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Donors like you saved endangered parrots from poachers!
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Thanks to your support, communities in Nicaragua are more committed than ever to stop the illegal poaching of yellow-naped amazon parrots. This nesting season, your donations helped rescue 19 of these beautiful and intelligent endangered birds. And the good news doesn't end there!
A few weeks ago, we told you about the Junior Rangers who rescued three abandoned kittens on the beach. This week, we have another story for you that shows children's growing dedication to the ecosystems around them. When they came face to face with a poacher, a few kids in northern Nicaragua banded together to save two parrots' lives.
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It all began with your donations. Your support helped women rangers lead a parrot conservation workshop (pictured) last March. And the kids listened closely.
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Just a few weeks later, some of those kids noticed a poacher cycling away with two stolen baby parrots. Inspired by the education you made possible, these brave children chased down the poacher and rescued both birds!
Then, they turned over the polluelos to a Paso Pacífico ranger. A couple of weeks later, thanks to your protection, the wild young parrots flew safely back into the forest.
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While Paso Pacífico's workshops in no way teach children to chase down poachers, we knew we had to share this awe-inspiring story with you. Those children took initiative in an extraordinary way and saved two parrots from life in captivity because of you. Your support truly turned hearts toward nature, and the ripple effects will go on for generations. From abandoned kittens to baby parrots, your donations have saved lives.
We are so thankful for your support, which saved parrots and gave under-resourced communities the opportunity to learn and practice conservation. In addition, we thank the Loro Parque Fundación for supporting our parrot conservation efforts and Loros Sin Fronteras for sharing technical expertise with us.
To every donor: THANK YOU for empowering children and saving baby parrots!
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Thank you for saving 19 endangered parrots!
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Your gifts kept parrots safe in the wild this year!
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Your gifts helped our team work for wildlife! Cristián Bonilla Mercado is a skilled parabiologist and experienced forest ranger. In his twelve years with Paso Pacífico, he has helped protect primates, bats, amphibians, and birds — lots of birds, including yellow-naped amazon parrots. He is deeply involved with parrot monitoring. (Above, he holds three nestlings that were saved last year.) He is also trained in phenology and has assisted with carbon reforestation projects.
Cristián has five children, including twin girls, with his wife Lisseth Sánchez. He loves playing the guitar at church and in his spare time. We are so grateful to have him on our team! Support his work here.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Your impact in El Salvador was made possible by Ruchi Patel. While getting her master's degree at Penn State University, she helped identify Salvadoran areas best suited for wildlife corridors, which are central to preserving biodiversity and fulfilling our mission.
Now, Ruchi is working on her Ph.D. and has received a Fulbright scholarship! Thanks to this grant, she will live in El Salvador for a year, starting in September. Ruchi's research will examine how tourism initiatives like Surf City align with local conservation efforts, and how communities on the coast are affected by it all. She will partner with Paso Pacífico and our friends at FUNZEL.
Bolstered by you, we are grateful to work with Ruchi and FUNZEL on this important project.
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Our sponsoring partner Truly Wild + New Plumage celebrated its first anniversary this month! For every parrot tee you purchase from this sustainable clothing company, $5 will go towards saving yellow-naped amazon parrots. Support endangered species and a small business by checking them out today.
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Meet Brenda! Bolstered by your support, this mother of two helped save parrots and the planet this year. She took part in our incentive program, which is a life-saving and equitable approach to combating illegal parrot trafficking, and used part of the proceeds in a climate-friendly way.
How does this incentive program work? It’s simple, really: if a community member finds a parrot nest in their area, they notify our rangers, who verify the nest and start monitoring it. As the young parrots hatch and grow, the community member is the one principally in charge of their protection. She receives thank you payments for reporting the nest and keeping the parrots safe. Once the young parrots are flying free, she also receives a final payment. Combined, the financial incentives for saving the parrots are notably higher than what she would have received by trafficking the polluelos. Over 100 endangered parrots have been saved this way, with your support!
Brenda has already used the funds we provided to reforest a portion of her farm and improve the quality of life for her livestock. We are eternally grateful to Brenda, our donors, and the communities in Nicaragua for their commitment to conservation. Together, we are building the foundation for a more equitable and sustainable world.
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Thank you for your support!
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Thank you to all the photographers who contributed photos used in this e-newsletter. These include but are not limited to Hal Brindley, Cristina Garcia, Bruce Taubert, Ruchi Patel, and Paso Pacífico rangers Marcos Calero, Anna Chévez, Jarinton García, and Oswaldo Saballos.
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