Conservation Series – Hooded Plovers

I’m so proud to release the “Conservation Series – Hooded Plovers.”

It is a truly unique series of products arising from a fantastic local collaboration.

10% of the sale price of each item in this series will be donated to Birdlife Australia towards the conservation of the endangered Hooded Plover.

The use of the reusable beeswax wraps also serves to reduce our plastic pollution and lessen our supply chain impact for the benefit of our environment.

I plan to release other spotlight species in my Conservation Series going forward and welcome your input as to which species you’d like to form the basis of my work.

The collaboration

This series represents the local collaboration of: –

• Kassandra Carlson (Bellarine Bee Wraps) – environmental textile artist;
• Carole Poustie – loyal customer of Bellarine Bee Wraps, Ocean Grove local, Author, Photographer and member of Bellarine Friends of the Hooded Plover. A market discussion around my wish to use locally sourced fabric with a truly local cause led to Carole offering the use of her beautiful images of the Hooded Plover. Explore Carole’s many talents at http://www.carolepoustie.com.au Read a fantastic article about the endangered Hooded Plovers and Carole’s entwinement with their feathery souls at https://oceangrovecoastcare.org.au/hoodwinked/
• Next State Print – digital fabric printer located in Melbourne specialising in custom printing of natural fabrics who are continually developing and adapting their approach to Sustainability and ethics; and
• Lawrie and Callum Beck (Beck’s Honey, Drysdale) – my local apiarists who supply premium quality, sustainably sourced beeswax

The Cause

Hooded Plovers (Thinornis cucullatus) https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/hooded-plover/

Hooded Plovers were in severe decline until BirdLife Australia began monitoring and investing in conservation actions at breeding sites.

The Hooded Plover recovery program has operated for 16 years across the eastern range of the species and has halted the population decline, driving the recovery of the Victorian population from around 500 birds to over 700 birds.

Breeding success is improving: fledging rates at some sites rose from 2% up to 50%

Beach-nesting birds lay their eggs directly on the beach. Unless we can protect their habitats and give them some undisturbed space to raise a family, our beach-nesting birds will become extinct.

BirdLife Australia takes the lead in coordinating and delivering:

• On-ground Actions: physical protection of the nest and chick sites, predator control and weed control.

• Citizen science monitoring and conservation participation: recruiting, training, mentoring and supporting volunteers to play a critical role in recovery collecting enough information to understand and protect the birds given their wide distribution and lengthy breeding season.

• Research: for gaps that might limit conservation success, and solutions to mitigating threats, including social research to better understand people’s attitudes, values and motivations.

• Education: generating behavioural change among beach users to create sustainable behaviours, and among land managers and decision makers to ensure coastal management takes into account the needs of vulnerable birds.

• Advocacy: for improvements to policy, regulation and enforcement, to ensure we do not lose these birds forever.

You can learn more about the work of BirdLife Australia at: –

https://birdlife.org.au/projects/eastern-hooded-plover-project/

You can learn more about the needs of beach-nesting birds at:- https://birdlife.org.au/programs/beach-nesting-birds/