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Each year, endangered humpback whales swim from California's central coast to waters near El Salvador and Nicaragua. Protecting them in both places is crucial for the humpbacks' recovery, and your support has been laying foundations for that to happen.
This spring, our marine biologist Osmar Sandino was part of I Congreso Centroamericano de Cetáceos. This congress was the first of its kind in Central America, and it brought scientists together to share their work and make new connections to help study and protect cetaceans (whales and dolphins). Osmar presented about our partnerships with Nicaraguan fishers, who work in important humpback whale habitat. They have teamed up with us to improve fishing practices and develop a marine protected area.
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Osmar also participated in pre-congress workshops to coordinate marine mammal research, discuss best practices for whale watching, and develop an international plan for humpback whale conservation (session pictured above). We were pleased to work alongside partners such as El Salvador's Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN). The day after Osmar's presentation, the congress pivoted online due to coronavirus concerns and travel bans. However, the new partnerships and collaborations made through this conference will strengthen conservation efforts to protect humpbacks and other cetaceans in Central American waters.
This week, we will work again with MARN as they design their country's first national plan to protect cetaceans. With you and the Waitt Foundation, which has made possible the above activities, we look forward to continuing these important steps to protect humpback whales. Thank you for your support.
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Because of COVID-19, Paso Pacífico has cancelled its Ventura, California World Oceans Day celebration. However, we will be holding a virtual Spanish-language ocean celebration from Central America later this month. For more information, email us at worldoceans@pasopacifico.org.
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270 families in vulnerable communities are receiving food this week! The picture above is from today. This is because of COVID-19 relief donations from friends like you and partnerships with the American Nicaraguan Foundation and the PRBB Foundation. Thank you to all who have donated!
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Winel Ruiz Morales cheerfully keeps our Nicaragua office moving, whether he is repairing a computer, designing certificates and event flyers, or assisting our office with administrative tasks. He joined our team in 2014 and has a particular fondness for jaguars and sea turtles.
Since COVID-19 occurred, he has been working from home in Ticuantepe. While he misses making field visits to our projects, he enjoys spending more time with his wife and three boys. We are deeply grateful to have Winel and his talents on our team.
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As a Ventura, California-based organization, we are thrilled to work with local companies that share our values. Over the past year, Patagonia has provided generous support to Paso Pacífico's conservation program for cyanoptera macaws, which are endangered. Because of deforestation and poaching, Nicaragua's endemic cyanoptera macaws are nearly extinct, with fewer than 20 birds left. Patagonia's support is helping us in this uphill battle. During this nesting season, we faced many challenges, such as losing chicks to natural predators. However, we and the world were rewarded with a new macaw.
Patagonia has also helped us in other ways. For example, last year it sent us two interns who helped us design conservation programs in El Salvador. In addition, Patagonia and FCD Surfboards, a sister company, contributed to our first World Oceans Day Ventura celebration. Thank you to the Patagonia family for helping protect macaws and the planet!
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In El Salvador, we are supporting an environmental art contest by Nahual - Proyectos Educativos Ambientales and Asociación Territorios Vivos El Salvador. The contest theme is "La belleza de la pachamama y su dolor," meaning "the beauty of Earth-Mother and her pain." Over 150 entries have already been submitted. You can help sponsor the prizes, which include gift certificates to grocery stores. The current goal is $600. If you would like to contribute, please make a donation here.
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This contest's host organizations have both worked with us over the past year. They are led by respected, creative and capable women biologists. With this contest, they are promoting appreciation for nature while giving an artistic outlet to citizens in a strict countrywide lock down. We are excited to support this endeavor and invite you to check it out.
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Parrot network members Julio Acosta and Paso Pacífico executive director Dr. Sarah Otterstrom look for yellow-naped Amazons together in El Salvador.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Over the past eighteen months, Loro Parque Fundación (LPF) and SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund (SWBG) have invested to help yellow-naped Amazon parrots begin recovering in El Salvador. Thanks to their support, Paso Pacífico and FUNZEL spearheaded the formation of an alliance of Salvadoran conservationists last year to start working together to protect these parrots. Alliance members are each carrying out protection efforts like those we conduct in northern El Salvador in partnership with Fundación Enrique Figueroa.
During El Salvador's strict stay-at-home measures, alliance members are now developing five action plans with support from LPF and SWBG. These plans focus on educating citizens about the importance of these beloved parrots.
With the support of these two organizations, Paso Pacífico is also working in close coordination with MARN to help it develop its first national strategy for the yellow-naped Amazon parrot. We thank SWBG and LPF for making all these efforts possible.
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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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Thank you to David Alfaro, Nahual Proyectos Educativos Ambientales, Vincent Romera, Matt Dolkas, and Paso Pacífico staff members Oswaldo Saballos, Winel Ruiz Morales, Osmar Sandino, Anna Chévez, and Sarah Otterstrom for contributing pictures used in this month's newsletter.
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