(Event is free but please RSVP)
Your backyard is home to more than 300,000 shorebirds each year. Some travel thousands of miles to rest and refuel here, while others depend on nearby beaches to raise their chicks. These small but powerful travelers face many challenges, and their populations are declining. Protecting the places they rely on takes both regional cooperation and local action.
Manomet’s Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative works to protect key sites along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. In South Carolina, we partner with SC DNR and other collaborators to tag and track Red Knots, study their migration, and support surveys of horseshoe crab spawning and eggs to understand how these food resources contribute to shorebird survival. We also support ecotourism and community education through our Coastal Awareness and Responsible Ecotourism (CARE) program, which helps guides and charter operators strengthen stewardship and coastal pride.
We work with partners across the flyway, including the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative, the Georgia Shorebird Alliance, the South Carolina Shorebird Project, and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Together, we focus on reducing disturbance, addressing impacts from domestic and invasive species, and increasing public awareness through outreach and education.
On Hilton Head, we’ve been grateful to learn from local partners and are truly in awe of the work Hilton Head Audubon has done over the years, from creative public messaging to community bird walks and inspiring outreach campaigns. We’re excited to learn even more and connect with members to support shorebird programs and ongoing campaigns for these birds. We will also share information about our work with the Town of Hilton Head Island related to the beach renourishment project now underway, and how this collaboration can help support shorebird habitat and reduce disturbance during construction and beyond.
Join us to learn more about the shorebirds that rely on the South Carolina and Georgia coast, hear updates from ongoing projects, and explore how we can work together to protect these incredible birds. We welcome partnerships, collaboration, and support for efforts at key sites like Fish Haul Beach Park, where local involvement makes a meaningful difference.
Bio:
Allie Hayser is a shorebird biologist with Manomet’s Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative, where she works along the South Carolina and Georgia coast to support shorebird conservation through research, outreach, and community partnerships. Her work focuses on reducing disturbance to migrating shorebirds, understanding the connection between shorebirds and horseshoe crab populations, supporting ecotourism through science-based education, and developing stewardship programs that build local pride and engagement.
She leads monitoring and disturbance surveys at key coastal sites, collaborates with researchers studying Red Knots, Whimbrels, and other migrants, and creates educational materials and signage to help communities better understand the birds that rely on these beaches. Allie also coordinates volunteer programs and partners with schools, nonprofits, and ecotourism guides to strengthen awareness and support for coastal conservation.
A Tybee Island native, she has worked with sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, and coastal wildlife programs across the United States and is passionate about helping communities feel connected to shorebirds and the habitats we all share.
