Release originally published by the Town of Hempstead

(LIDO BEACH, NY) - Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura A. Gillen and Clerk Sylvia Cabana joined with Audubon New York and a group of young piping plover loving conservationists from the Brandeis School in Lawrence to launch an awareness campaign about the endangered species that nest on Hempstead Town Beaches.

The fourth grade students placed artistic billboards that they designed in class along sand dunes to alert beachgoers to stay away from piping plover nesting areas.

The town of Hempstead is home to over a dozen nests belonging to the small, federally-protected birds.

“Hempstead’s beaches are among the most beautiful and most visited on Long Island,” said Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen. “This is a great way to learn about coexisting, often literally side-by-side, with our endangered, feathered friends. We are thankful to these students, along with our friends at the Audubon Society, for their efforts to protect these birds.”

“We are tremendously proud of these students for using their artwork to inspire beach-goers to ‘Share the Shore’ with nesting birds,” said Audubon New York Executive Director Ana Paula Tavares. “The Town of Hempstead’s beaches are cherished by the community and incredibly valuable to numerous at-risk birds. We encourage everyone to respect designated nesting areas and learn more about what beach-nesting birds need to safely and successfully fledge their young.”

“These billboards will serve as an important reminder throughout the entire summer season,” concluded Clerk Cabana.