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Have you ever imagined yoga poses inspired by shorebirds? On Tybee Island, Georgia, that became a reality when Manomet Shorebird Biologist Allie Hayser teamed up with yoga instructor Laurie Kinkel-Dale of Tybee Yoga & Healing Arts, a current volunteer with Manomet’s Georgia Coastal Bird Ambassador program, for a one-of-a-kind event blending bird-inspired movement with coastal conservation.
Laurie created a beautiful yoga sequence rooted in each species’ behavior, life history, and movement, and Allie shared shorebird information and stories from Manomet Conservation Sciences’ work in the Georgia Bight.
Participants flowed through poses inspired by the grounded alertness of the Wilson’s Plover, the bold energy of the American Oystercatcher, the wave-chasing rhythm of the Sanderling, and the curious, fiddler crab–eating nature of the Hudsonian Whimbrel, all species found right on Georgia’s beaches.
The class took place on the far side of the dunes at sunset, near resting Black Skimmers. Willets called overhead, and as the tide came in, Sanderlings chased surf clams along the water’s edge nearby. It was a beautiful reminder that shorebirds are part of the living rhythm of the Georgia coast.
Allie wrapped up the evening with a shorebird talk and an introduction to the Georgia Coastal Bird Ambassador steward program. Laurie, who has been part of the program since its first year, is excited to continue offering these classes as a creative way to help more people notice, celebrate, and protect shorebirds and seabirds.
The Georgia Coastal Bird Ambassador program, managed by Manomet and partners, is a volunteer initiative dedicated to protecting beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds. Ambassadors educate beachgoers on Tybee Island and St. Simons Island to reduce disturbances to species like Piping Plovers and Black Skimmers. The Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative was launched in May 2018 to address specific threats to shorebirds dependent on the southeastern region of the Atlantic Coast. By increasing public, state and federal agency involvement, we strive to build a local, holistic culture of conservation to ensure the region continues to provide the resources necessary to sustain shorebirds year-round.