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The global pandemic has created unexpected challenges this year. Thanks to your support, we have encountered many good surprises in the natural world. This sea turtle season, your donations have protected more than 60 sea turtle nests, including nests from 23 endangered Eastern Pacific green turtles and 4 critically endangered Eastern Pacific hawksbill turtles. One of these hawksbill nests was protected through our partner Rancho Santana in the Tola Department.
While 4 nests might seem like a small number, each Eastern Pacific hawksbill nest is crucial to the survival of this species. Your protection of these 4 nests yielded 494 hawksbill hatchlings! Research by Dr. Alex Gaos and colleagues (including our executive director) demonstrated that the hawksbill species nesting on the open coasts of Central America are genetically distinct. Unfortunately, this open-coast sub-population is also the most imperiled. This includes the hawksbills nesting on beaches in the Paso del Istmo. Hawksbill sea turtles are vital to the health of coral reefs and mangrove estuaries. By helping us prevent the extinction of this one sea turtle species, over time, you are aiding the recovery of entire marine ecosystems.
Our sea turtle program would not be possible without generous support from individuals like you. We would also like to recognize important partners like SEETurtles.org, the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, an anonymous foundation, and the Kathryn McQuade Foundation. Our community ranger program is complemented by our efforts to reduce the illegal trade of sea turtle eggs through the InvestEGGator technology. Thanks to those who have supported this wildlife-saving tech through our GlobalGiving campaign!
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"Twig or tweet"—your donation counts!
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José Francisco Vanegas Cortez, affectionately known as Chico, first came to Nicaragua's Paso del Istmo when he fought against the Somoza dictatorship during Nicaragua's 1979 revolution. He has been with Paso Pacífico since our start, beginning as a field assistant in our first spider monkey study. He later became a full-time forest ranger, a position he has held for the past 13 years.
Chico's forest protection efforts are at the heart of the Paso del Istmo wildlife corridor. He supports bird monitoring, does primate monitoring, and patrols the forest at Mono Bayo Reserve. He is a hard worker and has the keen eye of a naturalist. Recently, he shared that he particularly enjoys monitoring tree phenology (study of patterns of fruiting and flowering).
Chico may soon retire from his full-time position at Paso Pacífico to tend to his farm and spend more time with his grandchildren. Fortunately for us, Chico is a neighbor to the Mono Bayo Reserve, so we will still be seeing him frequently. He is a great friend and an outstanding ranger. We are grateful to Chico for his lasting contribution to our mission.
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Paso Pacífico's Board of Directors meets regularly to set the organization's strategic direction, provide fiscal oversight, and to support the organization with fundraising and social networks. The last several years have been challenging (Covid-19, hurricanes, political strife), and while many other international conservation organizations have left the Central American region, we have been able to sustain our work. This has been possible thanks to the leadership of the Board, which has found the energy and resolve to pivot and adapt to changing times.
This past weekend, our Board gathered both virtually and in person for its annual retreat. Those present enjoyed rich discussions at a distance under the oaks at a farm in Ventura County, while others "Zoomed" into the meeting. They held key discussions together related to our vision for the next ten years as we seek to strengthen our landscape restoration efforts in Central America while boosting the next generation of youth who come through our Junior Ranger program. Climate change was also a major theme discussed, and our conservation actions will be designed to reduce greenhouse gases. Special thanks to our Board of Directors for taking their weekend to set forth our strategic goals, and especially to Board President Christy Reich for hosting and leading the meeting.
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Earlier this month, the prestigious journal Current Biology published a paper about successful InvestEGGator field trials in Costa Rica. It has been an exciting month of news coverage of these results, with articles published by BBC, The Economist, The Guardian, NPR's All Things Considered and PRI's The World, Reuters, and over 100 other news outlets from around the world.
The InvestEGGator is a decoy turtle egg created with 3D printing technology and embedded with GPS-GSM tracking device. Paso Pacífico developed this technology to help government and NGO partners discover trade routes and help stop the illegal trade of turtle eggs. Our tech is now being deployed by a government in South America!
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YOU MADE IT!
Thank you for taking a moment to share your thoughts about Paso Pacífico on GreatNonprofits.org. Your positive reviews propelled us into the website's top-rated ranks! The reviews and ranking will help others learn about our work. Thank you so much.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Global Big Day is a birding celebration. Promoted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this event is a chance for expert and amateur birders to come together and record the birds they observe in the free eBird database. This year, we participated with our team of 36 people in Nicaragua who together counted 222 species of birds across the country. In El Salvador, a total of 131 participants came together and recorded 300 bird species. That number is three-quarters of all the bird species in El Salvador at this time of year!
This year's event in El Salvador was the first time birding observations were carried out in each of the country's 14 departments. Participation also doubled from previous Big Day events. This impressive turnout was thanks to the leadership of Julio Acosta, event coordinator. Participants will be recognized through drawing prizes of 8 binoculars and 15 birding guide books in November. Paso Pacífico was able to facilitate these rewards through a partnership with FUNZEL, Arizona Game & Fish, Southern Wings, Partners in Flight, Julio Acosta Birding Tours, Environment for the Americas, and Optics for the Tropics.
We are truly grateful to our partners and the volunteer birders throughout the region who came out to show their support for the birds.
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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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