Behind the volunteers: The people protecting Chicago’s endangered piping plovers

Eden Essex and her partner, Daniel Eastman, have long dedicated Saturday evenings throughout the summer to their "date night with the plovers."

As the birds' monitors, they regularly don bright orange shirts and settle in at Montrose Beach to watch over Chicago's piping plovers.

"We love watching the birds, but we also love sharing that joy with others," Essex said.

Essex and Eastman were among the first monitors to sign up in 2019 when piping plovers returned to Chicago's beaches.

Piping plovers had not been seen in Chicago since 1955 when a pair of plovers — who were later named Monty and Rose — began nesting at Montrose Beach. Since then, plovers have returned each year.

The pair’s arrival sparked conservation efforts, leading to increased monitoring and habitat protection. Plovers that nest in Chicago and Waukegan are part of the Great Lakes population — one of three distinct populations in North America.

Essex and Eastman didn't have birding backgrounds — Essex works for a nonprofit medical society, Eastman in publishing — but they have always been passionate about conservation and wildlife and had previously monitored peregrine falcons. Eastman, who spent some time in Boston, fell in love with piping plovers there.

"There’s something special about these birds. They’re so small, so vulnerable, and yet they travel incredible distances and return year after year," Essex said of the piping plovers. "Once you start watching them, you can’t help but care."

Piping plovers are small, sand-colored shorebirds that nest on open beaches. The Atlantic and Great Plains populations are classified as threatened (likely to become endangered), while the Great Lakes population is endangered (in danger of extinction).

In the 1980s, the Great Lakes population comprised about 1,000 pairs. Last year, about 80 pairs nested in the region. The population remains far from stable, and at least 150 pairs are needed for it to be considered self-sustaining, according to Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for the Chicago Piping Plovers group.

"So, we still have a long way to go," she said.

As the end of winter approaches, piping plovers will soon return to their nesting grounds in Chicago, which means monitors are finishing their preparations and new members are being trained.

During nesting season, usually May until August, over 100 volunteers take turns working in two-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., keeping an eye on the birds, ensuring their nesting sites remain undisturbed and engaging with the public.

Itani describes the role as equal parts protector and educator.

"Most people don’t set out to disturb the plovers — they just don’t realize they’re there," Itani said. "So much of our job is about awareness and helping people see what’s right in front of them."

In the fall, after the plovers migrate to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in the United States, monitors help prepare the nesting sites by clearing overgrown vegetation and invasive species across the dunes. The Chicago Park District later removes larger plants to restore the birds’ preferred open sand habitat.

"Every little thing we do — from pulling weeds to picking up trash — adds up," Itani said. "If we don’t prepare the habitat, the birds might not come back."

Monitors ensure that people respect the protected areas, prevent dogs from running into the nesting zones and keep an eye on predatory birds, Itani said.

While monitors cannot intervene in every situation, they serve as the eyes and ears of the agencies that oversee conservation efforts. If a threat arises — like an encroaching storm surge, an injured bird or a predator in the area — they escalate it to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

But being a monitor isn’t always easy. Volunteers endure harsh weather conditions, from scorching heat to sudden downpours.

"We’re in Chicago, so you never know what you’re going to get," Essex said. "One day it’s blazing hot, the next it’s freezing with sideways rain. We’ve monitored in every condition you can imagine — storms, heat waves, even a freak cold snap in June."

Yet the community that has formed around these birds makes the effort worthwhile.

"I never expected to make friends through bird monitoring," Essex said. "But we’ve met some of the most dedicated, kindhearted people doing this work."

For many, witnessing a plover hatch is the highlight of the season. For others, the most rewarding moments come when the plovers fledge, which happens when the young birds grow enough to take their first flights.

"Seeing that first chick break through its shell — it’s magical," Essex said. "You watch them go from being these tiny, fragile things to fully independent birds in just a few weeks. It’s incredible."

Itani, who takes on more shifts than any of the other volunteers, shares special memories of her own.

"One time, I watched a chick take its very first flight," she said. "It wobbled, nearly crashed, but then it got the hang of it. Watching that moment of success never gets old."

The return of piping plovers to Chicago also signifies a healthier, more resilient ecosystem.

"We always say, ‘If the plovers are here, we’re doing something right,’" Itani said. "They wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t a good place to nest."