March 2016: Getting Through the Dry Season

CONSERVATION IN ACTION

Knowledge is a powerful tool for conserving birds, and the on-line platform known as eBird makes it possible for people around the world to contribute to building our understanding of birds. This past month we partnered with Morgan's Rock Eco-lodge, CONABIO, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to hold a workshop focused on using the eBird as a tool to inform and promote bird conservation. We were fortunate to learn from leading scientists in ornithology from Cornell Labs and CONABIO. Over 28 people were in attendance, including hotel and private reserve partners and many Paso Pacífico team members.

We are grateful to Morgan's Rock Ecolodge for the vital role it played in hosting this workshop. Additional support for this event came through IADB's Multi-Lateral Investment Fund.

IN THE NEWS

The current drought in Central America - inked to the El Niño climate event - has been particularly hard on the wildlife and forests of the Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor. Over the past several months, we have observed dozens of sick and dying mantled howler monkeys.

In response, Paso Pacífico's field team and Junior Rangers set out watering stations at strategic locations across the forest. The efforts are ongoing and are now strengthened by a new coaltion to "Save the Monkeys of Rivas". At the same time, we have been in close communication with the Ministry of Environment and with international experts who are advising us on the assessment and response to the situation. This emergency effort has been made possible thanks to the Disney Conservation Fund.

At a time when mosquito-borne diseases and climate-change impacts are on the rise, the unusual number of dying primates caught the interest of numerous news outlets including the BBC in Espanol and other on-line news outlets including TakePart.com and Fusion.net. As the crisis continues to unfold, signs point to the unprecedented drought as the leading factor in this terrible tragedy.

PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE

When people do not have basic access to health or opportunities for learning, nature conservation seems less important. For this reason, our project Proyecto Noble Salud y Educación focuses on reaching the most disadvantaged rural communities in the Paso del Istmo. We reach over 1500 children across 25 rural schools with books, classroom materials, and essential school supplies. At the same time, we support school feeding programs with supplemental food and nutrional packs.This extra support keeps kids in schools and supports healthy brain development. We also work closely with the Ministry of Health and its 7 rural clinics and 2 health centers located in the Paso del Istmo to ensure that essential medicines and equipment are available.

This program is made possible through the leadership and support of Dick and Nancy Noble. Multiple partners also provide support for this program including the Ministry of Education (MINED) , the Ministry of Health (MINSA), and the American Nicaragua Foundation. Additional donors and supporters include NIKE and Adidas who have generously provided sports equipment to the rural schools and also other complementary organizations including Raechel and Jackie Foundation and the Biblioteca San Juan del Sur.

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Meyer Rodriguez is the team member who always seems to wear a smile. He is our full-time driver and consistently brings our staff safely to their remote field destinations. In addition to his great skill at the wheel, Meyer is enthusiastic about our conservation mission. He often steps up to be helpful to the field crew and over the years has become a fantastic naturalist. It is not surprising to find him helping to survey bats, releasing baby sea turtles or walking forest trails in search of primates. This month, Meyer celebrated the birth of his second child. Congratulations don Meyer!

ACT NOW

MAKE A GIFT!

IN GRATITUDE

Thanks to Dick and Nancy Noble (far right and left) we have recently completed renovations on an abandoned building Ostional, and are now working to set it up as a community library. This month, Dick and Nancy were able to meet with Jane Mirandette (center) and her team at the San Juan del Sur Library (Biblioteca San Juan del Sur). These experts will help us to set up systems for managing the library and making it accessible to all.

The Ministry of Education has also stepped in to support this new learning center. We are grateful for the partners who are making this library possible. Literacy and learning will contribute to environmental stewardship over time.

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