Island Sentinels
The Island Sentinel Program was created to connect local knowledge with real conservation work and to give young people on Fishers Island a meaningful role in caring for the place they call home.
Founded in 2013 by Justine Kibbe, the program is built on a simple idea: people who spend time in a place notice things. They notice when something changes, when a species shows up earlier than usual, when a shoreline looks different than it did last summer. By pairing that kind of local, lived-in knowledge with consistent data collection, the Sentinel Program helps build a stronger, more grounded picture of what is happening across Fishers Island over time.
At its core, the program gives younger generations of the Fishers Island community an active role in protecting the island’s natural environment, not just observing it from the sidelines.
How the Sentinel Program Works
Sentinels are assigned specific monitoring sites across the island and return to those same locations regularly throughout the season. Traveling by foot or bicycle, they walk standardized routes and record what they see, building a consistent record that can be compared visit to visit and season to season.
In 2026, the program shifted toward a more focused approach. Rather than tracking a broad range of categories, Sentinels now concentrate primarily on bird and wildlife observations, which have always made up the strongest part of the dataset. Observations are submitted digitally through a field log app that works offline, making data collection easier and more reliable in the field. Notable sightings are also uploaded to the Fishers Island Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist, adding photo documentation, GPS verification, and timestamps to the record.
At each site, Sentinels walk the full assigned transect and carefully observe their surroundings. Observations focus on:
- Bird and wildlife activity
- Species diversity and behavior
- Seasonal ecological changes and notable sightings
- Unusual disturbances or patterns
Summer 2026 Position | Applications CLOSED
Please email completed applications to FIC Field Director Anna White (annarwfic@gmail.com)Â
Monitoring Sites
Ten monitoring sites across the island have been identified, representing a range of coastal, pond, and harbor environments that together capture a broad picture of conditions across Fishers Island.
- Silver Eel Cove
- Race Rock Point
- South Beach
- Hay Harbor
- Dock Beach
- Isabella Beach
- Middle Farms
- Chocomount Beach
- Fishers Island Club Beach
- East Harbor
Turning Observations Into Insight
All Sentinel observations are recorded and compiled into a growing record of what is being seen across the island. Over time, this data helps highlight seasonal patterns, track species activity at specific sites, and spot ecological changes as they happen.
Because Sentinels return to the same sites consistently and follow the same routes each visit, the data is designed to be comparable year over year. That consistency is what makes long term monitoring meaningful. It is not just about what was seen this summer, it is about building a record that tells a story about this island over time.
To explore a summary of Sentinel observations from 2018 through 2024, click below.
Sentinel Projects
In addition to regular monitoring, Sentinels participate in hands-on conservation work that supports research, education, and stewardship across Fishers Island.
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Study
Sentinels assist with horseshoe crab spawning surveys, helping track this ancient species during its critical spring spawning season on Fishers Island beaches.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
Sentinels also support collaborative projects alongside other organizations working on the island. Through these partnerships, Sentinels gain experience working alongside scientists and educators while contributing to conservation efforts happening across the island.
Who Can Be an Island Sentinel?
Each year the Conservancy welcomes a new group of Island Sentinels to participate during the school year, the summer season, or both. Participation may be volunteer based or paid depending on age, availability, and program needs.
The program is open to members of the Fishers Island community who are curious about the natural world and want to contribute to conservation on the island. Sentinels are typically high school aged and older, with most participants starting around age 14. No prior scientific experience is required. The most important qualifications are curiosity, consistency, and a genuine respect for the places being monitored.
Sentinels receive guidance, training, and ongoing support from the Fishers Island Conservancy throughout their time in the program.
[Summer 2026 Position | Applications CLOSED]
[Sentinel Application]
Please email completed applications to FIC Field Director Anna White at annarwfic@gmail.com
