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Making and Missing Goals in Soccer and Parrot Conservation Women's World Cup soccer in Sydney, Australia, August 2023 Seeing yellow-tailed black cockatoos in Sydney, Australia before the final game of the World Cup Megan Rapinoe, a star player for the women's USA soccer team, made some inspiring comments during a recent interview after Sweden eliminated the USA in the World Cup in Australia. Meagan failed to make a crucial goal in overtime, and the US lost by one goal. Here are some excerpts from her interview with Franklin Foer: Rapinoe: For a long time, I have thought about missing one in a really big moment. What are you going to do? The only other thing you could do is to not take one. I’m not going to do that. I would rather step up and be in that moment. And I think that’s something that made the criticism after that loss particularly fake and disingenuous and absurd and outrageous to me. It’s like, you’re going to bash on me for getting out there and trying my best?...But in the end, I think we played as good as we could, and we tried as hard as we could, and sometimes you lose. It’s hard to win everything. That’s part of life, and that’s a beautiful part of sport to me. Foer: What went through your mind when you stepped up to take that kick against Sweden that you missed? Rapinoe: I’m going to score. Watching soccer in Adelaide, Australia, July 2023 Watching soccer in Brisbane, Australia, July 2023 Meredith Garmon watching soccer in Wellington, New Zealand, August 2023 LoraKim Joyner watching soccer in Sydney, Australia, August 2023 I saw that game online as well as many others, and went to several live games recently in Australia and New Zealand. Representing One Earth Conservation, Board member Meredith Garmon and myself journeyed through these countries looking for parrots and watching the women’s World Cup that was played in these wondrous lands. The days were full of parrots, goals missed, and long games where there was a hair’s width between winning and losing. In the background was the constant reminder of how women’s soccer is more than about soccer, but a striving of women for equality and resistance to the patriarchal domination in society. Also, never far away, was the devastation of these colonized lands where so many species and peoples have been subjugated to the same forces that have hurt people and parrots together. Me (LoraKim) taking a penalty kick in Guatemala in the early 1990s. (yes I scored!) Some of our team in Guatemala in the early 1990s - playing for parrots and women's flourishing There was ample opportunity then, and a spaciousness of time to ponder parrot conservation, here and at home. Soccer and parrots crisscrossed in my mind and over these broad landscapes in which we traveled. This is not the first time that soccer and parrots have merged in my life. In the 1990s I led a parrot conservation effort in Guatemala during the Civil War and one of our conservation strategies was to advance empowerment of women by sponsoring a women’s and girls' soccer league. We also spread awareness of parrots by adopting “la lora” (the parrot) as our mascot. Women involvement is paramount in conservation, and well, in most everything. We need to women to be free to flourish so that they in turn can contribute to the flourishing of the biotic community. Kea parrot in Arthur's Pass, New Zealand, August 2023 (above and below) Megan’s words also remind me of conservation. Indeed, they teach me. It seems that we lose as much as we win, and that there isn't much distance between these two outcomes. We often don’t make the goals we set for ourselves. There can be plenty of self-blame, and blame of others, when in actuality conservationists are putting everything into what they are doing. Their commitment is intense, as is the risk of knowing they might not reach their goals. When failures come, and they will come, an intentional practice of seeing the “big picture” and accepting that the tragedy in this world is part and parcel of life, helps one stay in the game. The only other option is to not step up and do conservation. Instead we seek to be "in the moment." Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo in Adelaide, Australia, July 2023 Rainbow Lorikeet, Adelaide, Australia, July 2023 Rejuvenated after seeing such beauty in these lands, I take home another message from soccer. Every day is a chance to make a difference. Every activity and every breath can help us reach the goal. With the blessing of grace, we can meet most days with the attitude of “We are going to save ourselves and this earth.” Then even though we might fall short of our goals, everyone wins. Galah foraging on the ground, Gundagie, Australia, July 2023 Red kangaroos in the mist, Gundagie, Australia, July 2023

One Earth Conservation works to protect the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in Paraguay. This parrot, which is the largest parrot (by size) in the world, is more popularly known in that country by its Guaraní name, “Gua’a hovy.” This species is on the list of native birds in danger of extinction in Paraguay according to the country’s Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (Resolution No. 254/19) and the IUCN Redlist rates the species as vulnerable worldwide. Currently, it is estimated that there are only a few individuals residing in Paraguay, mainly due to the illegal trafficking of the species and loss of habitat. The hyacinth macaw is mostly found in Paraguay in the Cerrados del Chaco and Pantanal regions of the north and east in the Department of Alto and the Cerrado region of the northwest in the Department of Concepción (Rodríguez et al., 2019). During our work with our local partners in the country, we have recorded nesting events in dry and hollow palm trees of the species Acrocomia aculeata. In 2022, thanks to the local One Earth Conservation team, we were able to document the first successful hyacinth macaw nest in Paraguay in no small part due to the team members' intense parrot monitoring and protection activities.

