Partner Spotlight – Western Snowy Plover Recovery Program at the Santa Barbara Zoo

Kristen Wieners - April Speaker

We are excited to welcome Kristen Wieners, Zoological Manager at the Santa Barbara Zoo, as our featured speaker on April 8 2025. Kristen will be sharing insights into the Zoo’s critical role in the recovery of the federally threatened western snowy plover through their innovative chick-rearing program.

At Ormond Beach, we actively monitor nests throughout the snowy plover breeding season. Occasionally, we encounter nests that have been abandoned, often due to adverse weather conditions or other environmental challenges. Without intervention, the eggs would not survive. In such critical instances, we collaborate with the Santa Barbara Zoo to provide the eggs with a chance for survival. On one occasion, photo below, a nest was buried by wind-blown sand and subsequently abandoned.

Snowy plover nest before and after wind event that buried the eggs

Due to swift organization, we obtained emergency authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to collect the eggs. Once we confirmed the Zoo's ability to accommodate them, our team carefully gathered the eggs and quickly transported them to the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Kat Whitehouse and Cynthia Hartley collecting snowy plover eggs to take to the Santa Barbara zoo

Once at the Zoo, the eggs are incubated until hatching. The chicks are then raised in an outdoor pen designed to simulate natural conditions. When they reach fledgling age, they are banded for tracking and released back into the wild. Photos from a recent release show fledglings—hatched from Ormond Beach eggs—taking their first steps toward life on the coast.

Ormond plover on release day - band combo pink, yellow: violet White

Ormond plover on release day - band combo pink, yellow: violet green

This partnership is a powerful example of collaboration across organizations to support species recovery. Please join us on April 8 to hear more about this important conservation effort from Kristen and the team at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Visit our program speaker page for information on attending in person or via Zoom.

See you there!