Trucks & Shorebirds don’t mix – time to ban this shameful Florida policy
- Staci-lee Sherwood
- Jul 9
- 8 min read
Updated: Nov 3
By Staci-lee Sherwood
What would summertime be without shorebirds dancing on the sand? Who hasn’t gone to the beach and smiled quietly watching shorebirds skim the water for food or seemingly try to out run the tide as it rolls in? Shorebirds of all species have been around for 10 of millions of years, long before humans showed up. Fossil records estimate that shorebirds made an appearance on Earth about 50 million years ago. Sadly their global population is in decline. While there might be some local increases or new sightings overall shorebirds, and all bird species, are in decline.
Some species like the Red Knot travel over 9000 miles to migrate for winter before returning to the nesting grounds up north. The Black-bellied Plovers also travel a great distance when migrating from their Arctic nesting grounds. Think how you would feel traveling all that distance only to find your water undrinkable and your nesting habitat overrun and unusable? That is the plight of most shorebird species in modern times.
The plight of shorebirds today
Polluted water, Red Tide, Blue-green Algae, cigarette butts, paper trash, fireworks trash, human poop washed back from the ocean where it’s dumped, rotting food, broken glass, impossible to count amount of plastic and micro plastic, loss of food, development, overcrowding of humans, fishing ,natural predators and hurricanes. Just off the top of my head these are the daily obstacles shorebirds that try to nest on beaches face. Some beaches also allow driving cars and trucks.
Most Least Terns, the smallest tern species in the US, nest more on rooftops due to lack of appropriate beach left for them to nest. Their population is in decline and mortality of chicks and fledglings is high. Rooftop nesting is very hot, open and dangerous as both eggs and chicks can end up falling on the ground. It’s not a viable solution but an indication of how bad things have gotten though few know about this. Other shorebird species are choosing to try nesting on rooftops as well or leave their historical nesting grounds for better places.
Royal Tern mom and chick trying to stay cool
Click here to read more about Least Terns https://www.realitycheckswithstacilee.com/post/for-shorebirds-like-the-least-terns-rooftop-nesting-is-a-survival-necessity
A Sandwich Tern chick resting in the heat
Click here to read about many other issues facing our shorebirds. https://www.realitycheckswithstacilee.com/post/crowds-condos-and-trash-take-their-toll-on-beach-nesting-shorebirds
A Laughing Gull chick wonders the beach freely
Shorebirds & cars don’t mix
On a recent trip to northeast Florida I was stunned at how many cars and trucks were allowed to drive on beaches. The damage done to the beach itself by the heavy weight of vehicles has been proven . We can see it but those in power, whether the local or state government, dismiss the damage in favor of the money they generate from entrance and parking fees. The damage done to nesting shorebirds is swept under the carpet as they lie to the public. When officials are contacted with photographs and videos by eye witnesses they are either ghosted or placated until ignored.
Most beaches don’t allow driving but some do. Beach driving here in Florida is allowed on some beaches from Ormond to Jacksonville. It’s all about money and nothing else.
According to the FWC, “Operating vehicles, including ATVs, on the beach can destroy wildlife habitat and be harmful or fatal to wildlife. This is one reason that, in many areas, beach-driving is strictly prohibited year-round to all but authorized personnel.”
I spoke with Hailey Dedmon from FWC who said “Fwc and Audubon have started working with the park because we have had issues in the past couple of years where we were getting reports of a high amount of royal tern chicks that were being run over and some of them were flight capable so that’s an indication of people driving way too fast out there. Sometimes that place looks like a parking lot and not really a beach…..” She said this year they had 2 confirmed birds die from being run over which is less than previous years of double digit death by cars.
When asked about driving on the beach, which destroys the beach as well being a danger to nesting birds Hailey said “One thing I know won’t ever happen is them eliminating beach driving at that park ….summer is a challenging time because they have thousands of cars come into the park every day “ she said they assigned Jacksonville sheriff officers to enforce the critical wildlife area 5 mile hour speed limit. She said that wasn’t something they could do, but fwc does have hundreds of law enforcement officers so one has to ask why doesn’t the state conservation agency actively enforce the laws of conservation? When I was there in early July at the height of nesting I didn’t see anyone but 2 Audubon volunteers helping the birds, no officers in sight.
I asked why can’t the park just block off the north end for 3 months from any driving ….”that is not a discussion that I would say the city is wiling to have I would say mostly because of revenue loss for the park and also because it’s been established there for so long…… but from their point of view the public backlash they would receive and would probably not get approved by the city board that is their top reasoning for not closing down and decreasing driving on the beach. Just to clarify the state agency with a budget over $100,000,000 can’t tell a city to shut down beach driving for 3 months in an area they designated as critical wildlife because the city would complain about loss of parking fees. Is it a coincidence that fwc commissioner Sonya Rood, trophy hunter, lives in nearby St. Augustine and probably quietly told her neighboring city to not worry about it?
Seems like Huguenot Beach got a free pa$$ because driving should be banned there during nesting season.
