We recently received this letter from a Colleen Kiely, a young Mass Audubon member from Western Massachusetts. Colleen spent her summer at the Cape Cod National Seashore teaching visitors about piping plover conservation as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Scout Award Project. We were so inspired by her story that we wanted to share it far and wide.
Colleen Kiely
My name is Colleen Kiely and I am a senior at Wahconah Regional High School in Berkshire County Massachusetts. My father and I have been members of Mass Audubon for 10 years and enjoy birdwatching and hiking at Pleasant Valley and Canoe Meadows, two beautiful sanctuaries in the Berkshires. Our experiences with Mass Audubon have inspired me to become an environmental activist and protect endangered birds and their habitats.
I have been a Girl Scout for seven years and this year, as an Ambassador Girl Scout, I am completing my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. Last year I volunteered at the Cape Cod National Seashore, teaching vacationers about the protected birds with a Shorebird Exhibit. For my project, “Protecting the Piping Plovers,” I talked to over five hundred vacationers this year at the National Seashore about the shorebird’s conditions, how climate change is affecting the birds, and what they can do to help the Piping Plovers.
Prior to my work on the Cape, I researched the Piping Plovers endangered species status as well as made a new Piping Plover bird model, and included a coloring page for kids, for the Shorebird Exhibit. I also continued my research on the birds throughout the summer to stay up to date on how the shorebirds are doing this year. Through writing this letter, my hope is to spread awareness of the Piping Plovers and encourage others to take action in protecting the birds.
The ways in which you can help include:
- staying out of all marked off areas of the beach
- keeping your pets on a leash
- throwing away all trash
Thank you,
Colleen Kiely
You can learn more about Mass Audubon’s work to protect piping plovers through our Coastal Waterbird Program.
As a life member of Girl Scouts, a recipient of First Class Award in the 1960’s and the mother of 2 Gold Award recipients, I know the hard work that went into this project! As a birder, I love the project! Congratulations on a well-deserved award!
As a long time Girl Scout leader and Audubon member, I congratulate Colleen on achieving her Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Girls are required to devote at least 85 hours to their projects after they complete all the prerequisites and I’m sure Colleen put in more time than that! Our law requires us to make the world a better place and Colleen has done that.
Hi Colleen
I live in Greenfield, MA, and I am impressed by your dedication to a somewhat obscure ocean oriented bird. I moved to western Mass from the Boston area, and I’ve met many people here who aren’t aware of the important issues facing wildlife from Cape Cod because they’ve never been there! Plovers are not considered an important issue for most people.
I have watched the plovers on Head of the Meadow beach in Truro, and on the sections of Coast Guard Beach off of Nauset Marsh every year when I visit. I think their lives are worth saving, and I want to thank you for you important volunteer work.
Hi Colleen Kelly, It was great to read about your project about protecting piping plovers!
This September I was an artist in residence at Fire Island National Seashore off Long Island in New York, and I made some of my artwork about the plight of the piping plovers there too! The Fires Island National Seashore is also protecting the nesting sites of the piping plovers and so I made a couple of piece of my handmade paper artwork about this endangered bird. You can see a Blog post about my artist in residency at Fire Island National Seashore on my Blog at http://janeingramallen.wordpress.com
Thanks again for your great report and congratulations!
Jane Ingram Allen
Great job, Colleen! I agree–Pleasant Valley is a wonderful place to hike and see wildlife.
We’re proud of you, Colleen Kiely! Thank you Mass Audubon for sharing Colleen’s story!