Snowy Plover Docent Program

Docent at COPR

The Snowy Plover Docent Program was initiated in August 2001 to “assist the protection of the snowy plovers at Coal Oil Point Reserve, and to raise awareness in the local community of the importance of the preservation of this species and its habitat”. The program recruits, trains, and organizes volunteers to become ambassadors of Sand’s Beach. Each docent plays a crucial role in the protection of the plovers by educating beach users about this threatened species and how to use the beach responsibly. Docents provide a personal and friendly contact for beach users. They promote public interest and understanding, and in turn, dramatically increase the effectiveness of other management efforts, such as signs and barriers. Though a diverse group, we share a common goal: to maintain beach access and recreation for people while preserving and protecting habitat for the snowy plover and other shorebirds.

Snowy Plover in the incubater - about 4 hours old - June 7, 2008

Docent Trainings

Docents are trained to provide education and to protect roosting and nesting plovers at Sand’s beach.

To become a Snowy Plover Docent, one must attend a 6 hour training course. This includes:

2 hour tour of Coal Oil Point Reserve
3 hour classroom-setting instruction
2 hour ‘on-the-beach’ training or practice shift

At the trainning we provide:

DVD featuring Coal Oil Point Reserve's collaborative research projects
Presentation about the biology and ecology of snowy plovers and their local and regional natural history
Instruction about the 2 docent roles: educator and protector
Tips for communicating with the public & role-playing

Training sessions are scheduled once a month. A Snowy Plover Docent Manual, uniform t-shirt, and weekly plover email updates are part of the package.

Once trained, a Docent will commit to a 2-hour shift on the beach every week. During the shift, Plover Docents provide education in the following way:

Interpret Reserve rules for beach users
Share accurate information about plover biology
Help beach goers indentify plovers and other shorebirds
Encourage questions and learning about conservation on all levels

Docents also provide protection for plovers and their chicks and nests. They:

Ensure that the boundaries of the sensitive habitat is respected
Make sure that dogs are with their owners and leashed at all times
Discourage disturbance or depredation by crows and other predators

A basic data form is also completed by each docent throughout each shift.

If you would like to find out more about the Docent Program, or would like to volunteer your time and become a Plover Docent, we would like to hear from you! The more docents we have, the better the chances for the recovery of the plover population at COPR and the species as a whole. If you are interested in becoming involved, but the "docent" work is not for you, please do not be discouraged. There are many other ways to help. There is constant need for community outreach, office assistance, programming, design, and art, to mention only a few.

2010 Training Schedule

How to Edit the Yahoo Groups Docent Calendar

To register, contact Program Coordinator, April Price.
Office: 805-893-3703
copr.conservation@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Docent Documents

Snowy Plover Docent Manual (2.8 MB pdf)

Snowy Plover Docent Program facebook page

Snowy Plover Docent Program Summary 2008 (Powerpoint)

Plover Docent Training Manual (sorry, manual is being updated, ask Jen for the recent version)