Eighth grader Maya Wallace knelt in the sand at Norton Point on Friday and carefully set a wooden hut near a patch of grass that will soon be home to a shorebird.
“I hope it’s any bird at all,” Maya said.
Friday’s events marked the final step of a project at the Edgartown School where students designed and built shelters for the town’s coastal bird population. The project started in October and included lessons about the Island’s shorebirds and their coastal habitats.
“I personally liked the wood building part of it,” said student James Thornton.
Justen Foster’s eighth grade science class set out during the windy afternoon and pondered where shorebirds, especially terns, would need shelter the most.
Built in a pyramid shape, the wooden huts have a simple design. In the front, there is a large board that shields bird nests from strong winds. Birds enter from the side, and in the back there are two holes for ventilation.
The town’s beach staff told students at the event that the huts will help protect the shorebirds from predators, such as the harrier hawk. They told the students to position them away from where the tide may roll in and in spaces where beach grass is sparse.
“I want you to think about where you would rest if you were a bird,” advised Isabel O’Donnell, the town’s conservation assistant.
The activity was also a way for students to learn about the natural beauty surrounding them. Many asked questions about the “mermaids’ purses,” the black-pointed pouches of shark and skate eggs, or horseshoe crabs laying on top of the sand.
“Not everyone gets to live in a community where there are tons of really beautiful, set aside areas for free that you can go out and enjoy,” said David Espindle, beach director for the town.
The students, who were fresh off of lunch, also enjoyed playing in the sand, looking for seashells and getting as close to the waves as they could without getting their shoes wet.
Tony Cimeno, who will be taking over as beach director in April, helped pass out binoculars for students to identify birds. He also explained how the beach is a barrier to the bay, where Islanders harvest oysters and scallops.
“I think it’s really important, especially living on an Island like this, that the habitats have animals in them,” Maya said.
The students learned that everything on the beach plays a role in the collective health of the Island. Some students pulled pieces of trash out of the beach grass and sand.
Beyond beach conservation and bird ecology, students said they learned the importance of helping the community.
“It’s really nice when you go to sleep and you know you did something good that day,” student Bianca Nunes said.
This article appears in April 3, 2026.