by Navarre Beach Monitor Kiara Roman Gonzalez

What can community bring to seabird conservation? Reflecting on my time as the Navarre Beach seabird monitor this past summer, working to protect imperiled beach-nesting birds along the Emerald Coast, I found myself appreciating the impacts that community can have on birds like the Least Tern and Black Skimmer.

Throughout the nesting season, I had the pleasure of interacting with people from all walks of life, most showing compassion and curiosity for these birds — some locals, others only visiting for a short time. My shirt with the message across the back reading “Ask Me About the Birds” invited beachgoers to approach me with their questions. They asked where the birds came from, why they chose this specific spot to nest, whether they are always here, and what made the area so special to them.…