Raised to Be Wild

Amidst the shores of the five great lakes, camouflaged by the pebble-peppered sand, an adorable big-eyed bird scrapes a nest on the beach. This robin-sized shorebird has a plaintive, musical call, hence the name "Piping Plover." The Great Lakes Piping Plover is endangered. About 17 pairs of Great Lakes Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus: subspecies C. m. circumcinctus) existed in 1986, all breeding in Michigan when the plovers were listed as federally endangered. Some people thought it was hopeless when that number decreased to 12 pairs. However, researchers and biologists collaborated to devise protective measures to increase the population of this species threatened with extinction. One innovative strategy is raising captive-bred chicks and releasing them near wild plovers, who quickly bond. This story was inspired by "Little Cooper", a captive-reared Great Lakes piping plover who lived 8 years migrating from Michigan to Florida to Ontario and successfully fathered numerous chicks. The book lets you share a journey with another captive-reared chick, "BroBob", starting with his egg rescue, incubation, captive-rearing, banding, introduction to wild plover chicks, migration, breeding, and parenting adventures and challenges. In addition, the unique contributions of the conservation team members are highlighted as their achievements matter in BroBob's life. Now, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team, BroBob's epic story has been repeated many times, as Great Lakes Piping Plovers have more than tripled their population to 80 pairs (2023), and now breed across all five great lakes. This conservation success story shows we can save endangered, migratory shorebirds, and continue to share the shore with some of the most threatened birds on earth.