Audubon Florida is applauding the National Park Service for their planned addition of speed humps at Gulf Islands National Seashore. These vehicular speed reduction devices will be installed in critical shorebird nesting areas over the coming month.

“Slower cars and more aware drivers means less bird kills,” said Alan Knothe, Audubon Florida’s Northwest Florida Coastal Bird Conservation Coordinator, adding, “both adults and chicks are struck by vehicles each nesting season, and if an adult is killed, its nest fails. We want to make sure that tourists and Floridians recreate in these beautiful natural areas in a safe and enjoyable way.”

There are three main species that nest in the national seashore adjacent to the busy roads: Least Terns (listed as endangered over much of its range), Black Skimmers (Florida listed Species of Special Concern) and Snowy Plovers (Florida listed as threatened).

Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper said, “We are grateful for the leadership shown by the National Park Service to protect wild Florida and our remarkable seashore. Remember, without the birds, it’s just a beach.”

Around a quarter (100 individuals) of all the Snowy Plovers in Florida rely on Gulf Islands National Seashore for nesting. The humps that will be built on Fort Pickens Road and J. Earle Bowden Way will go a long way in ensuring these birds have a chance to fledge.  They will be in place through the end of the breeding season (around mid-August) and then removed until the next year.

Audubon Florida is dedicated to protecting Florida’s natural heritage and helping to connect people to the amazing wildlife at the national seashore and at other locations across the Panhandle. Audubon hosts volunteer bird steward programs and beach ecosystem education classes throughout the year.