From the Georgia Bight to the Big Screen: How Volunteers Can Leverage Unique Skills to Make a Difference for Shorebirds

How do you help more people care about shorebirds? Sometimes, you start with a camera. Read on to learn how a scary movie, two incredibly talented filmmakers, and a historic community theater helped bring Manomet’s work and shorebirds to the big screen!

Along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, people and shorebirds are drawn to the same beaches, inlets, sandbars, and mudflats. A huge part of Manomet’s role is helping people understand why these places matter, including through volunteer Georgia Coastal Bird Ambassadors. These volunteers spend time on the beach talking with visitors, sharing the stories of shorebirds, and encouraging simple actions that give birds the space they need.

Not every volunteer has the time or desire to steward on the beach, though that doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference. People bring hidden talents to conservation: creating hand- painted shorebird signs, developing yoga sequences inspired by bird behavior, or using their knack for organizing an event without losing their minds. Some are talented filmmakers.

One day, after completing shorebird surveys on Hilton Head Island, I made a questionable decision to see a scary movie alone. While nervously waiting alone for the movie to begin, a preview appeared featuring a campaign to protect shorebirds during nesting season from our friends at Hilton Head Audubon. It sparked an idea: Could we create something like this for communities with year-round tourism and high visitation, like Tybee Island, and help more people understand the importance of the Georgia Bight?

Through our local partners at Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers, I met Rachel and Tim Arnold of Shimmy Creative, two incredible filmmakers, storytellers, and nature heroes. They volunteered their time and talents to bring this idea to life. I brought them into the field to share the science, life histories, and conservation efforts behind these birds, and they used their incredible filmmaking, storytelling, and connection to nature to create a documentary-style short about the Georgia Bight’s shorebirds.

The Short Film

Shorebirds can be very picky about where they stop. They need the right habitat, enough food, and a safe place to rest without being disturbed. The film introduces viewers to Tybee’s North Beach Wildlife Beach Area, explains why Tybee, nearby Little Tybee, and other important sites throughout the Georgia Bight matter, and shares simple ways beachgoers can enjoy the coast while giving birds the space they need.

Rachel and Tim shared why they wanted to volunteer their talents for the project:

“We’re excited to volunteer our time with Manomet to create visual storytelling that expands the reach of its mission. As filmmakers, we believe deeply in the importance of protecting our natural ecosystems, and this opportunity allows us to learn more while inspiring our Tybee community to become better stewards of birds and the coastal environment they depend on.

We also see this project as the beginning of something larger. It has the potential to grow into a documentary or series exploring the Georgia Bight, highlighting the ecological significance of this remarkable region and the people working to protect it.”

Rachel and Tim also created versions of the film for Manomet to share on social media, on websites, and through educational programs. Though made for Tybee audiences, its message extends across the Georgia Bight, reaching residents and visitors who may never have attended a bird walk or talked with a steward.

This is just the beginning! Rachel and Tim are already looking ahead to a full seasonal series, with a new short playing at the Tybee Post Theater as different shorebirds arrive each season. We hope the series will keep people connected to the birds sharing our beaches and teach them how to be good friends to birds throughout the year. We are so grateful to the Tybee Post Theater for giving these films and our shorebirds a place on the big screen!

Have you thought about how you can bring your talents into shorebird conservation? Volunteers don’t have to fit a single predefined role; we can build opportunities around what you already know, enjoy, and do well. You could crochet, write, film, paint, build, photograph, talk, dance, or sing. You could even dress up like a bird and throw an event! If ever in doubt, please dress up as a bird! It’s always a hit!

If you’d like to join the Georgia Coastal Bird Ambassadors, get in touch with me at [email protected]. Let’s find a way for you to help shorebirds!

Special Thanks

A very special thank you to Rachel Arnold and Tim Arnold of Shimmy Creative for donating their time, creativity, curiosity, and incredible storytelling talents to this project. We are also grateful to local partners including Tybee Clean Beach, Hilton Head Audubon, and the Tybee Post Theater for helping shorebird conservation take flight and giving shorebirds a place on the big screen.