We will ride to the Rockaways and the Breezy Point Tip and meet with a New York City Plover Project volunteer "Ambassador" (and 5BBC member) Linda Ewing. We will loop by riding over the Crossbay Bridge and return to Brooklyn via the Marine Parkway Bridge.

Because of the impact of global warming and encroaching development on nesting areas, there are only about 8000 piping plovers left on earth. Some (fewer than 100) spend their summers right here in New York City. They are in the Rockaways now and will stay until they migrate to the Bahamas and southeastern U.S. in the fall.

The NYC Plover Project works with the National Park Service to protect piping plovers. (https://nycploverproject.org) Linda will explain the piping plovers’ migration and nesting, how habitat degradation affects their breeding, how the Plover Project works to protect them, and can answer questions about plovers and other shore birds. We will see their nesting areas and look for young plovers and their parents. We will have binoculars so we can keep a safe distance from the birds. Because many chicks are mature enough to fly, they might not be home when we come by, but we will have a chance to view other shorebirds on our stop.

We will stop for lunch in Broad Channel or you can bring your own. All riders should bring a helmet, mask, hydration, hand sanitizer/wipes, a spare tube, sunscreen, and a bike in good condition, as well as being familiar with the current criteria for riding with the Club.

[This ride was initially scheduled to take place on 8/12/21 but has been rescheduled to 8/16/21 because of the excessive heat warning issued for August 12th.]