Habitat Enhancement, Community Engagement, and Use of Motus to Support Western Snowy Plover and California Least Tern Recovery at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Hayward, California
Final Report
Introduction
In 2024, SFBBO, along with H. T. Harvey and Associates (HTH) and Avocet Research Associates Biologist Carleton Eyster (collectively, project members), were awarded Section 6 grant G2398105 through the USFWS and the CDFW to advance the recovery of snowy plovers and least terns in ELER. HTH are a group of professional ecologists that have delivered exceptional consulting services to public agencies, private entities, and nonprofit organizations since 1970. Carleton Eyster is an independent researcher who has been dedicated to snowy plover conservation for the past 30 years.
The purpose behind this grant was to help landowners address the needs of snowy plovers and least terns as tidal marsh restoration activities continue within the Bay Area and ELER. To accomplish this, project members made use of Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) technology to track snowy plovers’ fine-scale movements and habitat use in ELER ponds E14 and E6B. This is the first time that Motus technology has been used on the federally listed snowy plover population and thus represents an important exploratory study. In addition, project members completed multiple other objectives including habitat enhancement, avian predator surveys, management of the South Bay Tern Watch Volunteer Program, and communication with land managers.