Via the Sustainable Brands newsletter: Burt’s Bees is collaborating with artists and experts at the Pollinator Partnership to generate greater public awareness about the importance of honeybees to agriculture and the threats they face. For such small, short-lived creatures, bees do a lot of heavy lifting to keep life on Earth in balance. In fact, an estimated one-third of the food on Earth depends on pollination by bees. Because they...
We echo the Nature Conservancy in saying that our hearts go out to those affected by the wildfires burning up the American West. Just as we asked for your help raising money to plant trees in the wake of the fire at the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, the Nature Conservancy is asking for your help restoring forests to reduce the risk of megafires. As the Nature Conservancy's newsletter points out,...
From NatGeo DailyNews: Jaguars currently live in isolated populations scattered across North and South America, which is part of the reason the species is listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ... Usually, just one jaguar cub survives in a litter, so seeing two cubs alive and well is "heartwarming," he said. (Take a big cats quiz.) It's "important to note" that the camera traps...
Our friends at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry present a peek inside the Rio +20 Earth Summit, from a unique perspective, that of one of their students: "In 1992 I was one year old, I was learning to be a person, walk, talk, eat etc. I had no idea that there was an Earth summit or even a UN." You can follow the adventure on her blog.
From Red Orbit: The first ever photographs of jaguars within an oil plantation in Colombia have just been released... Panthera, the world’s leading wild cat conservation organization, focuses solely on the study and conservation of wild cats. The camera traps placed by Panthera in the Magdalena River valley were meant to gather information about the dangers of Colombia’s growing oil plantations on the jaguar populations. Panthera’s objective is to understand...
Today's 60-Second Science podcast from Scientific American: Birds and Bats Downsized Bugs Insect size tracked with atmospheric oxygen levels, until hungry birds and bats hit the scene. In the day of the dinosaur, insects had wingspans of nearly two-and-a-half feet. So why are today’s bugs so puny? Photo courtesy of Bruce Taubert Wildlife Photography http://www.brucetaubert.com/ Birds and bats! Researchers at U.C. Santa Cruz have published their findings on the evolution of insect size...
As we honor the life and work of Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom, let's celebrate the fact that she was right: we can peacefully co-exist with each other and with nature. A great way to understand how is to look at community-managed sustainable fisheries. As reported on NPR's Morning Edition, when New England's fish stocks became severely depleted, a lack of fish put a lot of fishermen out of business. One...
Paso Pacífico works from ridge to reef to protect biodiversity and empower communities. What are we doing along coastlines and at sea? Understanding Marine Ecology Our Coastal Marine Research Project contributes to the scientific understanding of sea turtle populations and marine ecology. Our science-based monitoring gauges the effectiveness of management at marine protected areas and the protection of key indicator species – like sea turtles – which are also flagship tourism...
From our friends at the SIMA Environmental Fund: For Immediate Release SIMA’S 23rd ANNUAL WATERMAN'S WEEKEND TO BENEFIT 20 OCEAN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS - Waterman’s Weekend Sponsorships Available Now - ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. (May 29, 2012) – The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Environmental Fund announced today the 20 ocean-environmental organizations named as beneficiaries of the 23rd Annual Waterman's Weekend, the surf industry's annual environmental fundraiser to be held August 10-11, 2012. The weekend...
Today at the New York Times Green blog: On beaches, poachers snatch up their eggs and babies for stewing; at sea, adults get snagged by fishermen’s long lines and nets. Now, climate change joins the list, threatening the survival of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific. Turtles, the article explains, will have an especially difficult time adapting to climate change for a couple of reasons. First, moving farther north...
As part of their Global Reset series, Seed Magazine explores how a reformation of the culture and practice of science could help the scientific community respond to global challenges: An interdisciplinary approach is necessary for the weighty, interconnected problems—from sustainable development to climate change—that are most in need of science transfer. And bringing scientists and their ideas together is a dependable way of generating new ideas, sometimes of the world-changing...
The Independent asks what to do when one endangered species starts eating another: That is the problem facing environmentalists whose research shows that jaguars, themselves at risk of extinction, are increasingly preying on endangered turtle species. Experts said that the predation of adult turtles by the big cats in a Costa Rican national park “has now reached a magnitude never before recorded”. “More and more jaguars are being pushed towards...
