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Top and left: Yellow-naped Amazon parrots photographed by Carlos Jenkins.
Right: Technician Marcos Calero and ranger Cristián Bonilla put an identifying ring on a young endangered parrot. This photo was taken before COVID-19 protection measures were fully implemented among our team members.
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We have great news: the 2020 nesting season was a record year for endangered baby parrots! Through partnerships with local families and support from the Loro Parque Fundación and donors like you, 39 endangered yellow-naped Amazon parrots hatched and are now flying free in Nicaragua. Their number far surpasses our previous in-country record of 29 parrots.
Yellow-naped Amazons are not just sweet, but are also vital for healthy forests. When they eat wild fruits, they carry the seeds to new sites, where the seeds germinate and take root. These parrots' role in forest health is one reason we have adopted them as a flagship species.
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2020's winged windfall also benefited community members like the man at right, pictured with the youngest parrot of the season. Ten rural families earned conservation incentive payments from protecting 32 baby parrots, with $2600 paid out in total. Such incentives made a difference to families during these difficult times. One farmer, a former parrot poacher, called our team to say thank you and told us that without the incentive program, his family would not have food to eat this year. Donors to Paso Pacífico helped save this family and others, as well as the endangered parrots they protect.
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In El Salvador, we began the nesting season by setting up protective fencing and surveillance cameras around an active yellow-naped Amazon nest in the northern region of Metapán. This work was done with our partners at the Enrique Figueroa Foundation and interns from Patagonia. Sadly, the nest was predated by an opossum. Our plans to monitor other nests were thwarted by the country's COVID-19 lockdowns.
Yet, Paso Pacífico forged ahead, strategizing for the future. We invited four members of the Alianza for Yellow-naped Amazons, the network we co-founded last year, to design conservation action plans for the parrots. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund made it possible for us to sponsor this work. We are excited to help implement the plans later this year. They will make a difference.
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Parrot lovers have other good things to look forward to. For example, we are coordinating closely with El Salvador's Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales as it develops a national program plan for yellow-naped Amazon conservation. The government's plan will provide a road map for helping this species make a comeback nationwide.
In addition, Paso Pacífico has joined a new anti-wildlife-trafficking network called "Loros sin Fronteras" (Parrots without Borders). Active in both Nicaragua and El Salvador, this group aims to organize communications campaigns and coordinate efforts to put an end to the illegal trade of parrots. This partnership will help your support go even further.
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Thank you to all our donors. You have made possible a bumper crop of parrots, and you are helping us make strides for Central America's amazing wildlife, hand in hand with local communities.
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Luis Fernando Díaz Chávez (September 12,1988–June 3, 2020) was an important member of Paso Pacífico's team. For over a decade, this brilliant young ornithologist worked as a consultant on our bird monitoring teams, who spend weeks at a time observing migratory and resident birds during the peak of fall and spring migration. Paso Pacífico staff were always impressed by Luis' passion. Even after long days in the field, he would retire to his hammock to review bird calls and select his favorite birding photos.
Luis regularly participated in our Christmas Bird Counts, overwintering bird-banding stations, and other special projects like surveys for wetland birds. Just last year, Luis was part of the team who counted 1.3 million migrating raptors from a newly discovered site last fall. Their work laid the foundation for future raptor monitoring research in Nicaragua.
We will never forget Luis. Our team members praise Luis' gentle manner and admire him as one of the best birders in the country. Despite his humble circumstances, he found ways to scrimp and save for birding guides and equipment, taking special care of them. Luis was also very kindhearted, always willing to share his time with students interested in birds. Over the years, he helped train over 500 children in birdwatching.
In recent years, Luis worked as a high school science teacher in Managua. Luis became ill with COVID-19 as cases rose in Nicaragua during May. You can read tributes and learn more about Luis in this recent article from BirdWatching Magazine.
Luis was the sole provider to his widowed mother. He was a devoted son, often sending her his consultancy fees before departing for the field. As we grieve, our hearts are with her. A GoFundMe campaign has been established on her behalf. Please consider making a donation in Luis' honor. We send a heartfelt thanks to the many who have given so far.
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A rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) photographed by Luis Díaz.
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Paso Pacífico is extremely grateful to longtime friend and board member Christine Schmidt. With a master's degree in nonprofit management and nearly twenty years of experience in philanthropy and higher education, she brings a wealth of expertise to our organization.
Christine has been with Paso Pacífico since the start, lending her nonprofit expertise to help us draft our first bylaws and register as a 501(c)(3) corporation in 2005. She has made numerous trips to Nicaragua and El Salvador to help establish our partnerships with landowners and governments. Christine also volunteered for our Board of Directors from 2014 to 2019, and for the last two years she served as our Board President. Her strategic way of thinking has helped us plan for the future.
Christine currently leads at UC Berkeley as the assistant vice chancellor focusing on principal gifts and strategic initiatives. Our mission will continue on thanks to her knowledge and care. We are deeply grateful to have Christine as a part of our organization through all these years.
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Paso Pacífico’s mission is to restore and protect the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica, reconnecting people and wildlife. Effective conservation needs every person and benefits everyone in return. We have always striven to be inclusive regardless of race, gender, nationality, sexuality, and age.
Despite our efforts, we recognize areas where we could improve. Our board of directors is working on plans to demonstrate our commitment against discrimination of all types, and we will release more details in the coming months.
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International environmental news source Mongabay published an article about the impact of COVID-19 on sea turtle conservation in Nicaragua, viewed through the eyes of Paso Pacífico's sea turtle rangers. With photos from last year and recent video of our sea turtle rangers and executive director Sarah Otterstrom, environmental reporter Monica Pellicia discussed some of the challenges we face. We invite you to take a look. The article is available in English and Spanish.
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You carry us through difficult times. Please give now to help our work continue.
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First place winning painting by Melissa Valle from the Pachamama art contest
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Art and nature are powerful forces that can spread hope during times of crisis. In May, El Salvador was two months into a very strict lockdown. We invited you to help boost morale by supporting a local nature art contest. Organized by Nahual - Proyectos Educativos Ambientales and Asociación Territorios Vivos El Salvador, it centered on the theme of "Pachamama, her beauty and pain." Prizes included gift certificates to grocery stores and opportunities for artists to share their work at a national level.
The contest has now concluded. Thank you very much to those who donated to support the winners. It was a thrill for the Paso Pacífico family to contribute to celebrating nature.
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Second place winning photograph by Gabriela Velasco from the Pachamama art contest
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Your estate plan could provide both tax savings for you and legacy support for wildlife and communities in Central America. Please contact Executive Director Dr. Sarah Otterstrom at sarah@pasopacifico.org with any questions.
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