WildLife Guards

Our Goals

Connecting high school students to the outdoors, introducing them to careers in conservation, and helping build their professional/academic skills.

What We’re Doing

Through this paid, part-time job, students gain valuable career experience and receive a unique education focused on wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, and public outreach.

A group of people stand on a beach and observe something in the distance.

WildLife Guards are an invaluable team of paid high school students supporting shorebird and seabird conservation during the busy summer months. Our crews assist ̽��ѡ scientists and Connecticut state biologists in our shared efforts to protect state and federally-listed bird species such as the Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, and Common Tern.

Students engage with beach visitors, monitor wildlife, and conduct site-specific land management all in their local communities while also learning about the many different aspects of avian conservation.

The WildLife Guards program began in 2012 in Bridgeport, CT, as part of the re-opening of Pleasure Beach to the general public. To this day, local students employed through the WildLife Guards program serve as that park’s official beach-nesting bird monitors and also help other local environmental organizations with priority habitat stewardship throughout the City.

In 2017, the WildLife Guards program expanded to Sandy Point Beach and Bird Sanctuary through a new partnership with the City of West Haven.

Featuring the WildLife Guards

The Wildlife Guards of Pleasure Beach

The Wildlife Guards of Pleasure Beach

̽��ѡ Connecticut's WildLife Guards program trains high school students to be conservation stewards in their urban communities.

̽��ѡ in Action

Wildlife Guards Advocate for Birds, on Beaches and in the General Assembly

Wildlife Guards Advocate for Birds, on Beaches and in the General Assembly

A productive month for ̽��ѡ Connecticut's high school-age shorebird stewards, both on and off the beach.

Top tips from the WildLife Guards! Here is the advice they give beachgoers during migration and nesting seasons:

Time your beach walks for low tide. During high tide, our birds have very few places to go and are easily disturbed by people’s presence.
Avoid loud or flying things near nesting areas that shorebirds may perceive as predators, such as drones, fireworks, and kites.
Keep the beach clean. Trash on the beach can entangle birds, be mistaken for food and ingested, and can attract predators.
Check local beach rules. Most beaches are off-limits to dogs, vehicles, and other activities from around April to September. Our preference, in support of nesting shorebirds and their tiny chicks, is for pet owners to avoid beaches altogether. Even the smallest disturbance can draw an adult away from a nest or chick. This exposes the eggs or chicks to fatally high temperatures and drastically increases the risk of predation.

As an added bonus, you can for shorebirds to show your support!