South Coast Osprey Project — Get Involved
Want to get involved? You can help the South Coast Osprey Project as a volunteer and/or a platform sponsor!
Volunteer
To learn more about volunteering with the Osprey Project, or to sign up, please contact us.
- Monitor the nesting platforms from land by using your own spotting scope and sending us your observations. (March through September, ongoing)
- Build new platforms according to our interchangeable design to have a stockpile for fast deployment during the narrow window of maintenance; we provide the specifications. (Year-round)
- Participate in work days to repair or replace old platforms in the field—especially if you have a boat! (March, April, September, October)
- Help our outreach team at local events and through various communication channels. (Year-round)
- Give all nesting Ospreys a wide berth when boating or recreating in their habitat; respond to parental distress by retreating until the adults and chicks resume their normal activity.
Sponsor a Platform
By participating in our work as an Osprey nest platform sponsor, you or your designee (if you choose to honor someone else) will:
- Receive periodic updates about the platform you sponsor and the breeding activity of the local Osprey population.
- Receive an end-of-year report that summarizes the season as well as describes highlights and challenges.
- Receive invitations to special opportunities from work events to programs.
- Join a group of important supporters who make it possible for us to:
- Maintain the platforms so they continue to support the next generation of Osprey.
- Monitor breeding successes and failures so we can stay abreast of important threats and trends.
- Contribute to the 50+ year dataset that Gil and Jo Fernandez began as volunteers for US Fish & Wildlife Service, Manomet, and Mass Audubon.
- Connect with researchers to maximize scientific advancement for the benefit of these birds and the coastal environment.
- Inspire young professionals and conduct community outreach to raise awareness about and commitment to healthy habitats and robust wildlife populations.
- Have the option of committing to five years of sponsorship and have a plaque affixed to the platform post.