Audubon Louisiana is looking for volunteers this weekend to help protect and monitor beach-nesting birds, and repair protective fencing that was damaged during Tropical Storm Cindy. The recent storm, combined with the larger Fouth of July beach crowds, put the surviving birds and nests at much higher risk for disturbance. 

You can help! We need volunteers to assist our coastal technicians with: 

• Removing damaged fencing
• Installing new signs and posts
• Protecting and monitoring beach-nesting birds and chicks

How to help:

• If you are interested in volunteering in Cameron Parish (Holly Beach) this weekend, contact Katie Barnes, kbarnes@audubon.org, for more information.
• If you are interested in volunteering in Grand Isle, contact Melinda Averhart, maverhart@audubon.org, for more information.

You can also help by following, and sharing, Audubon's tips for being a bird-friendly beachgoer:

• Respect posted areas, even if you don’t see birds inside them. Birds, eggs and nests are well camouflaged in the sand and grasses, and a single disturbance can cause the abandonment of an entire colony.
• Give islands with nesting colonies in our bays and estuaries a wide berth, and when fishing, be sure not to leave any equipment behind. Fishing line can tangle birds and other wildlife, causing them to starve or drown.
• Avoid disturbing groups of birds. If birds take flight or appear agitated, you are too close.
• Refrain from walking dogs or allowing cats to roam freely on beaches during the nesting season. If you must walk your dog on beaches, always keep them on a leash and away from the birds.
• Do not bury or leave trash, picnic leftovers, charcoal or fish scraps on the beach. They attract predators of chicks and eggs, such as crows, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and Laughing Gulls.
• Leave the fireworks at home and attend an official display instead. Impromptu fireworks can have catastrophic effects for vulnerable chicks and eggs.

Hope to see you on the beach!