Let’s Save Snowy Plovers Together

Please support our efforts to protect and conserve the Western Snowy Plover at Coal Oil Point Reserve!

Coal Oil Point Reserve and the Santa Barbara Zoo are partnering to rescue Western Snowy Plover eggs that have been abandoned due to high surf or wind as part of the Reserve’s Snowy Plover Conservation Program. We work together to incubate and hatch the eggs, and rear Western Snowy Plover chicks, which are released back into the wild when they are old enough to fly. Last breeding season, we were able to hatch and raise twelve abandoned chicks. These chicks joined 23 additional plovers that successfully fledged in the wild at the Reserve. 

This spring, the Reserve continues to play a critical role in the conservation of the Western Snowy Plover. Our devoted staff continues to protect these little birds by monitoring the beach, collecting abandoned eggs, observing chicks and recording their growth, mending fences, protecting nests with enclosures that safeguard the plovers from predator threats such as crows or skunks, and installing signs to educate visitors about the Snowy Plovers. Dedicated docents volunteer at the beach to provide additional support for the plovers and visitors year-round. However, our love for these rugged little survivors isn’t enough; we need supplies (nest enclosures, educational signage, fencing materials) and docent support to get us through the plover breeding season, which lasts from March through September. Protecting Snowy Plovers is just one of the many significant roles that the Reserve plays in our community. Please help us by supporting our Snowy Plover conservation efforts today!