educate students about piping plovers, as the major factor of piping plover extinction are human activities. Nowadays most young people spend more time in the school than at home, and that is where they get more information about sciences and general information about the history of humans and animals as well as how things on the earth depend on each other to make the earths’ circle of life continue to exist. In addition, teachers at school can explain better to the students about piping plovers because they are trained for that and they can easily get access to any kind of information to prove what they are saying through scientific laboratories and history laboratories. The program about piping plovers’ problems has already been introduced in some schools, and the purposes of the program are, first, is to explain the piping plovers’ habitat needs. As piping plovers are according to Wikipedia (2008, para,1) “shorebirds that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches,” and as we all might know many people like to frequented the beaches and the problem is that the same places where piping plovers breed and nest are also the places that humans like. Thus, making the stronger and the resistible to stay because the piping plover are unable and cannot share the same places with humans on the beaches. Second, is to explain the piping plovers’ (piping plover) “behavior and general characteristics, because by knowing the characteristics of piping plovers will able the students to easily identify them and its behavior may call their attention to these birds and touch their hearts and emotions. For instance, before I heard about piping plovers through Mr Leverett and that they were in extinction I did not know that piping plovers were in danger and near extinction, and I was not interested in knowing or exploring the piping plovers life though my major is biology and about any species in danger, however, after he had talked and explained how the piping plovers look and its appearance, I researched and I discovered that according to Nature Works the piping plover “ is a small, sparrow-sized shorebird. It is about five to seven inches in length. It is a sandy brown-gray on its back and white on its underside. It has a black or brown neck band; a black tip on its tail; white eyebrows; a black band across its forehead; yellow-orange legs and feet; and a small, stubby orange bill with a black tip. In winter, the piping plover’s black bands fade or disappear and its legs fade to a paler yellow-orange and its bill becomes black. Males and females are similar in appearance, but the male is larger and the base of its bill is brighter orange during breeding season.” (Nature Works, 2008, para,1), and I also discovered the way piping plovers behave which means according to Nature Works “piping plovers return to its breeding ground in late March or early April. The male piping plover courts the female by flying over her and swooping down close to the ground. The male selects the nest site and defends it from other plovers. He then starts scraping a nest in the sand above the high tide line. Both male and female may toss stones and shell fragments into the depression” (Nature Works, 2008, para3). In addition, according to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, “when predator or other intruders come close, the young squat motionless on the sand while the parents attempt to attract the attention of intruders to themselves, often by feigning a broken wing” (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2008, para, 4), therefore, by the time I came to know the piping plovers’ characteristics and behavior I became more interested in protecting piping plovers. In addition, the love that piping plovers demonstrate when they call the attention of the predator so that they do not harm the chicks really touched my heart. I came to understand that not only people love their children but piping plovers also love and care about their families. Therefore, I believe that in the same way that piping plovers touched my heart, they will also touch the heart of other students. Third, is to let the students to know according to U.S Fish the “response of human activities” which lead to the reduction of the number of piping plovers. Fourth, is to explain the U.S. Fish “threats to the specie” (U.S. Fish), which are according to U.S Fish (1) “commercial, residential and recreational development along the coasts. (2) Human disturbance often curtails breeding success. (3) Foot and vehicular traffic may crush nests or young. (4) Excessive disturbance may cause the parents to desert the nests. (5) Pets, especially dogs, may harass the birds, (6) developments near beaches provide food that attracts increased number of predators” (U.S. Fish). Fifth, is to explain the ways to protect piping plovers. Therefore, the goals of these lessons is that by the end the students will be able to understand the piping plovers problems and that they will be capable to first, according to U.S Fish of describing the life history of the piping plovers, second, locate suitable piping plover nesting habitat, third, explain how human activity has adversely affected this specie, and finally, identify efforts to protect the piping plover. Consequently, this program will open the mind of students about piping plovers, and the students will have more information about them. Thus, it will crease the number of people in protecting piping plovers and who will be concerned about them.