Terrible examples of CONservation
Huguenot Memorial Park is the type of place that could and should, but isn’t, be a haven for wildlife. The park is overrun with people to the tune of over 400,000 visitors a year. The constant barrage of trucks driving makes life for tiny shorebirds nearly impossible. As beach habitat gets more developed more contaminated and more crowded shorebirds have nowhere else to go. Birds appeared on planet Earth long before humans did but we are the only cause of their decline and ultimate extinction.
As we destroy their beach and ocean we also destroy it for ourselves. Such stupidity is often found in those that call themselves Mayor, Governor and President.
Royal Terns escort their chicks, often in a mixed groups with other chicks close in age called a crèche, down to the water. This family has to navigate cars, trucks, fishermen and crowds.
I sent the following to the Mayor of Jacksonville, Donna Deegan and all 13 Council members, her executive assistant and district managers. I never heard back from any of them only the park Director Daryl Joseph. At first he said he was open to meeting on the beach, after responding back what day and time never heard back. Clearly beach protection for the beach park director isn’t a priority.
Mayor Deegan,
We were at the Huguenot Memorial Park last Sunday June 22, 2025 and were shocked and appalled at the hundreds of cars and trucks driving all over the beach. This is anything but family friendly. Furthermore we couldn’t help but notice dead shorebirds in the ‘critical wildlife area’ that appeared to have been run over.
I spent 11 years working with sea turtles for FWC and we would NEVER allow driving anywhere for any reason during nesting season. It’s outrageous you allow this, especially for someone who says they live on the beach with their family. Is disrespect of wildlife how you raise your children? Is this all about money as we were told by several disgusted people on the beach.
While there we saw numerous trucks driving where endangered chicks (Royal and Sandwich Terns and Laughing Gulls) were nearly run over as they desperately looked for shade, their parents and a safe place away from the throngs of people.
Is THIS how Jacksonville and you as Mayor see conservation or is it just a con? The signs claim ‘CRITICAL WILDLIFE AREA’ but if that is true why all the trucks? I took photos of the disgrace and particularly hilarious is the warning sign to stay away. We assume this is all a façade as actions show true nature.
We saw the following in the 4 hours we were there:
Jet skis launched right in the water at the end of north point, supposedly the closed off area to vehicles
Fishing off the beach near young children wearing floats that are easily hooked by fishing hooks
Stranded shorebird chicks
Shorebird chicks under cars seeking shade because not enough pallets are out
Shorebird families trying to navigate how to bring their chicks to the water without being run over
Hundreds of cars making the beach anything but enjoyable
Trash all over the place where people had left after cooking
Not only does this show blatant disregard for endangered wildlife but for the people as well. How can you explain any of this when it shows Florida and Jacksonville to NOT be a place where anyone would want to spend money. There were 3 amazing women there, all volunteers, trying to save the nesting birds from being run over. I’m sure it’s a thankless job though they were truly the best example of people on the beach that day.
We would hope you have a moment of decency and compassion and ban all vehicular traffic at the point where nesting begins. It’s HARDLY a hardship and as you know people will obey the law when a real leader sets it down. Imagine how YOU would feel as a mother desperately trying to raise your young with little shade and a life threatening path to food and water. I'm SURE you would hope for help from someone with compassion. That is what we ask for those that cannot speak for themselves.
I look forward to hearing back from you and positive news about the beach asap.
Have a wonderful day,
Staci-lee Sherwood
Pictures speak a thousand words and these don’t need any explaining. Imagine how you would feel trying to raise young without being driven over. You would not survive long and no doubt want to call for help. Unlike humans the animals have no voice so they are dependent on the kindness of strangers. But time is running out.
This was not a holiday just a typical day at Huguenot Beach
How many people do you think will check under the car before leaving at the end of the day?
This little chick is easily overlooked, he’s probably trying to find his mom and food.
These trucks drove into the shallow water to unload their jet skis. Despite the signs and orange cones they drove through unfettered into what the sign claims is ‘critical wildlife area’
A sign without enforcement is a fraud and sham
How you can help
Contact the following to ask that the driving on the beach cease and if they can’t do that at least BAN all vehicles t the point where shorebirds nest. The colonies are visible and roped off with caution tape easy to see.
Daryl Joseph, Director, Dept Parks, Recreation & Community Services djoseph@coj.net (904) 255-790
Mayor Donna Deegan MayorDonnaDeegan@coj.net
All 13 council members & dist mgrs.
Speak for the voiceless. The shorebirds thank you
Also published on The Good Men Project August 25, 2025
I’m appalled by the conditions described at Huguenot Memorial Park, where hundreds of vehicles trample nesting grounds of endangered shorebirds like Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls. Dead chicks, ignored signs, and rampant trash reveal a shameful disregard for wildlife. Jacksonville’s leaders, including Mayor Deegan, must ban beach driving during nesting season and enforce conservation laws. This isn’t just negligence—it’s a betrayal of our environment and future. Act now to protect these vulnerable species!