Dear PiPl Friends,

Thank you to all our Piping Plover ambassadors, volunteers, shorebird organizations, film donors, and well-wishers. Your kind support over the years for both our volunteer program and film project is so very greatly appreciated.

We have many people and conservation organizations to be thankful for, especially here in Massachusetts, where we are at the forefront of Piping Plover recovery. Organizations such as Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program, Mass Wildlife, Trustees of Reservations, and Essex County Greenbelt Association have created stellar programs to help protect , monitor, and engage in our communities. Nationwide, Piping Plovers were once on the brink of extinction. In 1986, there were fewer than 200 pairs breeding in Massachusetts. Preliminary data from MassWildlife reports that there were 1,196 nesting pairs in 2024, a whopping 500 percent increase from 1986. PiPl recovery is not as bright in other regions as it is in Massachusetts. Plovers are counting on Massachusetts peoples and programs!

We have new and expanded Plover projects and programs planned for the coming year and more good news to share for our forthcoming documentary. If you are interested in becoming a Piping Plover Ambassador, please leave a comment or email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com.

Wishing us all peace and joy and more conservation success stories in the coming New Year!

Warmest wishes,

Kim