April 2014: Hard At Work For Conservation

CONSERVATION IN ACTION

Building a corridor is not just about planting trees. We believe in providing local people with the tools to manage their forests and wildlife. This means we provide training and jobs, and most importantly, we place trust in the communities who are part of this landscape. Here are just three advances in this area in April:

With help from our partners from the USFS-IITF we conducted a bird banding workshop in the mangrove wetlands of the Ostional fishing community and the La Flor Wildlife Refuge (see above). Young adults from the local community banded 103 birds of 32 species, including many migrants that may be found upon their return to North America.

Also in April, two local parabiologists along with other Paso Pacifico staff placed a radio-collar on two young Yellow-Naped Amazon fledglings. We will be placing four more radio collars thanks to funding from Loro Parque Fundacion and the Ornithological Council. This collaring is a follow-up on a radio telemetry training we provided in 2013 to biologists from across the country, thanks to volunteer teaching from Dr. Tom White of the USFWS in Puerto Rico.

It is wildfire season in Nicaragua and so it was timely that our communitiy ranger Erick Guido was invited by the USFS - International Programs to attend a wildland firefighting training in Honduras. Following the workshop he returned and gave a similar workshop to our six forest rangers.

IN THE NEWS

Wow! Check out this close call between the ocelot traveling at night and a poisonous coral snake. You may have to watch more than once in order to catch it. This io9 blog post was a real hit among animal lovers and explains how Paso Pacifico is working with Junior Rangers to enhance its jaguar monitoring program. Junior Rangers in Nicaragua are setting camera traps and learning what happens to the forest wildlife when top predators are lost. They have placed the cameras close to home and have already captured shots of gray fox and small mammals. Paso Pacifico believes that youth will be the key to protecting jaguars into the future.

PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE

Paso Pacifico and the Rancho Santana Resort in Tola, Nicaragua recently formed a unique partnership to protect sea turtles at Playa Escondida. This beach was identified by Paso Pacifico in early 2013 as high priority for protecting critically endangered Hawksbill and Green Sea Turtles. Now, Rancho Santana employs four full time rangers who protect turtle nests in situ on this beautiful beach. Their rangers received technical training from Paso Pacifico rangers and staff at the launch of their project. Each month, Paso Pacifico ranger Jairo Sanchez visits with them, reviewing their data and the condition of turtle nests. Already, 135 turtle nests have been protected. Together with Rancho Santana, we have set up a way to contribute directly to this beach protection effort. Visit our donation page HERE.

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Kalinga Rodriguez recently joined our team as technical coordinator for our field projects. She keeps in close coordination with community members who manage our reforestation and collect data on the threatened wildlife we monitor. When challenges arise, she works to find solutions.

Kalinga is originally from Northern Nicaragua and studied agronomy at the EARTH University in Costa Rica. She has a wide breadth of exprience in sustainable tourism and agricultre, but what makes Kalinga a great addition to Paso Pacifico is her passion for conservation. Her great communication skills are also a plus!

Welcome Kalinga!

ACT NOW

Contribute to Green Sea Turtle Protection

Your gift will help communities to protect sea turtles at Playa Escondida!

IN GRATITUDE

Mirna Moncada is the co-owner of the Guacamaya Private Reserve located along the shores of Lake Nicaragua. In 2007, she teamed up with Paso Pacifico to reforest her farm and since then has worked very closely with Paso Pacifico. Through her reserve and research station, she makes it possible for our teams of researchers to visit her property to monitor the growth of the trees, search for endangered amphibians, and regularly monitor threatened parrots and monkeys. Her achievements in protecting this little slice of heaven were recently featured in Nicaragua’s national news. Mirna is a social scientist with decades experience supporting rural communities in economic and agricultural development projects.

This month on Instagram: