Interview with Lydia Thompson, September 23, 2013

Partial Transcript: Where were you born and raised?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses her early life, educational background and move to coastal Georgia.

Keywords: birds; coastal Georgia

Partial Transcript: How did you find Jekyll, St. Simons and Brunswick?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about coming to coastal Georgia in the 1980's, her father's influence, becoming involved with the disappearance of shorebirds, and public education.

Keywords: Brunswick; Jekyll Island; St. Simons; Wilson's plovers; black skimmers; coast; nesting; shorebirds; terns

Partial Transcript: Now your dad was involved in nature in some way--

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about her father, a forester, and what she learned from their travels together

Partial Transcript: What was going on as regards to the island?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about the influence of her first visits to Jekyll Island, her discovery of nesting shorebirds and their disappearance a few years later, and education.

Keywords: shorebirds

Partial Transcript: Did you have any understanding of what happened to the birds?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about her initial bird surveys

Keywords: birds; surveys

Partial Transcript: I became more and more concerned as I saw less and less of the birds nesting on what I-- what looked like primary nesting area

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about human disturbance as the reason for the decline of shorebirds on Jekyll Island, her experiences with people on the beach, and her inspiration to educate

Keywords: DNR; beach; education; gulls; human disturbance; nesting; shorebirds; terns

Partial Transcript: I am a member of the Shorebird Alliance-- Georgia Shorebird Alliance and one of the problems they have is outreach, and I'm all about outreach

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses the need for public education about migration of shorebirds

Keywords: Georgia Shorebird Alliance; migrating birds; outreach; sanderlings

Partial Transcript: William and Mary is doing a huge study on the shorebird called a wimbrel.

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about whimbrel tracking efforts

Keywords: DNR; Gould whimbrel; William and Mary; banding; seaturtle.org; tagging; tracking

Partial Transcript: When Glory was coming-- the movie Glory was going to be made

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses the filming of the movie Glory on Jekyll Island and site selection;1988

Keywords: Glory; beach; dune restoration; dunes; fort; movie

Partial Transcript: You can't get conservation done until you have a conversation

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about conservation and money, nature,the challenges of educating people about shorebirds, the Audubon Society, and her project Operation Plover Patrol

Keywords: Andrew's Causeway; Audubon Society; LCP; Marge Inness; Operation Plover Patrol; conservation; nature; shorebirds

Partial Transcript: You talked a bit about the south end of Jekyll

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about the importance of the south end of Jekyll Island and coastal Georgia as shorebird migratory habitat

Keywords: Jekyll Island; coast; migratory

Partial Transcript: You worked on a conservation plan for Jekyll?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses her motivation and challenges to market the interconnectedness of Jekyll Island and culture, and her part of a conservation plan used to inform the Jekyll Island Authority

Keywords: 2/3 rule; Jekyll Island Authority; beach; conservation; development; education; land use; marketing

Partial Transcript: And have you been involved in any of the tension, tense situations over the years...?

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses her thoughts on how she educates, diplomacy, tells a story about dogs on the beach

Keywords: Piper's plovers; beach; conservation plan; dogs; education; endangered species; ordinance; wildlife friendly

Partial Transcript: Ah, beautiful story-- bad birder story. I was took out on the beach with another person and this little child was running back and forth through the birds

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about an experience with another birder that led to a missed opportunity to educate people instead of confront them about behavior on the beach

Keywords: beach; birds; conservation education

Partial Transcript: I wrote a book in 1998 called Bird Finding in the Golden Isles

Segment Synopsis: Thompson talks about promoting Georgia as a destination for nature lovers and birders, ideas for monetizing the Georgia coast, and conservation

Keywords: Bird Watchers Digest; Jekyll Island Authority; Mary Elfner; Pat Mets; Terry Johnson; birding; birding trails; conservation; outreach; plan

Partial Transcript: I became a member of the conservation-- the people working on the conservation plan

Segment Synopsis: Thompson discusses her part in a conservation plan for Jekyll Island

Keywords: conservation plan; disability access; handicapped; outreach; public; wildlife

Partial Transcript: Is there else that you'd like to, uh, say before we wrap up here?