Scott Hecker, director of coastal bird conservation for the National Audubon Society, will speak on how the Piping Plover has come to play a lead role in the conservation of barrier beaches and other beach-nesting birds.

In his presentation, "The Piping Plover as an Umbrella Species for Barrier Beach Ecosystems," Hecker will focus on the success of conservation efforts in Massachusetts and how those efforts are now being applied to other regions and species nationwide.

Hecker, who lives in Duxbury, started the National Audubon Society's conservation program for beach-nesting birds in 2003. The national program is modeled after the Massachusetts Audubon Society's coastal waterbird protection program, which he oversaw for 16 years.

Biography

From 1984 to 2003 Mr. Hecker worked for the Massachusetts Audubon Society where he directed the Coastal Waterbird Program, co-directed the Massachusetts Important Bird Area Program, and assisted with the development of the Programme for Belize. In 1987 he completed a Master of Sciences degree in Resource Management from Antioch University, which focused on the conservation of wetlands in Belize, Central America. In 1998 his work in Massachusetts was recognized with a “Coastal Visionary Award” from the Gulf of Maine Council. His articles, photographs, and artwork have appeared in the publications of Audubon, the National Geographic Society, and the National Park Service. He lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts.