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You, our supporters, may have noticed that our digital newsletter has not been running for most of this year. Since late spring, we have reduced the level of current program detail circulating online as a measure of caution while Nicaragua undergoes political turmoil and violence.
We want you to know that our staff is safe and our high-impact conservation programs are still going strong, thanks to your support! This year's developments highlight the power of our holistic approach. Here are a few updates:
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A new cohort of Junior Rangers was formed, and children from across six communities are meeting weekly to participate in hands-on learning about wildlife and ecosystems. We look forward to incorporating these kids into our citizen science monitoring programs after they graduate in a few months.
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Thanks to your generous donations to our appeal during the turtle poaching crisis, we were able to hire three new rangers full time. Your support has allowed us to increase the number of beaches we protect, which will lead to more baby turtles!
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On Earth Day weekend, we launched the Million Trees campaign to plant one million trees in Central America over the next three years. Already, many of you helped us plant more than 7000 trees in the Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor.
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Twenty-four yellow-naped Amazon parrots fledged the nest this year—a record number! Three-quarters of these endangered parrots were saved through our incentive program, which pays community members for each successful fledgling they protect on their own properties. These fledglings are now flying free, dispersing seeds and helping rebuild forests as "ecosystem engineers."
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Guided by our strategic plan, written last year, Paso Pacífico's board of directors visited El Salvador and met with landowners and new partner organizations. This month, we will launch new conservation programs in the dry tropical forest of this biologically rich country.
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We hope to stay in better contact with you in 2019. In the meantime, we invite you to peruse this year's print newsletters. The Spring/Summer issue is at this link and the Fall/Winter issue is available here. You may also request a print version to be mailed to your home address by emailing info@pasopacifico.org.
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This year, we have been fortunate to work with collaborating researcher Ruchi Patel. Ruchi is working towards her MS in geography at Penn State University. As part of her research, she is evaluating social and environmental processes around the design and implementation of biological corridors. Ruchi has helped us identify priority wildlife corridors in El Salvador and is working to understand the viability of each of these sites.
Ruchi has a deep love for Latin America and spent over two years volunteering in Paraguay as a conservation educator with the Peace Corps. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, practicing and teaching yoga, and sipping coffee from around the world. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Ruchi as we work to develop new wildlife corridors in El Salvador.
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Ten years ago, Paso Pacífico set out to monitor yellow-naped Amazon parrots in the Paso del Istmo, Nicaragua, supported by a small grant from the Loro Parque Fundación. This initial assessment indicated that there were as few as 80 birds in the entire Paso del Istmo. It was clear that a long-term commitment was needed to recover this species. The Foundation has sustained its support through the years, providing more than $150,000 to our parrot conservation program.
Thanks to the Loro Parque Fundación, there are strong indicators of the positive impact this decades-long investment has had. For example, the Loro Parque Fundación helped us to start an incentive program in 2012; just last year, 18 yellow-naped Amazon parrotlets successfully fledged their natural nests thanks to community members who protected nests and received cash payments in recognition of their efforts. Our preliminary analysis indicates that the yellow-naped Amazon population has stabilized and even shown significant growth. We are grateful to the Loro Parque Fundación and are thrilled to have their support as we expand our yellow-naped Amazon parrot conservation efforts to El Salvador.
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January 4–5, 2019: Christmas Bird Count, Paso del Istmo, Nicaragua
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Teresa Lang is our board treasurer and longtime friend who is passionate about ocean conservation and sustainability. This year she graduated from an sustainability-focused international MBA program at the top-ranked Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain. Prior to her business studies, Teresa worked for many years to develop solutions to climate change at the non-profit Climate Action Reserve.
Teresa has known Paso Pacífico for many years, initially volunteering with us in Nicaragua where she developed a tourism-training program within the community. Inspired by the pristine waves, she also reached out to Nicaraguan surfers and started our surf ambassador program. Teresa went on to work for Paso Pacífico for a short period to develop a summer intern program before she moved on to serve our planet in the area of climate change mitigation. Through the years we have admired Teresa's passion and are so glad to have her "on board."
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This past month, Central America has headlined the national news. Much of the information has focused on the challenges the region faces. Despite difficulties, the region is rich in human capital and teeming with biodiversity. Here are some recent news items that remind us that investing in the region is a good choice for supporting its people and improving our shared planet:
To read more recent news articles about Paso Pacífico's work, please visit our In The News page.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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We are grateful to George Duriaux and Liliana Chavarría-Duriaux, our friends in conservation. This dynamic duo are the owners and managers at the Reserva El Jaguar, Nicaragua's premier birding area, in Jinotega, Nicaragua. This private reserve has been in their family for over 50 years, and during that time Liliana and George have dedicated the area to cloud forest restoration, sustainable coffee production, and bird research and conservation. The area is rich in biodiversity; over 300 bird species have been recorded there! For this reason, the reserve and its ecolodge are a favorite for bird lovers and ecotourists alike.
We have been gifted by Liliana and George's generosity in collaborations and teaching. Both have assisted Paso Pacífico in numerous trainings, including trainings in bird banding, the use of eBird's citizen science database, and the management of overwintering bird banding stations. Currently, the two are lending their expertise to support us in the development of Motus tracking stations.
Liliana is Nicaragua's foremost bird expert. She has been the lead author on the country's first and only bird guides, including Birds of Nicaragua: A Field Guide, published in May 2018. Not only does this new book make a great holiday gift, it is an extraordinary publication documenting Nicaragua's 763 resident and passage birds. The field guide has been cited as "the definitive field guide to Nicaraguan birds."
Liliana and George are constantly researching birds and promoting landscape conservation with landowners across Nicaragua. They have worked closely with the American Bird Conservancy to promote the conservation of the golden-winged warbler and have also made an impact by supporting neighboring farms in conducting reforestation, improving coffee management, and learning more about this endangered bird.
We are greatly admire George and Liliana and feel indebted to them both for their leadership in advancing conservation in Nicaragua.
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