It was a great afternoon full of great conversations and laughs!
Thank you for the support of those who couldn’t make it due to distance or other commitments, we missed you and you were all there in spirit!
Cheers to many more years of #BeachNestingBirds conservation!
#15YearsBNB
Thank you so much to everyone who came to our in-person #15YearsBNB celebration at Point Nepean NP - some of our amazing volunteers, @BirdlifeOz's CEO @PaulSullivan_au @ParksVictoria @BarwonCoast GORCAPA @GreaterGeelong @BellBayside @BassCoast @PhillipIslandNP.
4⃣ Achieving sustainable coexistence between #beachnestingbirds & beach users through effective public’s behaviour change and improving compliance with dog and vehicle restrictions around breeding sites.
#15YearsBNB #MindTheHoodies #ThinkBeachBirds
4⃣ Research to tackle critical knowledge gaps:
✔️Conservation needs of the Beach Stone-curlew & Pied Oystercatcher
✔️Solutions to address the impacts of superabundant native predators
✔️Understanding factors that influence nesting site choice by fairy terns
#15YearsBNB
2⃣ Advocating for supportive legislation at the state levels to ensure greater protection and consistency in managing key threats.
#15YearsBNB #NatureLaws #MindTheHoodies #ThinkBeachBirds
1⃣ Working locally but nationally connected! Keep developing well-supported & active networks of community volunteers and land managers that work at a local level but are connected by national goals to protect flagship #beachnestingbird species across Australia
#15YearsBNB
Where to next?
@BirdlifeOz's BNB Program has achieved some major wins for our beach-nesting birds, but there is still a lot to do! To wrap up the #15YearsBNB celebrations, here are our future directions & goals, what the program’s priorities will be for the next 15 years👇
Our @BirdlifeOz's Beach-nesting Birds Program has covered a lot of ground in just 15 years and continues to grow from strength to strength. Here are some of greatest achievements since 2006 👇
#15YearsBNB #MindTheHoodies #ThinkBeachBirds
5⃣ We’re seeing a promising halt to population decline! Working alongside @Deakin to analyse decades of biennial count data, we can see a genuine halting of population decline in #beachnestingbird species - work in progress, watch this space!
#15YearsBNB
4⃣Some major wins in seeing breeding sites protected with leashing regulations or declared no dog access, from Greater Geelong to Yorke Peninsula and the Fleurieu Peninsula in SA. Years of community consultation & data have greatly reduced this threat in parts of AUS.
#15YearsBNB
3⃣Once a relatively unknown species, our Hoodies have since reached celebstatus! Now, most people have seen signs or met a volunteer on the beach. With greater awareness comes greater compliance and eventually, a change in beach use & behaviour.
#15YearsBNB #MindTheHoodies
2⃣ We’ve grown an army of thousands of highly skilled, community #volunteers, dedicated to improving the breeding success of beach-nesters and their habitats. We have established 12 Friends of the Hooded Plover regional groups.
#15YearsBNB
1⃣ The @BirdlifeOz's BNB Program started working with #HoodedPlovers across Victoria – but now, we have projects across Australia and on a range of beach dependent species -
#15YearsBNB #ThinkBeachBirds
Our BNB Program, @GrainneMaguire7, & Program Coordinators, Meg & @ReneeMead10, highlighting the amazing things achieved for the conservation of #beachnestingbirds in Australia, from increasing awareness to halt #HoodedPlover decline, with help from great vollies!
#15YearsBNB
Stacey Henry (@UniMelb) analysed >600 questionnaires & >80 interviews to learn more about the values and attitudes that may pose a barrier to compliance with dog regulations. The study found that owners generally don't see their own dogs as a threat.
#15YearsBNB
Tom Schneider (@Deakin) tracked 161 dogs on beaches showing that dog-leashing regulations did not constrain the movement of the dogs at the beach, as dogs were mostly off-leash -
#15YearsBNB
Renee Mead (@Deakin) used remote nest cameras to learn more about nest fates of Hooded Plovers and identify their main egg predators. This was the first time that Magpies were confirmed as predators!
#15YearsBNB
Not an exhaustive list, but in these thread you'll find some of the students and their research projects. If you’d like more information about a particular study, please get in touch!🤓👇
#15YearsBNB #MindTheHoodies
Dejan Stojanovic (@Sydney_Uni) investigated conditioned taste aversion to tackle the challenging issue of egg predation by foxes -
#15YearsBNB
Research is one of the pillars of @BirdlifeOz's BNB Program. We've collaborated with different Unis to supervise students whose research has significantly contributed to better understanding threats, finding new ways of protecting birds & improving breeding success.
#15YearsBNB
In no particular order, some of our main partners are (2/2):
✔️@BassCoast
✔️Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority
✔️Green Adelaide
✔️Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board
✔️@EPLandscapeSA
✔️Northern and Yorke Landscapes Board
✔️@LClandscapeSA
✔️@KILandscapeSA
#15YearsBNB
In no particular order, some of our main partners are (1/2):
✔️@envirogov & @AusLandcare
✔️@ParksVictoria
✔️@DELWP_Vic
✔️@GHCMA
✔️@CorangamiteCMA
✔️@westgippscma
✔️@ppwcma
✔️@Deakin
✔️@PhillipIslandNP
✔️Barwon Coast Committee of Management
#15YearsBNB
Adaptive, holistic and collaborative describe @BirdlifeOz's Beach-nesting Birds Program. From local councils to coastal policy makers & academics, without a large network of partners, the success of #beachnestingbirds conservation would not be possible! Thank you all!
#15YearsBNB
Some of our longest running volunteers have shared their experience and thoughts. We also want to hear from you all! How did you get involved? What are your highlights? Share your experiences with the hashtag #15YearsBNB to celebrate your amazing work!
Our vollies monitor their local birds, educate the public, put up signs & fencing, enter data, help us with events, office work & more! A special shout-out goes to all our Regional Coordinators, who go above and beyond to support and mentor other local volunteers!
#15YearsBNB
Time to appreciate our amazing volunteers in our 15th anniversary!
We have ~1500 volunteers who are the heart and soul of @BirdlifeOz's Beach-nesting Birds Program. Without their tireless work and dedication, we would have never come this far!
#15YearsBNB
Today, our BNB team is halting the decline of one of Australia’s most threatened beach-nesters – but there is so much more to be done. Watch this space to learn more about what’s next to come for this project!
#15YearsBNB
Guided by rigorous data and new findings, @BirdlifeOz continues to regularly meet with communities, volunteers, rangers, council staff and decision makers to review and strengthen the recovery of beach-nesting bird populations.
#15YearsBNB
Now, there are signs and fencing across parts of Australia’s coastline, spreading awareness for other beach-nesting bird species too – and thousands of volunteers and land managers across the country.
#15YearsBNB #MindTheHoodies #ThinkBeachBirds