Second, we can protect piping plovers through a plan “to fence off or to install electric fence around the piping plovers’ area” (Division of Fish & Wildlife) because most of piping plovers’ predators invade their area to hunt them and to eat their eggs. Therefore, with the installations of the fences the predators will not be able to invade the piping plover’s area. For instance, piping plovers in Canada are also in danger and in approaching, thus; to protect them voluntees and workers from organizations like Earth Justice install electric fences or fences without electricity which allows only the adults piping plovers to get out, but does not allow the chicks to get out, because the chicks are not able to defend themselves from predators. Thus, if we could try to use the same methods mentioned above we may succeed in protecting them from the predators.

Third, we should close the beaches and areas for conservation of piping plovers, as the major problem for piping plover’s declination are the presence of humans. Immoderate presence of humans near the breeding and nesting areas may make the piping plover parents forsake the nests with eggs and chicks thus leaving the eggs and chicks vulnerable to predators and summer sun which damages the eggs. Moreover, the desertion of the parents may put pressure the chicks during the growing period. Furthermore, some of people whenever they go the beaches they take pets like dogs and cats which are piping plovers’ predator (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2004, para, 3). Therefore, we can notice that besides the humans being the major problem for the reduction of the number of piping plovers they also increase the piping plovers problems by bringing with them pets which are piping plovers’ predators. Thus, by dividing the beaches for the conservation of piping plovers, humans will not be allowed or able to enter in the piping plovers’ territory, thereby, making the piping plovers able to nest, live and breed without any disturbance.

Fourth, the other way to protect piping plovers is to not allow people to leave food or food containers on the beach (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service). Over Left of food on the beaches attracts predator like raccoons, skunks and foxes. Besides that, it also attracts cats which are piping plovers’ eggs and chick’s predators (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, para3). Therefore, with less or any food on the beaches, there will be no predators or the number of predators will reduce. Thereby, with fewer predators there will be more eggs and the chicks will be able to grow in a peaceful environment. Consequently, when the chicks will be grown up they will nest and a generation will breed, thus, increasing the number of the next generation of piping plovers.
Opponents of protecting piping plovers from danger and extinction claim that there is no need for protecting piping plovers because they are just birds and not people. Then, we have to worry about helping people because they have feelings and they also belong to families. In addition, they also claim that the world would not know the difference without piping plovers. Besides that, plovers do not contribute to anything in the world, they are birds and will always be birds. However, every species plays a role in the world, from the least creature to the biggest creature. The world survives and depends on cycles and we all rely on these cycles to maintain and also to equilibrate the ecosystem and the biodiversity. Therefore, with the extinction of piping plovers, there will be something lacking to make the earth’s cycles to carry on. Thus, with the lack of piping plovers in the earth, the earth’s cycles will be disturbed. Thus, as the earth will be disturbed it will also negatively affect us, the environment and the ecosystem. As it will negatively affect us and the ecosystem and the environment where we live our lives will be in danger, therefore leading to the extinction of the human being.

There are so many ways tried by volunteers and organizations that implements new strategies of protecting piping plovers. However, until these days they have not fully succeeded in recovering the large number of piping plovers. Thus, the new strategies like closing the beaches and areas for conservation of piping plovers, informing the public about piping plover biology and life requirements, and fencing or installing electric fence will be more helpful in protecting piping plovers. Would you imagine the world without birds? How sad and uncolored would be the world. Thus, as the world would not make much sense without them we should consider and contribute in protecting them.

References:
Dineen, J. (2008, August 3). Piping plover migration after sauble beach stay a good sign, expect says. The Toronto Star. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from Lexi Nexis.

Ratting, D. (2008, July 17). Piping plover finding urban homes. The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from Lexis Nexis.

Smith, J. (2008, August 3). Restoring their number: plover chick adds hope to efforts. Newsday (New York). Retrieved October 31, 2008, from Lexis Nexis.

The U.S Fish & Wildlife Service. (2007, March 15). Piping plovers Atlantic Coast population. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www.pipingplover.fws.gov

Texas Park and Wildlife. (2008, September 11). Piping plover (charadrius melodus). Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Yee, A. (2007, August 27). One hot beach chick: piping plover breed hope, joy in Revere. Globe Newspaper Company. Retrieved October 25, 2008, form Lexis Nexis.