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A new class of Junior Rangers has graduated! For over a year, 61 students from throughout the Paso del Istmo have taken environmental lessons as part of Paso Pacífico's Junior Ranger program. Thanks to generous donors, we were able to treat these hardworking kids to a memorable graduation celebration last month, where they formally committed to protect nature.
The event began with traditional Nicaraguan folk dances, and from there children recited self-authored poetry and heard inspiring words from recognized conservationist Maritza Rivera. The children laughed with delight at the children's theater presentation “Journey of the Turtle,” a piece brought to us by Tortugas Nicas and Fauna & Flora International. With certificates, the Junior Rangers pledged to protect wildlife and act as stewards of their environment. Other attendees included local dignitaries, 60 previously graduated Junior Rangers and over a dozen children about to enter the program.
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The Junior Rangers inspire us all through their enthusiasm and service. Program highlights include bird counts like Global Big Day (pictured above), field trips to release baby turtles and observe bird monitoring, and waterway cleanups near villages where these children live. In the coming months, they will participate in wildlife monitoring efforts as citizen scientists.
Our Junior Ranger program is led by Paso Pacífico's female rangers. These women coordinate and plan lessons in classrooms, guide the children on field trips, and provide support and encouragement. This program is a high-impact and cost-effective way to shape future generations of conservationists. Previous graduates have taken actions like setting out water for wildlife during droughts, advocating against egg poaching and other destructive practices, and even shadowing our turtle rangers. The program only costs approximately US$30 per month per child. (Click here to begin donating monthly.)
We would like to thank Vana Guidotti and Kevin Wells and Pat and Gary Hedden for making special donations to fund this event. The Junior Ranger program has been made possible by many funders, including the Loro Parque Fundación, the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the US Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry (USFS-IITF), the New England Biolabs Foundation, the Kathryn McQuade Foundation, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. We also would like to recognize Rick Smith, a longtime friend and board alumnus who was instrumental in developing this wonderful program.
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Guillermo Funes is a member of our first field team in El Salvador. During the past four months, he has worked to monitor nesting yellow-naped Amazon parrots in coordination with the Enrique Figueroa Foundation. Guillermo is a biologist who recently graduated from the University of El Salvador. He loves birds and is one of the top citizen scientists on the eBird platform in El Salvador, recording over 420 species in the country to date.
Guillermo is also passionate about the environmental history of El Salvador and how it is interwoven with colonialism and modern-day political events. Most recently, he authored a powerful editorial arguing that El Salvador is rich in biodiversity, countering a dismissal by a renowned scientist. You can read his editorial here.
Paso Pacífico is thrilled to have another avid bird biologist on our team.
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Paso Pacífico would like to thank the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund for helping us begin conservation of the black-handed spider monkey in El Salvador. Our first efforts will begin in the eastern region of the country, focusing on a population of a critically endangered monkey subspecies.
We have played a lead role in this species' recovery in southwestern Nicaragua, and the environmental conditions in El Salvador are very similar to what we confronted fifteen years ago in the Paso del Istmo. The monkeys we will work with are extremely shy and live in a highly-fragmented dry forest broken up by farms and ranches. Thanks to the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, we will be able to apply our community-based methods to protect this critically endangered subspecies in El Salvador. We are deeply grateful for their support.
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Our friend and partner Liliana Chavarría-Duriaux, co-owner of Nicaragua’s premier birding area (Reserva El Jaguar), was recently recognized with the Public Awareness Award by the conservation network Partners In Flight.
This award honors Lili’s tremendous work in building a solid foundation for bird conservation in Nicaragua. For example, Lili has co-authored all of Nicaragua's bird field guides. Her efforts have led to an increased appreciation for birds among local communities and landowners, and valuable collaborations with national, regional, and international scientists.
Lili has supported Paso Pacífico's work for many years by providing training to our bird biologists, supporting our semiannual monitoring of migratory birds, carried out in partnership with USFS-IITF, and sharing her knowledge on bird taxonomy and distribution with our staff. Lili is a legend and truly deserves this important honor.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Our partners are making possible a new event: World Oceans Day Ventura! This event will be held next Friday afternoon, June 7, at Harbor Cove Beach in the city of Ventura. Powered by the sun thanks to our Silver Sponsor California Solar Electric, it will feature local ocean hero and former professional skateboarder Peggy Oki and include a raffle, family-friendly games, educational booths, live music and more. A beach cleanup, sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation - Ventura County Chapter, will occur the next morning. To learn more and sign up as a volunteer, please visit WorldOceansDayVentura.org.
For the last decade, people around the world have celebrated Earth’s oceans in early June. While Paso Pacífico’s work is focused on Central America, its headquarters is in Ventura, a coastal city in California. Our California office is organizing this event as part of our efforts to highlight connectivity along the Pacific region of the Americas.
Our organizing partners include the Ojai Island Foundation, World Oceans Day, March for the Ocean, the Ventura Port District, and the MERITO Foundation. The United States Navy Seabees, Primary Water Resources, the Chung family, and many local companies are also providing valuable support. We sincerely thank all of our World Oceans Day Ventura partners and look forward to a wonderful ocean celebration next week!
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