1766 Landing Road
S.E.Darien
GA 31305
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS November 30, 2023
In October 2017, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Hemispheric Council voted unanimously to approve the designation of the Georgia Barrier Islands as a Landscape of Hemispheric Importance!
Shorebirds…. yet another chapter in the story of our ever-changing planet. As temperatures rise, shorelines change, and habitats are lost in one location and gained in another, these winged globetrotters respond remarkably and adapt as they have throughout time. Unfortunately, their response to these changes is often interrupted by human interactions. Join biologists and birding experts from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative-MANOMET, and the Sapelo NERR for the annual Shorebirds Conservation Teacher Workshop to explore who these birds are, the integral role the estuarine habitat plays in their migratory pathway between feeding and breeding grounds, as well as the many conservation and management efforts in place to ensure their continued survival. With Georgia’s estuarine habitat comprising nearly 400,000 acres of salt marsh, five major river systems, and a vast tidal range, we will boat to Egg Island for winter shorebird observations and invertebrate sampling. We will venture out to pristine stretches of Sapelo’s beach and marsh to observe feeding behaviors and probe the sediments as the birds do to identify their food sources. You’re sure to depart on Sunday with an appreciation for the estuarine habitat and for these birds, in addition to classroom resources to educate your students in becoming good stewards of the earth! The Georgia Shorebirds Conservation Workshop is open to actively teaching formal and non-formal educators of all grade levels. Participants should be in good physical condition and able to walk approx. 1m. Record of attendance, formerly PLU credit, is available.
TOPICS INCLUDE: birding adaptations, migration, shorebird conservation, the importance of estuaries to humans and wildlife, and the intricate connections it has with the ocean and climate systems; corresponding activities from the USFW Shorebird Sister Schools Program and Estuaries 101
ACCOMMODATIONS on Sapelo Island: dorm-style facilities with 2 beds per room, central heat; transportation on Sapelo via open flatbed trucks with bench seating. TIME: 5 pm, Friday, January 12- Sunday, January 14, 4:30 pm
COST: $265 includes meals, curriculum & resource materials, island accommodations, & ferry For questions please contact: Georgia Graves at georgiabeachwalk@hotmail.com
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS November 30, 2023
For a PDF form for registration, click here.
For a Word File, click here.
Fee is due at the time of registration;
payment confirms your reservation.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS November 30, 2023
Shorebirds Conservation
Teachers on the Estuary Teacher Workshop
Agenda Highlights
Friday, January 12
4:30: arrive at Meridian Dock for a ferry ride to Sapelo Island
5:30: Ferry departs for Sapelo, approx. 20 minutes to island
Dinner
Lecture: Introduction to shorebirds: Identification, Conservation, and Management strategies along the Georgia Coast
Curriculum Activity: How To Build a Shorebird! : morphology & feeding characteristics for long distance migration and feeding strategies
Saturday, January 13
Breakfast
Binoculars 101! Tips for manipulating binoculars and for spotting shorebirds, for beginner birders, but all welcome! Curriculum Activity: Shorebird Profiles
Depart for sandy beach habitat to observe migratory shorebirds; we will also look at available food resources and how birds feed etc.
Lunch
Lecture: The Constraints of Flight: Anatomy and Physiology – Birds Inside and Out & The Freedom of Flight: Migration and Navigation
Depart for the low tide beach to discover what life thrives under the sand and the mud
Free Time
Dinner
Shorebird Feeding Behaviors & Food Resources in the Estuarine Habitat, the “All You Can Eat Buffet” lecture. The three key habitats that shorebirds rely on for feeding will be addressed: the sandy beach, mud flat, and rocky shore habitats, along with invertebrates specific to each habitat and limiting factors for their survival.
Sunday, January 14
Breakfast
Depart for boat excursion through estuary and Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Regional habitat at the Atl Delta to explore protected Shorebird Wintering and Stopover Sites:
Depart for SINERR lab for mud flat and “rocky shore” habitat sampling and invertebrate identification Curriculum Activity “What Can I Eat With This Beak” Bird ID and Observations,
Lunch, wrap up & pack up gear
3:15 Depart for ferry to the mainland, farewells and safe trips home!