Type: report

Article abstract: Over the course of this grant, San Diego Audubon staff, volunteers and partners carried out essential conservation and habitat restoration tasks to support nesting California least terns and MSCP-listed Nuttall’s Acmispon: conducting habitat management events at Mariner’s Point, North Fiesta Island, Stony Point, No Man’s Land and South Shores with thousands of volunteers; refining translocation protocols to establish and maintain a new population of Nuttall’s Acmispon in Mission Bay; supporting predator control efforts through our TernWatchers program to increase California least tern nesting productivity; carrying out research on alternative management efforts to reduce the reliance on herbicides; completing Annual and Long-term Management documents to guide continued nesting success in Mission Bay; engaging with the community about the importance of protecting the endangered California least tern; and supporting threatened sand dune habitat despite the challenges of a pandemic. This project was a success because of the thousands of hours of time donated by our dedicated volunteers, and the sustained support of our partners and other regional experts on California least tern management and invasive plant control. The management plans which were the final products of this grant will support permanent and visionary improvements to the coastal dune habitat in Mission Bay, creating benefits for the bay’s natural resources and the community members who enjoy and appreciate these resources. This project was partially funded by SANDAG TransNet EMP Land Management Grant #5005518