SAN DIEGO—
More than 30 signs created by children line Silver Strand State Beach in hopes to spread a message about the increasing number of endangered plants and animals.Camille Armstrong, a local conservationist, said San Diego County has more endangered plants and animals than any other county in the United States. She added that the plovers were one of the threatened animals.
Hundreds of thousands plovers used to roam the Southern California beaches, but now, there are only a couple thousand of them.
Kaelin Washington, 12, hoped to help save little snowy plovers that have made the sand dunes home along the Silver Strand beach. Washington was one of five San Diego sixth graders that won an art contest inspired to protect threatened wildlife.
"I wrote, 'stay out of the dunes,' because when you go on the dunes there could be eggs or there could be birds there and you could kill them," said Washington. "It makes me feel good because I can help save other animals or other living things."
"[The birds] weigh about as much as a piece of bread," said Armstrong, who works for the San Diego Audubon Society, a local non-profit agency protecting local wildlife. The Audubon Society sponsored the children's art contest.
The children apparently left an impression on some beach goers Thursday, according to Armstrong.
"Many people came by and said, 'Oh my, we love this art, wow, the kids did this,'" she said.
