March 24, 2025
By Anne White
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Ecology
As our tiniest visitor, the endangered Piping Plover, returns to Fishers Island’s shores this spring, the Fishers Island Conservancy installed symbolic fencing at known nesting sites. These small shorebirds lay their eggs directly on open sand, making them extremely vulnerable to disturbance. To protect them and give them the best chance at a successful breeding season, the FI Conservancy kicked off the season with Pre-Fencing Day on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
Symbolic fencing is a simple yet critical step that helps reduce disturbance from people and pets by clearly marking sensitive nesting areas. This protection is not just for Piping Plovers but also serves as nesting habitat for Least Terns, which are listed as threatened in New York State. These birds depend on undisturbed beach habitat to successfully nest and raise their young.
This work is part of the Long Island Colonial Waterbird Survey (LICWS), a statewide monitoring and protection program coordinated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. We are excited to partner with Sophia Brown from NYSDEC as we relaunch LICWS efforts on the island. Fishers Island falls within Region 1 of the NYSDEC, which includes Suffolk County and nearby coastal islands.
by Anna White
We thank everyone who joined us on Wednesday, April 9 in lending a hand and help us protect our Island’s shoreline and the shorebirds that call it home!
