The 2024 Great Lakes Piping Plover breeding season had a mix of successes including the highest number of pairs since listing in 1986, and challenges including predation and unhatched eggs. The population of this Federally Endangered species is monitored by many partners yearly throughout the Great Lakes at known populations. Audubon Great Lakes and US Fish and Wildlife Service coordinate monitoring and outreach for the population in lower Green Bay, Wisconsin that has been present since 2016 after the creation of suitable habitat due to dredged sand. Piping Plovers successfully reproduced at the site in 2024 for the ninth consecutive year, and attempted to breed at a new site roughly two miles away for the second consecutive year. We will discuss the successes and challenges of the 2024 Great Lakes Piping Plover breeding season throughout the Great Lakes, and share case studies from the lower Green Bay population, including outreach and education strategies at a site with heavy boat and beachgoer traffic vs. at a site that is closed to the public, and preview how future restoration projects could increase habitat for this species in lower Green Bay.
