With only around twenty breeding pairs of piping plovers in all of Ontario, protecting this special indicator species is critical to the health and biodiversity of provincial beaches, and Wasaga happens to be the single-most successful nesting site for this endangered bird. Each year, sections of Beach Area 1 are fenced off and monitored over the course of the summer while the birds claim the sand dunes as their own to hatch and raise their young. Healthy plovers mean healthy beaches, and biologists at Birds Canada credit the success of the nesting site here to the abundance of food and resources, quality rack line, and clean shores.

Ploverpalooza invites beachgoers to visit the Piping Plover Hut stationed near the site to learn more about the birds’ habitat, life cycle, threats, and conservation efforts. Representatives from Birds Canada and Ontario Parks are onsite to answer questions and engage with the larger community visiting the beach to raise awareness about the nesting site as well as instil a greater appreciation for piping plovers and their role within the ecosystem. For more information, visit https://wasagabeachpark.com/ploverpalooza/