Shorebirds have new safe haven park.

• Position: The Bahamas

A new national park in the Bahamas--one of several created by the Bahamian government--will help ensure the survival of several at-risk Atlantic Coast shorebird species, including piping plovers and red knots. Joulter Cays National Park protects a group of uninhabited islands and intertidal sand flats. The National Audubon Society, New York, collaborated with the Bahamas National Trust on the proposal for the new park. The area will be protected from unregulated development and destructive practices, while ensuring a sustainable local economy.

"This is a great victory for heroic birds that don't know borders, as well as for the people who depend on the shores and waters of the Joulter Cays to make a living," says David Yarnold, Audubon president and chief executive officer. "By protecting these birds' winter homes, we create the opportunity for new ecotourism jobs."

The Joulter Cays are a critical wintering location for Atlantic plovers, red knots, and other declining shorebirds. The Cays--naturally occurring low islands; either a sandbar or coral reef--have been designated as a globally Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, an essential step in protecting the site to benefit all wildlife.

The Bahamas is a coral-based archipelago of more than 700 islands and 2,500 cays sprinkled across 100,000 square miles of the Caribbean, with over 340 bird species and vital pockets of marine and coastal biodiversity. Joulter Cays National Park represents 113,920 acres of pristine habitat located approximately two miles north of the main island of Andros. The area showcases...