Huguenot Memorial Park Adapts to Protect Nesting Birds

Huguenot Memorial Park is a essential Northeast Florida nesting website for coastal birds, together with Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls. Hundreds of birds nest right here every year, usually on the north finish of the park. Widespread for beachgoers as effectively, park managers often shut a number of the seashore to autos throughout nesting season to permit chicks protected entry to the water.

2024: A PROBLEM EMERGES

In 2024, nesting shifted considerably south of the standard closed space, which meant the birds moved into areas the place autos drive and park as they moved from the dunes to the water. Tragically, greater than 40 birds perished on account of automobile strikes. Moreover, the scenario highlighted limits of counting on historic nesting patterns to information protections.

2025: A TURNAROUND

 “The park employees and metropolis workers deserve large kudos as they labored on completely different methods to assist the hen households,” explains Northeast Florida Coverage Affiliate Chris Farrell. They labored with Audubon and employed adjusted administration methods to guard the birds the place they determined to nest. One other large shout out to our Audubon volunteer stewards — you performed an necessary function in each safeguarding the birds and speaking to seashore customers about easy methods to share the shore.

The protected space was expanded to incorporate new nesting areas, reaching roughly 450 toes past the standard closure. Plus, a seasonal protecting “field” was added alongside the dunes to increase protections to the south utilizing a “shifting field” strategy — particularly on weekends — so safety might shift as birds and chicks moved. Regulation enforcement companions actively intervened when wanted, stopping site visitors to permit chicks protected passage to the shoreline. Extra posted areas had been created when flightless chicks moved outdoors designated zones.

The consequence? Higher safety for the birds. Displays and stewards recorded solely 17 hen fatalities in 2025 from automobile strikes.

LOOKING AHEAD

 The aim, in fact, is to scale back these fatalities to zero. “The 2025 strategy will likely be repeated and refined shifting ahead,” explains Farrell. “We sit up for continued cooperation between Audubon, the Metropolis of Jacksonville, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace — all of which meet as a part of the park’s Shorebird Administration Staff.”

This text initially appeared within the 2025 Coastal Report. Click here to read the full report.