Delaware Bay Shorebird Stewards needed for 2022 season

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Shorebirds along Delaware Bay: photo by Shorebird Steward Bob Bocci

May is wonderful time of year at the Delaware Bay. Horseshoe crabs are spawning and shorebirds stopping over on their migration to feed on the eggs. One of these shorebirds the red-knot, is a federally threatened species. Beaches along the Delaware Bay in New Jersey are extremely important stops in their migration. Many of these beaches have been restricted from May 7th to June 7th to allow the shorebirds to feed undisturbed. They need to gain enough weight to be able to fly non-stop to their breeding grounds in the artic.

photo by Shorebird Steward Dom Manalo

People come from all over to view this natural phenomenon and the Delaware bay is a popular tourist destination. It’s important to have Shorebird stewards on these restricted beaches to educate the public about the crabs and shorebirds. Shorebird stewards support beach restrictions by being present at closed beaches during shorebird season to ensure that resting and foraging shorebirds are not disturbed. This job includes educating beach visitors as to why the beaches are closed and the importance of the beaches to horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds.

Stewards are needed short term in May at beaches along the Delaware Bay in Cape May County from the Villas north to Reed’s Beach and beaches in Cumberland.

Please contact Larissa Smith at Larissa.Smith@conservewildlifenj.org for more details.

Part time Shorebird Stewards needed

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  1. I can help out from May 23-27. I’m a volunteer from last year. I live out of state but my husband and I are planning on coming for bird migration.

  2. I have been a RTF Volunteer and volunteered with East Point Lighthouse for 5 years. I am active with other tagging and census efforts with the American Littoral Society. Spoke to one of your stewards last year. Although I could not be there a lot, I could fill in some days in the week as a representative. Some training would be appreciated…

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