About being a Beach-nesting Birds Guardian

This role involves spending time on the beach near an active breeding site (mostly when chicks are present) to engage with beach users in an educational capacity.

Because they lay their eggs on the sand, beach-nesting birds are especially vulnerable to threats such as dogs, birds of prey and people.

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As a Beach-nesting Birds Guardian, you will be responsible for:

• Providing education about the birds and ways the community can help safeguard them and their nest sites
• Collecting data on the birds
• Offering alternatives/solutions, for example the nearest off-leash beach, nearest alternative access or route
• Assisting in recruiting new volunteers

Requirements for being a bird guardian

To volunteer as a Beach-nesting Bird Guardian, you will need the following:

• A high level of training and as a pre-requisite, you need to be registered as a Monitor/Citizen Scientist.
• Experience in identifying and observing birds (particularly the key 5 shorebird species in our Beach-nesting Birds Program)
• A valid driver’s licence or a method of transport to get to survey sites
• First-aid training (for field excursions in the event of an accident)
• Working with Children Check
• A first-aid kit
• Be available to attend our training workshops and events
• Follow strict protocols for monitoring, protecting nest sites and communicating with other beach users
• Ability to work alone or as part of a team
• Be a ‘people person’ – since the role will require you to educate beach users about the birds and the site protection in place

Who is the Beach-Nesting Bird Guardian role suited to?

• People who are keen to contribute to beach-nesting bird conservation
• People who live near beach-nesting areas

Where can I take part?

There are around 900 beach-nesting sites across Australia. To find your nearest site, contact us with your location and we will let you know.