Hip to Be Square Art Show


Hip to Be Square was a community art show hosted by the Brighton Arts and Culture Committee at the Presqu’ile Waddling Art Centre. The exhibition invited artists to think inside the box, with each artwork created in a square format. The result was a vibrant mix of styles and subjects, filling the gallery walls with creativity.

For my piece, I painted a piping plover, a small endangered shorebird that nests on the beaches of Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Ontario. The plovers are a species close to my heart and have appeared in my work before. In 2022, I created an illustration of them that was later chosen as a design for staff hoodies at the park. This connection felt especially meaningful since I work at Presqu’ile as a Discovery Ranger, a role where I get to combine science communication and creativity. In this position, I design and deliver programs for children, as well as create displays and interpretive materials for our natural science, and history centres.

This exhibition was also personally significant because my painting of the plover became the very first artwork I ever sold in a gallery setting. It was a milestone moment that left me encouraged and grateful, knowing that someone connected deeply enough with my work to bring it into their own life.

The Ecological Significance of Piping Plovers

Piping plovers play a surprisingly crucial role in coastal ecosystems. As indicator species, their presence helps scientists understand the health of beach environments. If piping plovers are thriving, it often means that sand, wrack, and invertebrate communities are intact and functioning well—with a diverse food web and healthy habitat. Long Island Sound StudyAnimal Diversity Web

They also act as an umbrella species—conserving them and their habitats protects a whole suite of other beach-dependent wildlife and natural processes, such as erosion control, flood buffering, and detritus cycling. In Connecticut, for example, each fledged chick costs around $1,300 to protect—but this investment benefits the broader environment, not just the plovers. CT Insider

Conservation Status: A Species in Need of Help

In Ontario, the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus) is listed as Endangered under both federal and provincial legislation, including the Species at Risk Act and Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007. Government of Canada

Globally, the species is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN. In the United States, the Great Lakes population is federally listed as Endangered, while Atlantic populations are Threatened. WikipediaNational Park Service

Although conservation efforts have led to slow recovery in some areas, the overall population remains small—estimated at just 7,600 to 8,400 individuals in 2020—and could decline sharply if protective measures are relaxed. Wikipedia

Why Their Survival Matters So Much

Piping plovers depend on open, sandy beaches and early successional habitats created by natural disturbances like storms and tides. These environments are disappearing as coastlines become stabilized and human development increases. Their continued decline would signal broader ecological degradation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceWikipedia

Across the Great Lakes, their nesting success requires intensive management—including predator exclosures, fenced nesting zones, and daily monitoring. But even with these efforts, the population remains fragile. Pennsylvania GovernmentLong Island Sound Study

Learn More

  • Ontario Piping Plover Action Plan (Species at Risk Public Registry) – Outlines protection and recovery strategies for Ontario’s populations. Government of Canada

  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / National Park Service – Offers details on the species’ legal status and conservation in the U.S. National Park Service

  • Long Island Sound Study / Atlantic Coast Recovery Plan – Explains how piping plovers are used to measure ecosystem health and details recovery efforts. Long Island Sound Study

  • Recent News on Recovery Trends – For recent developments and costs of conservation (e.g., Connecticut’s recovery efforts). CT Insider