Confiscated parrots in Honduras, shortly after their poachers were captured. In 2014 we documented that 100% of our scarlet macaw nests were poached in the indigenous parrot core conservation area of La Moskitia, Honduras. By 2016 and 2017, the growing competency of the parrot rangers there had amazing results — only one nest was poached and those chicks were later recovered and liberated. We were starting to feel pretty good about our ability to save these birds. But then came 2018, and buyers of parrot eggs for the illegal wildlife trade started stalking our area. First it began as rumors that people from China or Taiwan were in our border communities along the Coco River that separates Honduras from Nicaragua, asking for people to bring them eggs. Then our nests were being climbed in January and February, when normally the poachers waited until May to take chicks. We were in shock that the international demand for parrots had come from so far away to take what was ours to make it theirs. Over the next few years, we had our rangers working earlier in the reproduction period to protect nests from the egg robbers, and we worked with the authorities to try and capture the buyers. We were unsuccessful and so we contacted the international community to help investigate and hopefully catch the perpetrators. We learned that the buyers were centered in Managua where the eggs would go. We also discovered that eggs were being bought in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Paraguay. Three scarlet macaw chicks in a wild nest in our area. It is rare that 3 chicks survive to this age, as usually the third chick dies younger than these who are 4-5.5 weeks of age. The parents did an excellent job of raising these chicks. We currently hold our poaching rate to about 15%, but it takes a lot of people in the field traversing a very large area — in some years up to 1.1 million acres, and it is not without risk. Santiago, our Project Coordinator, had an attempt against his life last year. He survived with no injuries, though our project truck got shot up. We don’t know if the assassins were the egg poachers targeting him, or those who are engaging in illegal and corrupt timber extraction and land acquisition. Against such overwhelming odds, some days it seems like the saving of these people, parrots, and forests will ultimately fail, and it is dispiriting. In mid-May of 2023, I learned that one of the Asian buyers was caught in Miami with a suitcase full of yellow-naped and red-lored amazon eggs. He almost made it onto the plane to Taiwan but the chirping of a hatching chick alerted the authorities and he was apprehended. He currently is imprisoned in Miami, as were the birds he stole and sought to traffic. The parrots are well, having been cared for by Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RARE) since hatching and now by SoCal Parrot who will hold them until the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service can figure out how to move them to their home range so they can someday fly free. Repatriating confiscated parrots has never been done by the USFWS, but they are taking steps so that the birds can return from whence they came. The birds could even come home to us in Honduras. Just a few days after learning about the capture of the egg smuggler, the military in Puerto Lempira, the nearest town to our conservation area in Honduras, caught two of the most notorious poachers in our area who are responsible for many of the stolen chicks. One Scarlet Macaw and several smaller parrots were confiscated and are now at our rescue center. The next day the military confiscated two more yellow- naped amazon chicks from a different group of people. Authorities delivering the confiscated chicks to our Rescue Center. There was some glee with these successful confiscations after years of no progress in pressuring poachers to stop, but the pair of poachers were released after only a few days and two of the Amazons were severely injured. Each had both of their legs broken, and one had a broken back. These kinds of injuries occur when the poachers don’t climb the trees to take chicks, but instead cut the tree down, and hope that the trauma doesn’t kill the chicks. Despite our care, one of the two grievously harmed chicks did not survive. The wildlife trade causes so much harm, and not just to the chicks. The parents are attached to their young and you can hear how their calls change when they discover the chicks missing from their cavities, or their nest tree lying in ruin on the ground. The parents love their eggs and chicks, and go to incredible lengths to care for them, often for naught. Confiscated yellow-naped amazons, including the two with broken bones, being accepted at our Rescue and Liberation Center. In conservation, there is so much suffering and heartache, and so much care and protection. The weeks are full of impossible achievements and hopeless loss. But there is never a day without beauty, and without love. And so, we feel compelled to give back what was never ours, so freedom belongs to everyone in a home of their choosing. Thus, conservation is the art of reparations, and in our case, putting the parrots back so they can thrive in numbers and health that is conducive to the well-being of all of us. If you’d like to be part of helping to stop the parrot trade and making amends to the tragedy of parrot captivity, please join us at One Earth Conservation https://www.oneearthconservation.org/ or Foster Parrots https://www.fosterparrots.com/, or check out our new activist collaboration, the International Alliance for the Protection of Parrots https://www.allianceforparrots.org/ (website now under construction!)

Note: The following is an excerpt from LoraKim Joyner's new book, "Birding for Life," that is still being edited and will be published in 2024. The crisis is ultimately not precisely about biodiversity. It is about restructuring our relationship as human beings with the natural world, and birds are an excellent place to start. – Boria Sax in “Avian Illuminations” Birds are an excellent source for a mindfulness practice, because in most environments they are easily observable. They can show up in the most human packed or degraded environments. When they are present, they are often visible, audible, or both. They grab our attention, which is a step in any focused or mindful practice. We also focus on birds because they are in trouble. In North America, there are 3 billion fewer birds in 2020 than there were in 1970.* That’s one-quarter of the birds gone. Nineteen bird species have declined by 50 million or more during that period. According to a 2018 report, 1,469 bird species – one-eighth of all bird species – are globally threatened with extinction.* The main threats include habitat destruction and degradation from agricultural expansion and deforestation, invasive species, and human hunting and trapping. These threats also affect mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, and overall ecosystem health. One report in 2019 indicated that 1 million species of all kinds are endangered.* There is a catastrophic decline in biodiversity that endangers a broad swath of individual species and communities of species. Birds, people, and the planet are in trouble. Bird watching helps us keep this in mind. Moreover, because birding cultivates mindfulness, it helps develop our resilience so the destruction around us won’t be debilitating. Just like as in birding, in mindfulness and resilience, there is no “perfection” to achieve. Let us be kind to ourselves on the days our thoughts feel scattered and despairing. *Bibliography: Birdlife. 2018. State of the World’s Birds: Taking the Pulse of the Planet. https://www.birdlife.org/papers-reports/state-of-the-worlds-birds. Gyllenhall, A, Gyllenhall, B. 2023. Vanishing by the Billions. In, A Wing and a Prayer. Simon and Schuster, NY, NY. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). 2019. UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/natures-dangerous-decline-unprecedented-species-extinction-rates Rosenberg, K. et al. 2019. Decline of the north American avifauna. Science 366(6461). https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw1313.

