The purpose of this grant project is to promote the conservation of waterbirds by protecting nesting and foragingareas, monitoring productivity and population statuses, and providing guidance to…

The purpose of this grant project is to promote the conservation of waterbirds by protecting nesting and foragingareas, monitoring productivity and population statuses, and providing guidance to land managers and the public.for seabirds and shorebirds, scdnr will post nesting closures and educational signs at up to 30 sites, monitorfor evidence of violations on scdnr properties, provide technical assistance to island and beach owners on how toconserve seabirds and shorebirds, and engage property managers to assist with all these activities. In addition, nest counts will be completed from the ground and from aerial photography at 20 or more sites. Potential pebbledroof nesting sites will be identified and educational material provided pre-nesting season to managers on how toprotect nesting least terns. Roofs will be augmented with ledges and shade to improve reproductive success.breeding presence and reproductive success will be documented to improve the following years management. Scdnr will coordinate volunteers who conduct international shorebird surveys (ISS), by providing classroom(identification, data entry, etc.) and onsite training. Scdnr staff will participate in a limited number of ISS.scdnr will also coordinate surveys for migratory shorebirds at key sites.for wading birds, nesting counts will be conducted from the ground and from aerial photography. All known activewood stork colonies will be surveyed. At least 10 colonies will be surveyed each year. Wood stork nesting successwill be monitored at index colonies throughout the breeding season and additional aerial and or ground surveysconducted late during the nesting season at active colonies. Probable causes of nesting failure will beidentified if storks do not nest successfully. At least 3 index colonies will be monitored each year and at LEAST10 colonies will be resurveyed (march august). Aerial surveys of a subset of wading bird colonies will beconducted annually. Data will be provided by request to permit reviewers, land use planners, conservationeasement advocates, landowners, and other agencies and individuals who are interested in considering wading birdconservation in their land use decisions. At least 25 colonies will be surveyed each year. (april june).outreach and communication with the conservation community will be in the form of conducting workshops, creatingpress releases and presentations, attending scientific meetings, participating in research, serving on steeringcommittees, advising graduate students, and producing reports and publications. Staff will respond to requestsfrom the public for guidance about best practices. Scdnr will update WMA and refuge managers about nesting andmigration timing to facilitate impoundment management to benefit waterbirds during critical periods.