Take a walk through the wooded wilderness of Central America, and you’ll likely encounter a curious creature sporting a mishmash of characteristics. With its twitchy snout, banded tail, and distinctive facial markings, the white-nosed coati is a common sight in forests and woodlands from the southern US to northern South America. The jungles of Central America are one of their favorite playgrounds. This medium-sized mammal is a key player in...
From the snowy wilds of Alaska to the rugged southern tip of Chile, one big cat has mastered a variety of biomes. In North America and South America, the puma stalks its prey, raises its young, and splits the air with its distinct screaming calls. This long-tailed, enigmatic felid has proven extremely adaptable to a range of environments despite threats like human hunting and habitat loss. At Paso Pacifico, our...
Your support for our sea turtle program is vital for the future of the hawskbill sea turtle in the Pacific Ocean. Recent research by members of the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO), including members of our team, collected genetic samples from critically endangered hawskbill sea turtles. Samples were collected from both juvenile turtles that were feeding in mangroves and on reefs, and adult female turtles that were nesting on beaches...
Yellow-Naped Amazon Numbers Are Declining in Most Habitats The yellow-naped amazon parrot, native to coastal regions from southern Mexico to northern Costa Rica, is currently hovering on the brink of extinction. This is due in part to habitat loss caused by agricultural development, as well as heavy poaching into the illegal pet trade throughout Central America. In the 1990s, almost 100% of known nests in southern Guatemala were poached. A...
Why These Parrots Are Popular Pets The yellow-naped amazon parrot is a highly popular pet in Central American households and elsewhere. In addition to being colorful, it is at least as intelligent as the average toddler and is naturally social, curious, and playful as well. These birds have long lifespans and are skilled at mimicking human speech. Outside of their adolescent period, they’re also less likely to bite, which adds...
By Jason G. Goldman One of the best places in the world to see whales in their natural habitat is in Latin America. The waters around the continent include some 64 species of whales and dolphins: about three-quarters of the planet's total cetacean biodiversity. That might explain why whale watching tourism has grown around 11% each year there, a rate that three times the annual growth of global tourism and...
By Jason G. Goldman Humpback whales can be found throughout the world's oceans, from the iciest waters of Antarctica, to the balmy seas surrounding Hawaii, and everywhere in between. While the males are best known for their soulful songs that can be heard perhaps hundreds of miles away, the concert singers of the sea are also responsible for some of the longest migrations in the world. The whales gorge on...
Since the beginning of the pandemic, news outlets have reported on investigators’ efforts to pinpoint the “ground zero” of the COVID-19 virus. The question seemingly not under media scrutiny, however, is how we may be able to prevent such outbreaks of disease from occurring in the future. Although many think of vaccines as the best way to prevent disease, the best preventive medicine may in fact be maintaining tropical rainforest...
The Pacific leatherback sea turtle has survived since the dinosaur age—and as the largest turtle species, this reptile is a giant in its own right. Yet today, these turtles are in imminent danger of extinction, in part because of declining numbers of viable nests. In Indonesia, which is the primary nesting habitat for the Western Pacific leatherback sea turtles, numbers have dropped by over 80%. In Mexico and Central America,...
The yellow-naped amazon parrot (also known as the golden-naped amazon) is a strikingly beautiful and intelligent bird widely considered a subspecies of the yellow-crowned amazon parrot. It is predominantly native to forests, woodlands, and tropical zones in Pacific coast regions from southern Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Unfortunately, these parrots are also currently endangered, largely by deforestation and the illegal pet trade. Here’s what you need to know about the...
After millennia of industrialization and ecologically harmful practices, the planet has now reached an advanced state of environmental deterioration. Among the most significant problems are global warming, deforestation, species extinction, and climate change. The best path to mitigating or reversing these problems is through effective education for adults and children. In particular, teaching kids about our planet will equip them to better preserve the earth throughout their lives and for...
Bird populations in Central American countries include a wide variety of migratory species. Migratory birds make up around 25% of Costa Rica's avifauna and almost 50% of El Salvador's. Some travel as far as South and North America. Migratory birds are an important natural resource because they contribute to biodiversity across the Americas, particularly with regard to the pollination of flowers, seed dispersal, and pest control that they provide. All...
As you may know, Nicaragua went through a serious drought earlier this year. In fact, it’s the worst dry spell Nicaragua has experienced in over 30 years. The dry tropical forests in the Paso Del Istmo that we work in have been hit hard, and as a result many species are struggling to find the water that they need to survive. One such species is the Mantled howler monkey. The...
On April 22, 2015, USAID issued the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge in an effort to bring together international communities to create solutions that address critical wildlife crime issues. One of the issues highlighted by the challenge is the network of well-established international transit routes that poachers and traffickers use to move their products to customers. These transit routes are the backbone to the global wildlife trafficking industry which generates billions...
As a conservation biologist, one of the most important parts of my job is making trips to the field so that I can better design and manage the many scientific projects that Paso Pacífico's local employees work on. Others imagine that I spend most of these trips walking up rivers to survey frogs, scrambling through jungle to follow monkeys, or capturing bats on the crater edge of and active volcano...
When 8-year-olds Matson and Jonas decided to do something to save sea turtles, they reached out to their school community for help. They received an extraordinary response from teachers, staff, students, and families at Oak Grove School. Through a village of shared learning and friendship, the boys were able to reach a much larger audience with their campaign. The power of this collective was so great that it helped the...
Cristian Bonilla is a local para-biologist who has supported Paso Pacifico's wildlife research for over six years. Although Cristian has helped us study everything from bats to lizards, in recent years he has become a specialist for Amazon parrot conservation. Cristian is a skilled tree-climber and hiker and is very good at monitoring nests and following parrots using radio telemetry. Cristian is admired and respected across the rural communities for...
This spring we were thrilled to receive Patagonia’s Miracle Grant award. This support has helped us advance our mission to restore and protect endangered forest and coastal ecosystems in Nicaragua. We have applied these generous funds to two specific programs: 1. our work linking the Nicaraguan surfing community to ocean conservation. 2. the protection of the critically endangered Robber frog (Craugastor ranoides) Surfer-led Ocean Conservation Nicaragua’s Pacific coast is home to some...
Sea turtles have been on the planet for over 100 million years! They are one of the Earth's most ancient creatures and have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Turtle Friend will help tell this story...LIVE! By bringing the global community's attention to these animals we can help protect this important piece of our natural history. Thanks for being our Turtle Friends and happy Earth Day! If you...
www.turtlefriend.org Watch, track, and protect sea turtles...LIVE! In early 2014, two eight-year-olds (Jonas & Matson) came to us with the vision of creating an app to broadcast the life cycle of sea turtles in the Pacific. They called it "Turtle Friend" and their goal was to create an education and fundraising tool for sea turtle conservation. What is it? An app & website that: broadcasts live nesting events, sea turtle egg...
This month we are teaming up with Fashion Project to help protect nesting sea turtles in Nicaragua. Fashion Project's mission is to "raise as much money as possible for charity by creating a community where our members can donate clothing and shop for causes they care about." They are the industry leader in online clothing donation. Items sold on their site can raise up to 100x more for your favorite charity — a lot...
This spring, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is making the journey from its overwintering grounds in South America through the forests of Central America and then up to North America. It is a perilous journey because of the destruction of forest habitat along the way. Scientists have partially attributed declines in this species to deaths that occur during migration. The western sub-species is now considered in danger of extinction and is under review...
Nicaragua has committed to reducing its dependence upon foreign oil by investing in renewable resources. Learn more about this effort in this recent video. Header photo: "Electricidad," used under CC BY-NC 2.0 from Nyall & Maryanne on Flickr.
We are working to protect wildlife in Central America and to celebrate World Wildlife Day we've put together this short video. Hope you enjoy!
Paso Pacífico is thrilled to announce that Claudia Perla (pictured above) has been honored with a Disney Conservation Hero Award from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). The award recognizes local citizens for their tireless efforts to save wildlife, protect habitats and educate communities. . Claudia has demonstrated exceptional personal strength and commitment during the five years she has worked to study and protect the endangered Black-handed Spider Monkey...
by Richard Joyce Marcela Gutierrez, Paso Pacífico's agronomist, has been eagerly awaiting the rainy conditions that will allow planting of thousands of trees in the Paso del Istmo. "Because of El Niño, the rains are coming later this year, so we might plant in early July." With a degree from EARTH University in Costa Rica and ample experience working in her native Nicaragua, Marcela is leading the effort to restore forests...
by Richard Joyce Paso Pacifico Meliponiculture Intern A lean man past middle age, Francisco Cerda still goes to work most days of the week at a limestone quarry in Las Mercedes, an area of the Paso del Istmo near the Costa Rican border. His house is rustic and similar to many in the region. Approaching it, we pass a well, an outdoor shower, and a large basin for washing clothes. Scrawny...
In 2013 Paso Pacifico made a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to strengthen economic development and restore coastal environments. To achieve this goal, Paso Pacifico has begun a partnership with local women in the fishing village of Ostional in order to develop a women’s shellfish farming cooperative. This past month Paso Pacifico volunteer Angie Gerst from British Columbia, Canada, conducted an exploratory study to document the current economic and...
by Sarah Otterstrom I grew up spending lazy summers along the shores of northern lakes in the Inland Pacific Northwest. Maybe this is where my love of “biodiversity” was born. If anything, it was where I first learned to recognize the magic of the natural world. At the lake, my cousin and I built a tree fort with a plush carpet made of fresh moss and we decorated the ceiling...
Marcos inspects a Melipona beecheii worker captured at a flowering bush on the property of a beekeeper. It is dry season in Paso del Istmo, with trade winds wicking moisture from the Pacific slope forests causing upwelling of nutrient-rich water offshore. Deciduous tree species are dropping their leaves and tree crowns full of yellow or purple blooms dot the landscape. The dry season blossoms bring increased bee activity and with...
In October of last year I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua to learn more about Paso Pacifico and its work in the Paso del Istmo. The trip was a crash course in all things Paso Pacifico. In just five short days we patrolled beaches with the Sea Turtle Rangers, climbed trees looking for endangered Yellow-naped parrots, met the Junior Rangers at the Karen Warren & Susan White...
Primates in Fragments: Complexity and Resilience Primate Populations in Fragmented Tropical Dry Forest Landscapes in Southwestern Nicaragua The lack of information on how primates respond to habitat fragmentation across a variety of ecosystems and regions hampers conservation efforts in the fragmented landscapes where populations are most threatened. We investigated the status of primates in the highly fragmented forests of southwestern Nicaragua, a region containing some of Central America’s few remaining...
Limpieza Internacional de Costas, este 21 de Septiembre. Ayudanos a limpiar las costas.Estaremos en: Casares San Juan del Sur Corinto Paso Caballo Ostional Brasilon Playa Escondida Jiquiliste La Flor Rio Ostayo Rio La flor Laguna de Asososca y otras playas No te quedes en casa e inscribete o inscribe una playa. Te esperamos este 21 de septiembre.
In case you missed it, the August Edition of our Connections Newsletter is online. Read about: Paso del Istmo Reforestation Partnership Conservation & Sustainable Tourism Program (CSTP) CSTP Coverage in La Prensa CHICABRAVA all girls surf camp Surf Industry & ESPN Coverage of the Waterman's Ball Entomological Museum of León, Nicaragua Butterfly Surveys Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Initative Billion Baby Turtles T-shirts
PuruKai's Billion Baby Turtle t-shirt sales support sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica. Our friends at SEETurtles and WIDECAST will save five baby sea turtles for every shirt sold. Most of our friends know that the Billion Baby Turtles project supports sea turtle conservation efforts like ours. Billion Baby Turtles funds, at work all over Central America, go towards paying local residents to patrol important turtle nesting beaches, protecting...
This week, Sarah Otterstrom, our Executive Director, and Julie Martinez, our Environmental Education Coordinator are at the 5th International Partners in Flight Conference and Conservation Workshop. We have made a 40-year commitment to bird research and conservation in the Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor. Our integrated approach includes mapping habitat areas, characterizing land cover, reforestation, education, and community outreach. Visit our Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Initiative project profile to learn...
In 2002, a surfer named Chad Nelsen enlisted an economist at Duke University to help put a price tag on a popular surfing spot on Puerto Rico’s northwest coast. Nelsen’s idea was novel: to prove that the waves breaking on the beach constituted a multimillion-dollar asset and persuade the local town to take pains to preserve it. source: Washington Post Building on advances in natural resource economics, the new field...
"For the surf industry, last weekend was prom." For the fourth year in a row, we were pleased to attend the Waterman's Ball, the surf industry's annual environmental fundraising event, hosted by SIMA: “Do what you love and help along the way,” a statement from Special Recognition Award recipient Jon Rose, was an overarching theme of this year’s Waterman’s Weekend as the surf industry gathered to raise money for the...
Are you going to the Waterman's Ball this weekend? If so, look for the Nicaraguan Eco-Surf Adventure package donated by our amigas at CHICABRAVA, which includes the following: a one-week CHICABRAVA surf camp in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua CHICABRAVA water bottle, tank, and reusable shopping bag Entre Lago y Mar DVD highlighting the natural beauty and environmental conservation efforts in the region guided trip to a sea turtle nesting...
Coordinador del Proyecto PROYECTO EMPRENDIMIENTO Y LIDERAZGO AMBIENTAL PARA EL GEOTURISMO/FOMIN ATN/ME -13732-NI Paso Pacífico, con el apoyo del FOMIN/BID requiere seleccionar y contratar consultor para ocupar el cargo de coordinador de proyecto. El objetivo de este cargo es el de garantizar la coordinación operativa y estratégica que requiere la ejecución y alcance del propósito del proyecto, así como coordinar la Unidad Ejecutora para la obtención de los resultados...
Día Mundial de la Ranger Día Mundial de la Ranger es un día para recordar a los guardaparques que han sido heridos o muertos en acto de servicio, en particular durante el año anterior. Desde julio de 2012, más de 80 guardaparques han perdido sus vidas en el cumplimiento del deber. Forest Rangers :: Guardabosques Our forest rangers foster saplings in tree nurseries, monitor growth in our reforestation areas, and...
Our July newsletter is online. Read about our contributions to the Conservation & Sustainable Tourism Program to empower individuals and communities, improve natural resource management, and foster the creation of employment opportunities in and around national parks, private reserves, and other ecologically significant areas. We appreciate the support of FHI360 and the assistance from the U.S. Government and the American people. Catch up with our Guardaparques Junior from Tola, pictured...
Sabes que? "La tortuga marina de la especie carey ha cambiado su hábitat tradicional que consistía de arrecifes de corales o rocosos por estuarios de manglar, para poder sortear las amenazas a su existencia." La Prensa, Septiembre 2011 Trabajamos con Iniciativa Carey del Pacifico Oriental (ICAPO). Juntos con los otros miembros, trabajamos para promover la recuperación de la tortuga carey (Eretmochelys imbricata) en el Pacífico Oriental. Restaurar y proteger los...
documental con oscarizado actor Jeremy Irons y la música impactante de Vangelis "Este es un viaje de investigación minucioso y valiente que lleva a Irons (y a nosotros) del escepticismo a la tristeza y del horror a la esperanza." - Cinema Planeta Paso Pacifico te invita al Documental Trashed viernes 26 de Julio viernes 2 de Agosto en horario de 10 am a 12 del medio dia en la Sala...
I had another exciting week in San Juan del Sur that began with a ladies surf trip to Playa Maderas. It was my first time surfing at Maderas since arriving in San Juan del Sur, and we had a great time! I also headed back to Remanso a few times to surf with some new friends. Later in the week, my roommate Madison and I explored Playa Hermosa. Although the...
Luke Johnson (R) & Francisco Manera, forest ranger Meet Luke Johnson, a fish researcher working with us for six months to understand the biology of juvenile Atlantic Tarpon in freshwater streams. After a few years spent touring salmon streams gathering data for fisheries studies in the Pacific Northwest, Luke is exploring the riverbanks, streams, and shores of Lake Nicaragua and the Rio San Juan. The project Luke set out to...
We are stoked to partner with Project WOO for beach clean ups at this week's ISA World Juniors Surfing Champsionship. WOO is an NGO in Gigante, Nicaragua working to make sure that traveling surfers have a positive impact on the coastal communities they visit. Thanks to WOO's Bo Fox and the many community volunteers and surfing voluntourists he's rallying every single day, we're convinced Playa Jiquiliste is the cleanest beach...
Check out the video highlights from Day 5 of 2013 DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, featuring our surf ambassador and our Guardaparques Junior (junior park rangers) from Tola:
We're pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, Amelia Dotzenrod. She'll be blogging for us from San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, where she's leading our coastal conservation efforts in the surfing community. First up, her bio: "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Jacques Cousteau My first connection to the wonder and power that the ocean inspires. I learned to...
Estamos encantados de unirnos a la comunidad surfera en la organización de eventos con su larga tradición de la conciencia ambiental y el respeto por el océano. ISA y equipos de todo el mundo se reúnen en Nicaragua 08 de junio para el Campeonato Mundial Juvenil de Surf. Lea más acerca de nuestros embajadores de surf y únete a nosotros. Ayude a proteger la costa de Nicaragua y mantener nuestras playas...
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