From this month's Pelican Eyes newsletter:Stones and Waves Vet Clinic continues to thrive, under the leadership of Elvis Cortez, and the financial support of World Vets. The next clinic is scheduled for this week at the Escuela Agricultura in Rivas. In addition, great progress has been made with the animals that previously lived at the hotel. All of the dogs and the majority of cats have been adopted out to...
"High fashion is going high-tech with designers creating this season's must-have accessory: a handbag that recharges your cell phone or Blackberry." ELLE magazine will be running an eBay auction on these high end handbags. Money will go to Paso Pacifico and our work with the Portable Light Project. Reuters has the video.
La Prensa has a preview of the newest installment of Survivor, filmed in the Paso del Istmo where we work: "Las playas en la costa sur del Pacífico de Nicaragua se convertirán en el nuevo escenario de Survivor... "El programa consiste en filmar la vida cotidiana de 20 concursantes que competirán por sobrevivir en las playas de San Juan del Sur, en el departamento de Rivas..." The beaches of Nicaragua's...
Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced more than $4.9 million in grants for 37 projects that support neotropical migratory bird conservation throughout the Western Hemisphere. Matched by more than $14.8 million in additional funds from partners, the projects will support habitat restoration, environmental education, population monitoring and other priority activities within the ranges of neotropical birds in the United States, Canada, Mexico and 27 Latin American and Caribbean...
"In 1990, an unprecedented effort was launched to preserve the western hemisphere's bird life." Celebrate the 20th anniversary of this collaborative effort to bird conservation. Its mission: To keep common birds common by protecting the core of avian diversity and maintaining the integrity of habitats and ecosystems across continents. To promote partnerships for birds, habitats, and people by working together to create solutions and supporting partnerships at every level. Watch...
In today's New York Times: To Help Jaguars Survive, Ease Their CommuteLAS LOMAS, Costa Rica — Héctor Porras-Valverdo tried to adopt a Zen attitude when he discovered recently that jaguars had turned two of his cows into carcasses....“I understand cats do this because they need to survive,” said Mr. Porras-Valverdo, 41, a burly dairy farmer. A few years ago, he acknowledged, his first reaction might have been to reach for...
As top predators, carnivores are the keystone of any healthy ecosystem, but hunting and habitat loss threaten their survival in Nicaragua. Over the past few months, local farmers have reported numerous jaguar and puma sightings to Paso Pacifico biologists, while Paso Pacifico staff have directly observed large cat tracks and sighted smaller carnivores such as Ocelots and Jaguarundis. This year, Paso Pacifico will be working to validate the presence of...
A dynamo in the field, Paso Pacifico's Forester Claudia Perla manages the reforestation plans for Paso Pacifico's nine Return to Forest plantation sites, where over 200,000 native trees have been planted since 2007. When on site, Claudia has a reputation for being "tough as nails," frequently spending the entire day in the field, braving the elements and the mud, and managing her numerous male counterparts. Her no-nonsense approach combined with...
We've just received this trailer for a forthcoming documentary on "the tumultuous topic of land ownership and development in politically volatile Nicaragua" in the year 2006 (and leading up the Ortega's re-election in 2007). "The only thing we have is land," says a man at the outset. In a story of tourism vs. terrorism, one is never quite sure who has the upper hand nor if anyone is telling the...
The bad news is Nicaragua is a hotspot for plastic bottle pollution. The good news is that our outstanding community of coastal cleanup volunteers did an excellent job of picking them up at our coastal clean up last fall. This serves two purposes: first, volunteers got the plastic away from the coastline; second, knowing where the garbage is can help prioritize global cleanup efforts. From the International Coastal Cleanup Report:...
Earth Day with Rob Caughlan Celebrate Earth Day's 40th Anniversary with environmental advocate and filmmaker Rob Caughlan, who will discuss A Brief History of the American Environmental Movement. Rob has been riding the waves of social change for 45 years. He co-founded Friends of the River and was the first President of the Surfrider Foundation.
Trash in Our Ocean has Become One of the Worst Pollution Problems We Face Threatening Ecosystems, Wildlife, and Coastal EconomiesData collected during the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup provide the only global snapshot of the marine debris problem; 500,000 volunteers around the world removed 7.4 million pounds of trash from our ocean, lakes and riversWashington, DC – Today, Ocean Conservancy releases Trash Travels: From OurHands to the Sea, Around the Globe, and Through Time...
ECO TALLERES EN ALTERECO CELEBRANDO EL DlA DE LA TIERRA 2010 Carla taller es de 12.30 a 2 pm Almuerzos a precios cómodos estarán disponibles Del Hospital Monte España, 1c y media a llago, pegado a Mama Delfina 15 Abril Jardines FeIices con Abono Orgánico y Lombrices Kevyn Wightman y Ligia Belli Vivimos diariamente el problema de la basura. Desechamos una gran cantidad de residuos que se podrían aprovechar para...
A new study published in Conservation Letters provides the first global perspective of fisheries bycatch for marine turtles. According to the study, which is based on data collected across all methods of fishing around the world from 1990-2008, the total reported bycatch over the same period was approximately 85,0000 sea turtles. The authors acknowledge that, due to under reporting in smallscale fisheries, the actual number is likely higher. Smallscale fishing operations are common along the...
International Cooperation Award: Bird Conservation Partnerships for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sustainability in Mesoamerica Starting in 1996, the US Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry started training Nicaraguan university students and aspiring biologists, local NGO staff, and local community members in bird conservation methods and sustainable community-based tourism. The emphasis has been on migratory birds and tropical resident species, and the surrounding forest ecosystem. Programs have been designed to conserve...
Our friends at Fauna & Flora International have spotted a rare albino howler monkey baby on Nicaragua's Ometepe Island. Yes, they have a photo on their website!
Meet the youngest member of the Spider Monkey Sanctuary at Domitila Reserve.
Last week, we told you the OceanGybe crew was in Ostional to do a cleanup with local kids. Now that folks are back from the field, we have photos to share from the event.
A few nights ago, there was a four-acre wildfire near Brasilon Beach within the La Flor Wildlife Refuge. Paso Pacifico rangers and the landowner guards put it out with very limited tools (machetes). We're told the MARENA Rangers arrived the next afternoon to check things out. We still have two more months of a very difficult dry season and need some basic firefighting tools (shovels, rakes, brooms, etc.) as soon as possible. You...
Today Paso Pacifico is doing a beach clean-up with local children from Ostional in coordination with OceanGybe, an expedition of Canadian surfers. They describe themselves as "surfers, sailors, and explorers" on "a voyage of exploration, research, and education." Their dream is "to circumnavigate the globe to document the state of the oceans and beaches we visit, search out the best waves and meet new people has become reality." We're excited to...
You may recall we were involved in rescuing six spider monkeys. We're still looking for donations for the spider monkey sanctuary at the Domitila Wildlife Reserve, including the following items: kongs balls rope dog-toys plush animal non-electric infant or toddler toys metal bowls They can be mailed to our office: 872 E. Front, Suite 200, Ventura, CA 93001 Cash donations can be made on our website.
A question via Twitter: "Is it true that Nicaragua is home to the world's 2nd largest bat?" - Tours To Nicaragua (@NicaGuide) The answer is a qualified "yes." Nicaragua is home to the spectral bat, the largest known carnivorous bat, and a member of the megabat family. The largest of the "megabats" is the Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), a rare fruit bat whose wingspan can be almost six feet. Nicaragua's...
Help Paso Pacifico every time you shop and search online by adding our new GoodSearch toolbar: http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/paso-pacifico Adding the GoodToolbar is a great way to ensure that every purchase and web search you make will count as a donation to your cause.
If you're traveling to Central America and interested in the incredible diversity of the Pacific slope of Nicaragua, please consider taking a tour with Explore La Flor, an eco-tour company born of our initiative to empower communities by launching entrepreneurs and training community nature guides. As the tourism sector grows in Nicaragua, nature tourism has the potential to provide economic benefit to local communities while also supporting conservation efforts. Paso Pacifico...
On Flickr: Another slideshow with more photos from Liz Mering's recent trip to Nicaragua. This set is courtesy of Suzanne Hagel and Bill Noble.
Including this adorable sloth! The full slideshow, courtesy of Suzanne Hagel and Liz Mering, is on Flickr.
We are working with various partners, including the Stones & Waves Vet Clinic, to establish a new monkey sanctuary for six rescued spider monkeys. If you are interested, please consider making a donation to help us build enclosures to protect the monkeys in their new habitat at Domitla Wildlife Reserve, located in the foothills of Mombacho Volcano.
Check out our latest slideshow of photos from the field.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is profiling a different species every day. Today they're featuring the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle, a creature with which we're very familiar. Check out their awesome species fact sheet.
Paso Pacifico has been invited to a public forum on climate change for the City of Ventura, January 19th.
Twenty years from now, we hope our monitoring program will include free online access for all the world like the Shapiro database (described below) and allow for more analysis of the unique climate and ecology of Central America. A press release from the University of California, Davis, our founder's alma mater: California butterflies are reeling from a one-two punch of climate change and land development, says an unprecedented analysis led by...
A couple nights ago, our turtle rangers met a Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Ostional, and gathered some data.
We are pleased to be a part of Maya Lin's What is Missing Project.
SustainableBusiness.com News has a piece on Maya Lin's "What is Missing?" project, which honored Paso Pacifico's Return to Forest program in Copenhagen: Maya Lin, the world-renowned artist and designer, revealed a new media piece in Copenhagen on Wednesday on the sidelines of United Nations climate change negotiations. The video, titled "Unchopping a Tree" is the latest iteration of a larger project, called "What is Missing?," which Lin said will be her last memorial....
At Paso Pacifico, we've always been committed to education. Teaching about the environment from a young age is the best way to ensure that children grow up to value their natural resources and promote conservation. Since 2007, Paso Pacifico's environmental education teacher, Julie Martinez, has been traveling around the Paso del Istmo, taking hands-on environmental curriculum to schools. Last month, Julie took a group of schoolchildren from Sapoa (a small...
