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New Bat Species for Nicaragua

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Broad-eared Bat (Nyctinomops laticaudata)
photo by Jose Gabriel Martinez
Somoto Canyon in Northern Nicaragua
photo by Jose Gabriel Martinez
Last week, biologists Marlon Chavez and Jose Gabriel Martinez, documented the presence of a new bat species in Nicaragua. Our team netted the Broad-eared Bat (Nyctinomops laticaudata) in the Somoto Canyon in Northern Nicaragua.
The IUCN Red List has more information about this species and its habitat range.
Our bat conservation initiative, led by Director of Conservation Science Kim Williams-Guillén, is a joint project with Bat Conservation International, FHI360, and USAID.
You can read more about our bat projects on our website or here on our bat blog.

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As Andrew Revkin points out at the Dot Earth blog:

The documentary chronicles how communities that once depended on sea turtle poaching and other activities depleting the region’s rich natural resources are now testing a new economic model, one built around fishing with turtle conservation in mind and tourism focused on the area’s extraordinary marine life.

Following the lead of the fishermen who work Grupo Tortuguero and working with fishermen in the coastal communities where we work, we are protecting sea turtles and helping sustainable fishing cooperatives better manage marine resources.

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Parrots require tall trees for nesting or large, mature trees which form natural cavities, where the parrots like to lay their eggs. Without suitable nesting sites, parrots don’t nest.

Look closely and you’ll see one of two nesting Yellow-naped parrots guarding a nest opening.

And the two newly hatched chicks he’s protecting.

This is one of twenty nests being protected by members of our incentive program. Yellow-naped parrots only have two eggs per clutch, which makes it harder to ensure a healthy population.

Remember our artificial parrot nests?
No parrots have had clutches in them, yet.
But the local squirrels have taken up residence.
This is what a baby Central American squirrel looks like.
This woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus)
made himself at home, as well.

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Anyone who has spent time in Central America undoubtedly knows what howler monkeys sound like, but it can be difficult to spot them among the branches of the trees where they roost.
Thanks to our camera traps, we “caught” this howler on one of the private reserves where we cooperate with the landowner to ensure forest connectivity.
Howler monkeys are also known to be an arboreal species, meaning they spend all their lives in the trees. So what is this guy doing on the ground?

 

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Over at One World One Ocean’s blog, The Water Column, Sarah Bedolfe tells a story from Indonesia which will sound very familiar to Paso Pacífico’s friends and followers:

For generations, the island residents of Runduma, Indonesia have been harvesting sea turtle eggs.

The egg harvest was a tradition… eggs were eaten as well as sold for about 1,000 rupiah (9 cents) each and used for community expenses–fixing a new water filtration system, helping poor families send their kids to school–making them important for the local economy.
However, the turtles are endangered and a lot has changed in Runduma in recent years. Far from being the turtles’ hunters, the islanders are now their allies…

Now, the people of Runduma no longer need to harvest turtle eggs to make a living. Instead, they are thriving while working to save the turtles.

We are always pleased to hear about efforts to save endangered sea turtles, and especially glad to see that others having success creating a culture of conservation.

Read more about sea turtle credits and incentive payments for conservation.

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From the Rainforest Alliance:

As the world’s population grows and natural resources dwindle, the creation of parks and protected natural areas is not enough to solve the problem of forest destruction. The Rainforest Alliance believes that it is possible to safeguard valuable ecosystems while still allowing communities and businesses to extract the forest resources upon which their livelihoods depend.

The farms, forests and tourism businesses with which we work not only manage their own lands sustainably but they also function as an integral part of the larger landscape — keeping trees standing, preventing erosion, protecting waterways and soils, providing wildlife habitat and reducing the risk of fires and other destructive activities. Together, sustainably managed businesses and neighboring protected areas can form a thriving mosaic that nurtures ecosystems, wildlife and people.

We agree, which is why we combine conservation practices with programs aimed toward increased prosperity for local residents. Working with farmers, foresters, private reserves, and micro-enterprise, our programs are helping the people of western Nicaragua flourish as they share the natural beauty of their home with visitors from around the world.

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The Multilateral Investment Fund issued a press release last week about our Environmental Leadership and Entrepreneurship for Geotourism project:

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, will support the Paso Pacifico Foundation in a project that seeks to position Nicaragua as a competitive ecotourism destination that contributes to the conservation of biodiversity in and around the La Flor Wildlife Refuge in the department of Rivas.

The MIF expects that this project will integrate selected communities into sustainable tourism value chains, and will promote the protection of natural capital, especially the region’s sea turtle population, which is one of the key tourist attractions.

Given the turtle’s importance to local tourism offerings, the MIF will support the identification, design and implementation of innovative financing mechanisms for the protection and monitoring of these animals. One of these mechanisms will promote the creation of “turtle credits” – certificates representing a turtle egg not removed from its nest, equivalent to a born turtle – that will be offered to consumers and businesses that support the conservation of marine ecosystem conservation, such as surf and dive shops, medium-to-high-end seafood restaurant chains and NGOs devoted to conservation.

Desde un comunicado de prensa de FOMIN:

Nicaragua: “Créditos de Tortuga” para salvaguardar el capital natural del Refugio de Vida Silvestre de la Flor

El Fondo Multilateral de Inversiones (FOMIN), miembro del Grupo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) apoyará a la Fundación Paso Pacífico en un proyecto que busca posicionar a Nicaragua como un destino eco-turístico competitivo que contribuya a la conservación de la biodiversidad dentro y alrededor del Refugio de Vida Silvestre de la Flor en el Departamento de Rivas…

El FOMIN espera que este proyecto integre a las comunidades seleccionadas en la cadena de valor del turismo sostenible, promoviendo la salvaguardia del capital natural, especialmente las poblaciones de tortugas de la región que representarán la base de los servicios turísticos ofertados del proyecto…

Dada la importancia de las tortugas para la oferta turística local, el FOMIN apoyará la identificación, el diseño y la implementación de mecanismos innovadores para el financiamiento de actividades de protección y monitoreo de estos animales. Uno de estos mecanismos fomentará la generación de “créditos de tortugas” – certificados que representan un huevo de tortuga no sacado del nido, lo que equivale a una tortuga nacida- los cuales serán ofrecidos a consumidores, y negocios que apoyan la conservación de los ecosistemas marinos, tales como tiendas de surf y buceo, cadenas de restaurantes de pescado de nivel medio-alto y ONG conservacionistas.

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Our February newsletter is online.

Thanks to Danielle Gustafson from Bat Conservation International for the great photo of our Junior Rangers learning about a bat they’ve just netted with bat biologist Luis F. Aguirre.

Also in our newsletter:

  • catch up on last month’s Turtle Ball
  • learn about our upcoming arts education programs with the Raechel & Jackie Foundation
  • Meet PP staffer Nicole Salazar
  • help us fight forest fires in coastal Nicaragua
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