OGUNQUIT — In late April, Maine Audubon reported that several piping plover nesting pairs have returned to southern Maine beaches.

All beach-goers and beachfront landowners along the coast should be aware of nesting plovers, from Ogunquit Beach up the coast to Reid State Park in Georgetown.

As of April 1, no dogs are allowed on Ogunquit Beach and in state parks, including Crescent and Ferry Beaches in Scarborough, Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg and Reid State Park in Georgetown. Dog ordinances vary by town on local town beaches.

Piping plovers are listed as an endangered species in Maine and as a threatened species under federal law.

The Piping Plover Recovery Project, a collaboration between Maine Audubon, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and local municipalities, works to educate the public about plover nesting areas to ensure their protection and increase their population.

Historically, Maine has had more than 30 miles of suitable nesting beaches that may have supported more than 200 pairs of plovers. Today, because of encroaching development, the available shoreline habitat for nesting plovers has been reduced by 75 percent.

Plovers nest in front of sand dunes on the upper beach, and are vulnerable to natural predators, roaming pets, storms and human disturbance.

Maine Audubon encourages beach-goers and landowners to reduce human-caused mortality of plovers by leaving pets at home when going to the beach, staying away from roped-off plover areas and to watch to avoid stepping on nests when walking on the beach.

For those who find a plover nest, or would like to volunteer for the Piping Plover Recovery Project, contact Laura Minich Zitske at lzitske@maineaudubon.org or 233-6811 or the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 657-2345.