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: 5pm, Friday January 17- Sunday January 19, 4:30pm COST: $215 includes meals, curriculum & resource materials, island accommodations, & ferry
For questions please contact: Georgia Graves at georgiabeachwalk@hotmail.com
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS December 30, 2019
More details and a registration form can be dowloaded here by clicking on the link(s) below.