​Program Description: Ventura Audubon is excited to present this month’s speaker, Kristen Wieners from the Santa Barbara Zoo. Kristen will discuss the zoo’s Snowy Plover rearing and release program. Our nest monitoring team at Ormond Beach occasionally finds buried or abandoned plover nests. In the past, these nests were lost, but since the zoo began its program to hatch and rear plover eggs, we've been able to rescue eggs that would otherwise be unrecoverable. Our team has successfully submitted several clutches to the zoo, with nearly all of them being released as fledgling snowy plovers. 

Kristen will explore the Santa Barbara Zoo’s role in Western Snowy Plover conservation, including how the zoo became involved in the recovery effort. She will discuss the program’s implementation, highlighting key successes in hatching and releasing plovers. Additionally, we will share how the zoo engages guests and students through education and outreach to raise awareness about this threatened species.