Fairy terns saved by volunteers

The Point Walter fairy tern colony has been saved by a group of dedicated volunteers

What started off as a promising nesting season for the Point Walter fairy tern colony with 240 nests counted at the end of January, quickly dissipated to around 100 nests within a week. Initially, reserachers and volunteers found evidence of human and dog activity on the sandbar which was fenced off to prevent access. We soon found out that a fox had also been accessing the sandbar at low tide and was likely responsible for the sharp decline in the nests. Researcher Dr Claire Greenwell and a team of volunteers sprung into action to take shifts guarding the sandbar in the early hours of the morning for the rest of the nesting season. This mammoth effort resulted in the success of 60 fledglings, which departed the sandbar at the beginning of March. A wonderful result considering how close we were to losing the entire colony this season. What a wonderful example of the power of community and the impact volunteers’ have in wildlife conservation.

Find out more about the importance of the Point Walter site and what you can do to help this vulnerable species here and read the DBCA Fairy Tern fact sheet here.