Volunteers in Riverview, Florida were shelling out to create a new habitat for birds during a recent volunteer day. According to Tampa Bay Online, Audubon of Florida Gulf Coast Ecosystem and Tampa Bay Watch have teamed up to rebuild 200 feet of reef near Green Key in Tampa Bay, and volunteers have been filling mesh bags with oyster shells to form an "oyster bar" as the base of the reef.The area under reconstruction is critical for nesting birds, but much of the suitable habitat has been lost to erosion. Birds such as the roseate spoonbill, reddish egret and American oystercatcher were forced to relocate for nesting, but it is hoped that rebuilding the reef will provide a new foraging area. The project is funded by Restore America's Estuaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Restoration Center and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, but it is the volunteers who are doing the heavy labor to make the new reef a reality.
For more information or to learn how to get involved in similar projects, visit Tampa Bay Watch.
Reddish Egret
Photo © New Jersey Birds
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