Las Tarrales, one of our six sites
In 2017, One Earth Conservation invited visitors from the United States to join us on a trip to Ometepe Island in Nicaragua to learn about and participate in parrot conservation efforts in that beautiful place. This coming June, we again invite interested visitors from the U.S. (and elsewhere) to join us and our conservation partners, this time in Guatemala, for a participatory tour and volunteer opportunity. This Guatemalan Census and Celebration will be held from June 10 to 15, 2019.
Thirty years ago, the south coast of Guatemala was teeming with tens of thousands of yellow-naped amazons living and breeding there. Sadly, now there are likely only 500 or less individual birds that remain. Seventy years ago, scarlet macaws with their rainbow colors still flew over the same part of the country, but now there are none. Before they lose a second species and thus part of their heritage, Guatemalans wish to protect the yellow-naped amazon, which is endangered throughout its range. If, in regions where their birds used to thrive, local people can relieve the pressures of habitat loss from agri-business and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, they can stabilize the population of the yellow-naped amazon.
Every year after the nesting season, project members go to these six sites to count parrots. This way they can see how many juveniles and young chicks are flying with adults, and this helps tell them how many nests were successful. One Earth Conservation and partners there invite you to join them at four of the sites, as two are private ranches (fincas) that do not want to advertise their parrots to the public. Dr. Joyner will be leading the tour, offering wisdom, information, and stories of parrot conservation, not only about Guatemala, but from the many other countries in which she has worked.
You can read more about this exciting opportunity here. Please let us know if you are interested so we can hold you a spot and make sure you have lodging. Also contact us for more information and guidance on arranging your trip.
Participants in the 2017 Journey to Ometepe learning to count endangered yellow-naped parrots