Social Marketing Campaigns to Protect Beach-Nesting Birds

Hello,
Audubon NC is piloting a social marketing campaign this summer designed to change the behavior of beachgoers whose actions harm beach-nesting birds like Least Terns and Black Skimmers. We and our partners manage many sites in coastal NC where birds nest on beaches that are also popular vacation spots in the summer months. Although our biologists rope off bird nesting areas, post signs asking people to stay out of the areas, and patrol many of these areas while birds are nesting, we still have a problem with people and unleashed dogs entering the nesting areas and disturbing the birds. The disturbance ranges from flushing a few birds off their nests, to disrupting an entire colony and causing chicks or eggs to be harmed by exposure or predators. We plan to conduct a pilot campaign at one or two sites this summer designed to encourage beachgoers to make a commitment to staying out of nesting areas and keeping their dogs on a leash. I wondered if anyone was aware of any successful social marketing campaigns that dealt with this issue or a similar behavioral issue? Thank you!

Ida Phillips
Director of Communications
Audubon NC
United States