We're pleased with all the press coming out of WILD9. This piece in the San Antonio Current provides a great overview of the event and highlights our work in the context of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor: Living forest and a tree plantation are perhaps primarily distinguished by the diversity of species present. Howler monkeys, orangutans, giant sloths, and jaguars are the stuff of forests, the substance of biodiversity. For this...
Rare giant sea turtle found on Stinson Beach An endangered giant sea turtle rarely found north of Mexico washed up alive on Stinson Beach after drifting possibly thousands of miles. "This is definitely a rare find, one of only three live olive ridley turtles I know of reported in the scientific literature since 2001 along the Central California coast," said Todd Steiner, a biologist and executive director of the Sea...
Trained by retired US National Park Service Ranger and Paso Pacifico Board Member Rick Smith, our turtle rangers form the "thin green line" protecting thousands of endangered animals and places. Working 'round the clock, turtle rangers patrol the beaches, monitoring nesting turtles, protecting hatchlings from predators, and using non-confrontational approaches to ask that egg poachers cease poaching on their beaches. We are extremely proud of our turtle rangers, who have...
In advance of the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference, the Ventura County Star gives us more love:There is debate over whether any kind of meaningful international agreement will come out of the summit. But the local people attending think it will help push the climate issue further along and lay groundwork for a future agreement.“The value is that we continue to work toward a climate solution,” said Sarah Otterstrom, executive...
We are so pleased to learn that the What is Missing? (WIM) Foundation will honor Paso Pacifico by purchasing certified carbon offset credits and by donating to our Return to Forest project. We were thrilled to receive notification of this honor, along with an invitation to attend a REDD+ special event at the IPCC summit in Copenhagen next month. The WIM Foundation exists to "help protect habitat and safeguard biodiversity through...
La Prensa covered the presentation of our findings from this year's International Coastal Cleanup, gathering over 300,000 pounds of trash: Recolectan más de 300 mil libras de basura Un total de 332 mil 925 libras de basura inorgánica fue recolectada durante la jornada, en la que participaron 30 municipios que poseen costas incluyendo a Bluefields, Corn Island, San Rafael del Sur, Granada, Diriamba, Jinotepe, Juigalpa, Corinto, Puerto Cabezas, San Juan...
¡Felicidades Karina! Meet Karina Alvarez, from Pueblo Nuevo in the Rivas province of Nicaragua. Karina won honorable mention in a national children's art contest, after taking a Paso Pacifico-sponsored course in nature painting. Karina is a shining example of how our environmental education programs help develop a culture of conservation.
We're excited to have videographers from CAVUsite.org visiting the Paso del Istmo this week. They're getting footage for a documentary on the future of tourism in Nicaragua. Dedicated to helping people solve complex problems related to the management and conservation of natural resources, CAVU uses flight, film, and education to bring people and communities together for conservation.
San Juan del Sur's Annual Panga Fishing Tournament took place this weekend. Paso Pacifico's National Director, Liza Gonzalez was on hand to deliver a presentation about marine conservation. If you watch this video, you'll understand why everyone at Paso Pacifico is happy to be a part of the San Juan del Sur community.
We're pleased to be included in this piece at the Environmental News Service: MÉRIDA, Mexico, November 13, 2009 (ENS) - For the first time in decades, the eggs of endangered sea turtles buried on a small strip of Nicaraguan beach will not be collected and sold in local food markets. A program developed by nonprofit Paso Pacífico pays residents up to $2.50 for each turtle hatchling that reaches the surf...
You're just as likely to find them in the field in Rivas, checking on our biodiversity monitoring stations, traveling from rural school to rural school on horseback, measuring tree growth at one of our reforestation projects, or just picking up garbage on the beach, but this is Paso Pacifico's Managua-based team. Paso Pacifico team visits the Montibelli Private Nature Reserve
Our friends at AMICTLAN have shared this great video of the white-faced capuchin monkey, with friends of the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.
Unique solar technology aids Paso Pacifico in protecting endangered sea turtles Media Contacts: Wendy Purnell, Paso Pacifico 1-805-643-7044 wendy@pasopacifico.org Sheila Kennedy, Portable Light Project 1-617-442-0800 skennedy@kvarch.net It was a chance meeting at PopTech’s annual innovation conference two years ago that sparked collaboration between California-based NGO Paso Pacífico and the Portable Light Project. At the event, Paso Pacífico Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Otterstrom, and Portable Light Project founder, Sheila Kennedy,...
Adelayde Rivas, our PR guru in Managua shares a sad story. The other day she got a call from Paso Pacifico, informing her of an arribada at La Flor, the sea turtles were arriving to nest on the beach. She set aside a mountain of work and errands in Managua to head for the coast, dig her feet into the clean sands of the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, and take...
Over at Project Groundswell, S. Neil Larsen, shares his adventures on horseback visiting our Return to Forest program: Under a midday sun, I guided my horse up a steep, dusty slope, eventually emerging at the top of a ridge overlooking a brown valley, roads crisscrossing the landscape. Though it was the dry season on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, this area seemed more void of life than normal. Above, a large hawk...
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