Image courtesy of Gus Harper, artist Many people have been highlighting the importance of bees lately. Much of the news has been bad: bees disappearing, crops failing, etc. Fortunately, while climate change, shifts in agriculture, deforestation, and other factors have threatened some bee populations, it is possible for bees to make a comeback. The really good news is we can help. Dating back to the time of the Great Pyramids,...
Yesterday we took part in the Parrot Care Project and Cage xChange event at Omar's Exotic Birds in Santa Monica. Here's what we shared with the people in attendance about our Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot Conservation Program: As an environmental conservation organization dedicated to habitat restoration and community empowerment in Nicaragua, we've been studying the Yellow-Naped Amazon parrot for four years. We're here today to share with you what the Yellow-Naped...
Photo courtesy of The Barrio Planta Project via Yaosca Jimenez Over the past several years, more and more tourists have been finding their way to the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua for the waves. Recently, local Nicaraguans from fishing communities have also adopted the sport with a passion. In July 2012 Nicaragua will host the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. With the right knowledge, tools, and organizational support, these young locals...
The Pacific slope of Nicaragua – home to threatened mangroves, endangered sea turtles, and yellow-naped Amazon parrots – is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. As in many impoverished places, the pervasiveness of rural poverty can generate tension between locals and conservationists. Since 2005, Paso Pacífico has worked to mitigate climate change, restore migratory corridors, and increase prosperity from ridge to reef. Our science-based and community-driven methods...
More protected habitat is a "good deal for jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, tapir, howler monkey, spider monkey, scarlet macaw, ocellated turkey, harpy eagle, and other endangered wildlife" in Guatemala. Read more about the expansion of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in the Daily Green.
Parrots make headlines in today's LA Times: Tweti's nonprofit Parrot Care Project and Cage xChange Campaign will begin this month at a Santa Monica exotic bird shop where free veterinary exams will be available and experts will be on hand to discuss avian nutrition, how to choose the right cage and how to equip it with toys. We'll be at Omar's in Santa Monica on Saturday, April 29th for the...
NBCNews Science: The mysteriously rich diversity of life on the isle of Madagascar might have arrived there in part on "floating islands" carried by ocean currents, researchers now say. Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, is the sole home to a wide variety of animal species, most of which are thought to have reached Madagascar after plate tectonics separated it from Africa and other continents. ... But not all scientists have...
Jaguars are among the most charismatic and important large carnivores in Latin America. However, they have lost much of their range to human activities like logging and ranching, which destroy their habitat and reduce their populations. Additionally, they are subject to hunting and persecution by people trying to protect their cattle and domestic animals. Jaguars once roamed throughout the forests of Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast; however, due to deforestation, the only...
The climate and ecology of Canada's Maritimes and coastal Nicaragua are very different, but just like in New Brunswick, Nicaragua's "coastal areas support economic, cultural, and recreational activities, as well as a diversity of flora and fauna." For these reasons, and more, the findings in this paper from CAKE (Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange) are relevant to us: Examining Community Adaptive Capacity to Address Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Salt...
The Telegraph interviews the man behind the movie: 'There were lots of times when I thought, “What have I done?”’ Mee says now. 'But when the jaguar escaped it was the first time I realised there were lives at stake.’
Panthera’s February Newsletter is out, with some exciting news for them. They’re reporting the first Panthera camera trap photo of a jaguar taken in Nicaragua. You can see their photo here. Ground-truthing is providing verification of the existence of a species whose populations have not been carefully observed and studied. Camera traps are extremely helpful to conservation science. After decades of decline and without a documented sighting for over 15...
Until recently, the hawksbill sea turtle was thought to be extinct in the eastern Pacific, but thanks to discoveries made by the Iniciativa Carey del Pacífico Oriental (ICAPO), we know now that, with concentrated conservation efforts, it's not too late to bring the Hawskbill Sea Turtle back from the brink of extinction. This great comic is designed to remind people of just that: Juntos podemos traer de vuelta a la...
Miguel Ordeñana, the wildlife biologist leading our jaguar conservation efforts, has begun blogging at Urban Carnivores, where he'll be reporting on big cats in LA's Griffith Park, and in the Paso del Istmo. Be sure to tune in as he discusses wildlife corridors, big cats and their prey, camera traps, and more.
Our friends at the Costa Rican NGO PRETOMA got a mention in today's NYTimes Green blog piece on illegal fishing. PRETOMA is focused on marine conservation and research. They have been instrumental in helping us with our sustainable fisheries program.
Mongabay.com's Picture of the Day is from Bolivia. This jaguar mother was photographed with her two cubs in the Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia. "Kaaiyana’s tolerance of observers is a testimony to the absence of hunters in this area, and her success as a mother means there is plenty of food for her and her cubs to eat," said John Polisar, coordinator of Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Jaguar Conservation...
Conservation in ACTION Launched earlier this year, the Proyecto Tesoros de Nicaragua ( Proyecto TESÓN), a joint effort to clean up the San Juan River catchment, has already demonstrated how public-private partnerships can work to build a more pristine and sustainable Nicaragua. There are now three Ambassadors of the Environment working around the clock to clean up garbage near the estuary and along the beach, and to monitor the volume...
AKA why we love the Guardian's GrrlScientist: “Big cat” is not a precise biological term, it is just a verbal shorthand for distinguishing the larger members of the taxonomic family Felidae from smaller ones. Some people formally define “big cats” as the four Panthera species: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. But other people also include cheetahs, snow leopards, clouded leopards, and cougars under the “big cat” umbrella. Big cat...
Conservation in ACTION We have recently completed the first stage of our Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Initiative, which integrates habitat mapping, native tree reforestation, and youth education. This high-impact project is made possible by those of you in the US, and the critically important US Neotropical Migratory Bird Act. We place an emphasis on the very birds which travel from your backyard in North America to the Central American Isthmus.......
Conservation in ACTION Globally important sea turtle arribada beaches like La Flor Wildlife Refuge (pictured above) receive tens of thousands of sea turtles each year. The greatest threat to successful nesting is high mortality among adults caught in fishing gear as turtles gather to mate.... Paso Pacífico in the News At the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting last month, Paso Pacifico Executive Director Dr. Sarah Otterstrom addressed government officials, business...
In Bolivia's Madidi National Park:Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) set up the camera traps to try and identify jaguars based on the unique patterns of their spots. Once the images were collected, the team ran them through software originally designed to recognize tigers by their stripes.The 19 jaguars found by the project represent a record number for a single camera-trap survey in the country.Read more about it at...
Smithsonian.com's Science & Nature, reports on "a bold plan for wildlife corridors that connect populations from Mexico to Argentina could mean the big cat's salvation."In antiquity, killing a jaguar was often part of a religious ceremony or a mark of status. But as ranches and settlements sprang up across Latin America, jaguars lost their religious significance. Demonized as dangerous predators, they were routinely shot. The fashion craze for fur after World...
Our friends at the Wildlife Conservation Society have had a great deal of success identifying individual jaguars with camera traps in Bolivia's Madidi National Park: A record number of jaguars have been identified in one of the world's most biologically diverse landscapes. Using technology first adapted to identify tigers by stripe patterns, researchers for the Wildlife Conservation Society have identified 19 individual jaguars by spot patterns in the rainforests of...
We're pleased to partner with the Ocean Recovery Alliance and other organizations to empower citizen scientists to alert the world to hotspots of floating trash. The hope is that tracking and mapping floating debris, will help drive cleanup efforts, including the potentially profitable harvest of floating plastics for reuse. Global Alert - Floating Trash from Ocean Recovery Alliance on Vimeo. Global Alert - Floating Trash is a global project operated...
Schoolchildren from Ostional, Nicaragua named this Hawksbill Brasilia Thought to be locally extinct as recently as 2007, the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill has been the subject of recent study using satellite telemetry. Our friends at ICAPO (the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative), working with other organizations, have just published their findings in the scientific journal Biology Letters. After two years of turtle tracking, this team of turtle biologists has observed that, unlike what...
Conservation in ACTION Javier, a student from the fishing villiage of Ostional, shows us a big smile as the Nicaraguan muralist Lezamón paints a stunning landscape on the wall of the local elementary school. The artwork depicts the distinctive forests, coastline and volcanoes of Nicaragua and includes wildlife unique to the Paso del Istmo, such as the yellow-naped parrot, the two-toed slot and various species of sea turtles.... Partnerships make...
Paso Pacifico's Executive Director Sarah Otterstrom and Communications Director Wendy Purnell just returned from SIMA's 22nd annual Waterman's Weekend, where Paso Pacifico was honored as one of their 20 beneficiaries! The turnout included more than 675 of the surf industry's most notable environmental stewards, and the event raised over $400,000 for non-profits like us that work to conserve ocean resources. Sarah Otterstrom, Paso Pacifico's Executive Director Photo: shop-eat-surf.com Jessie Creel...
Paso Pacífico is looking forward to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association’s 2011 Waterman’s Weekend, coming up on August 11 & 12. This annual event is a fundraiser for SIMA’s Environmental Fund and an opportunity to recognize those who work for ocean conservation. Every year, the Environmental Fund chooses 20 ocean-related, non-profit organizations as beneficiaries, and Paso Pacifico is proud to again receive this honor! The events of Waterman’s Weekend will...
Alexander Gaos, co-founder of ICAPO, our partner in sea turtle conservation, is featured in the latest issue of Conservation Magazine. They call him the Turtle Whisperer.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has declared May 20, 2011 Endangered Species Day to recognize the importance of protecting endangered species, to acknowledge the ongoing work of conservationists, and to commemorate the victories of the Endangered Species Act. Numerous species have been pulled from the brink of extinction thanks to the hard work of conservationists like those working with Paso Pacifico. Today, as we celebrate our successes, we must...
Yesterday, the New York Times reported on the costs and benefits of factory farmed tilapia and they zoomed in on Nicaragua. Dr. McCrary has spent the past decade studying how a small, short-lived tilapia farm degraded Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua. “One small cage screwed up the entire lake — the entire lake!” he said of the farm, which existed from 1995 to 2000. Waste from the cages polluted the pristine...
This month we're reflecting on our ELLAS program, and the commitment we made to the community at the Clinton Global Initiative Five women launched one sea turtle nursery which protected over 6500 sea turtle hatchlings and transformed the way their community interacts with turtles. 2010 was the first time in 25 years turtles hatched on the community beach, after a quarter century of all nests routinely being poached. Native tree nurseries employ...
This month we're reflecting on our ELLAS program, and the commitment we made to the community at the Clinton Global Initiative. Empowering Women Economically Throughout our existence, but this past year especially, we at Paso Pacifico have watched rural women in Central America's poorest country empower themselves economically through ecosystem services. We have watched women learn to lead tours and teach others about their region's biodiversity. We have watched them manage...
On Wednesday April 13th, the California Academy of Sciences and Sea Turtle Restoration Project will host the first (hopefully not the last) Science of Advocacy Session at the International Sea Turtle Society annual meeting. We look forward to hearing from these promising speakers: Dr. Darren Schreiber (UC San Diego) will give us a primer on the intersection of neuroscience, public policy and behavior change. Dr. Lekelia Jenkins (University of Washington)...
Kim Williams-Guillen, our director of conservation science, has been studying fragmented wildlife habitat and conservation corridors in the coffee-growing regions of Chiapas, Mexico. Like many others, she's been testing the theory that shade-grown coffee plantations help ensure greater biodiversity in neighboring forests than do traditional cultivation methods, where coffee is grown more intensively in deforested areas (they do). Unlike scientists who've measured biodiversity before her, Kim's focus has been on...
Do you remember the Leatherback who nested at Brasilon Beach? We have watched as 38 of her eggs have hatched so far! We hope to count several more over the next day.
We've just received a press release from our friend Wallace J. Nichols: As ocean pollution experts meet in Hawaii, disturbing new report chronicles effects of decades of plastic pollution on sea turtles—and what we can do about it. ... Experts on plastic pollution from around the world, determined to solve this growing problem, have gathered this week for the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, a mecca for...
Kim Williams-Guillén, our director of conservation science, has shared another gigapan image, this one from a vampire bat cave. Click here to visit the Gigapan page and zoom in and out.
Liza Gonzalez, Paso Pacifico's national director, has received a scholarship from the Ocean Conservancy to attend the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference in Hawaii later this month. Liza will represent Nicaragua at this annual symposium which brings ocean conservationists together from around the world to: Heighten global understanding and appreciation of the threats posed by marine debris, the cost to coastal communities and marine biodiversity, and the sources of marine debris...
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