|
|
|
|
CONSERVATION IN ACTION
Worldwide, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count has been an annual birding tradition for 120 years! We started participating in 2015, and our recent event (held January 4th) was another great success. Nearly 50 people joined our bird count in Nicaragua's Paso del Istmo biological corridor, including 21 enthusiastic Junior Rangers.
|
|
|
Count volunteers followed seven routes within a designated circle that was 15 miles wide. As they traveled these routes, including one at sea, the birders documented every bird they saw or heard throughout the day. This year's count was strengthened by the 19 brand-new birding field guides donated by the Frank Joyce and Katy Van Dusen family. Additionally, ornithologist Vincent Romera from our French partner organization HUMY provided critical assistance in organizing volunteers and assisting with bird identification.
|
|
|
By the end of the count, we had made a total of 3,444 observations corresponding to birds of 149 species—12 more species than last year. Highlights include several species rarely seen in the Paso del Istmo, including the keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), black-crowned antshrike (Thamnophilus atrinucha), and ruddy woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa). Below are some photos from the count, including ocean photos taken by French photographer Alexis Lemetais (@alex_lem_photography).
|
|
|
BONUS: The Junior Rangers in Ostional, Nicaragua, finished their Christmas Bird Count with a beach cleanup! They are tracking data on local plastic pollution, and their results will be shared with the Ocean Conservancy. Your support is providing meaningful community service opportunities that are helping Junior Rangers become leaders who care for their local environment.
|
|
|
|
|
Biologist Adriana Hernández recently joined our team to lead our work with yellow-naped Amazon parrots in El Salvador. She has a spunky, outgoing personality and a strong passion for bird conservation.
Adriana is a respected member of the Salvadoran birding community and has served in El Salvador's chapter of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation. She regularly participates in international bird monitoring events, including Audubon Christmas Bird Counts, and also contributed to the first bird guide for the Arcatao community.
Before graduating from the University of El Salvador, she wrote her thesis on the nesting behavior of yellow-naped Amazon parrots in Barra de Santiago National Park. Her work with Paso Pacífico builds on that expertise. Adriana is excited to lead our Salvadoran partnerships to protect these parrots and support environmental education in northern Salvadoran communities. We will work closely with Fundación Enrique Figueroa Lemus in these efforts. Together, we are determined to keep the area's few remaining parrot nests safe and sound.
|
|
|
Thanks to friends like you, our recent Global Giving campaign has started out with success. The campaign's purpose is to raise funds so we can continue developing the InvestEGGator artificial sea turtle egg. The first month of the campaign was crucial because we needed a high level of donor participation to reach partner status on the Global Giving platform. Knowing the threats that the wildlife trade poses to sea life, our donors stepped up and gave generously. By the end of the first month, we had reached our initial goal! We are thrilled to now be recognized as partners on this fundraising platform and to have received your support in combating the illegal trade of sea turtle eggs. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
Word about the InvestEGGator is going out to classrooms! We are honored to appear in National Geographic once again, this time featuring our affiliated scientist Dr. Kim Williams-Guillén in the Explorer Magazine's 'Women in Science' special issue. The story highlights how the decoy egg she invented will help track the illegal trade of sea turtle eggs.
|
|
PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
|
|
We are thrilled to share a partnership with Offset Alliance, a purpose-driven corporation that gives people a simple way to reduce their carbon output by purchasing verified carbon offsets. Their co-founders, Henkel Smith (shown above with ranger Jarinton García) and Laura Huston, are passionate about supporting nature conservation and communities in Central America as part of their company's mission. They recently traveled down to Nicaragua with family and friends to meet our team and start reforesting in person.
Through Offset Alliance, users can get one-time offsets for things like travel and can also sign up for recurring offsets to mitigate ongoing household emissions. In addition, the company is offering the opportunity for customers to simply plant trees. Our goal together this year is to plant 5000 trees at the Mono Bayo Reserve, which would fill out the areas that need restoration. Click here to learn more about this wonderful opportunity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you to Alexis Lemetais, Henkel Smith, James Liu, and Paso Pacífico staff members Anabel Chévez, Karen Lacayo, Jairo Coronado, Adriana Hernández, Marcos Calero, Yorlin Vargas and Kim Williams-Guillén for contributing photos used in this month's newsletter!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