Ten years ago, I knew that my family was going to leave Florida because of my spouse’s need for employment at a new congregation. I had advised him before he began interviews, “Don’t pick anything north of the Mason Dixon line,” which runs along Pennsylvania’s southern border with Maryland, and later referred to the line that demarcated those states who enslaved people and those who did not. I felt hesitant admitting that I had preferences on where to live, for isn’t every place and moment a chance for wonder and awe? But being a biologic creature, I am not so enlightened. For instance, studies have shown how humans are socialized to appreciate particular landscapes. Where we grow up and have lived previously matters. My family was from the Midwest and South and I had spent my childhood in the Southern states of Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia and recently lived in Florida and North Carolina. I had also spent my young adulthood in the far west, spending as much time as I could in the deserts and mountains there. These places were more like “home” to me than anywhere in the Northeast. Our past home nestled in a pine oak forest in Florida, before we moved to New York Studies have also shown that our brains are wired to appreciate and thrive in natural landscapes. The simpler the ecosystem and the lower the biodiversity, such as in congested and urban areas, the more our connectedness to nature diminishes, resulting in lowered health and satisfaction. The authors of one study found, “that landscape simplification, especially if rapid, negatively influenced human–nature connectedness and particular relational values such as social relations, social cohesion or cultural identity.” They postulated, “that human–nature connectedness might have a balancing influence on preserving relational values, buffering negative impacts of landscape simplification. Losing connections to nature could potentially foster conflicts among actors with different values." Other studies show that urban noise might cause cognitive disorders, and aircraft noise increases the risk for depression. Even without research, I knew in the deepest part of my being that I flourished in wild areas with high biodiversity and so it was with some dismay that my spouse informed me he had an employment opportunity in White Plains, just north of New York City. It was a great opportunity for him, and hence for me as well, so I agreed we would go and I would make the best of it. This was not always easy to do. It was quite a culture shock. On our first day in White Plains residents hurled epithets at us because we were walking where we shouldn’t have been. Errands were a challenge because people honked, yelled, and criticized, and I wasn’t accustomed to this demeanor. I thought I was used to traffic, having learned to drive in Los Angeles, but during the first year I cried while stuck for hours on the George Washington bridge, the busiest bridge in the world. I was eventually able to reach some equanimity while here because the house the congregation provided for us was on an 8-acre wooded lot owned by the congregation that my spouse, who is also a board member of One Earth Conservation, served. Even still the highway noise never drops to zero and our street, which is a thoroughfare, is relatively busy with passing cars except for a few hours late at night and early in the morning. Traffic lights shine in through our bedroom window as do the many street lights. The stars, the few that can be seen, do not shine as bright as in other locales. Our home, The Parsonage, in White Plains, NY. This house is so full of windows you feel like you are living in a tree house. But I have loved it here. On the cusp of us now moving to another state, I find that I have much gratitude for my years in this place. I keep relearning that beauty is everywhere, even in places where so much has been lost. Along the groomed woodland trails and parks that are riddled with stone walls that map out where trees and wildlife had been removed to make way for farms, homes, and towns, there is still ample evidence of the wonder of nature. Though one has to work a bit harder to see a variety of species as you get closer to New York City, there are always birds that inspire and welcome one. Mary Oliver writes in her poem “Starlings in Winter:" Chunky and noisy, but with stars in their black feathers, they spring from the telephone wire and instantly they are acrobats in the freezing wind… they are this notable thing, Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us, even in the leafless winter, even in the ashy city. I am thinking now of grief, and of getting past it; I feel my boots trying to leave the ground, I feel my heart pumping hard. I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings. Enjoy these starlings in their wondrous murmuration I give thanks for these city birds, and also for the more suburban ones near our home of the last ten years. The deer, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, owls, eagles, falcons, turkeys, and so many more species of flora and fauna have welcomed us warmly to their ecosystem, even in the deepest of winter. I give thanks for the abundant rocky creeks, the wide Hudson River that courses along colorful stone-faced cliffs, and the Long Island sound where sea birds reside year-round. The birds that come and go, along with the colorful autumn leaves, dazzle without end, if not in the moment, then in everlasting memory. I give thanks for the memories of the wonderful people here in this region, especially those in the congregation that complemented the biotic community with graciousness and commitment. Together we traversed these lands on bird walks, learning and loving together. I learned so much history, which in this part of the world is long and riddled with suffering and oppression. By being here, the stories of those who came before became part of me, which too completes one’s soul, for the wounds are there even if we aren’t aware of them. New York gave me an awareness and I leave here better for it. Our first bird walk in White Plains, NY at the Community Unitarian Universalist Community. My final thanks I give to Gail Koelln, Co-director of One Earth Conservation. Because we moved here, I met her, and without her One Earth would not exist, nor would it have served so many. Her hard work and toil have been an inspiration, which also created for both of us a structure in which we could live out our dreams of being in solidarity with all beings as conservationists. The world is a better place because of her and I am glad. Gail and me at one of our Bird Walks in Central Park, NYC It is then with deep gratitude infused with sadness that I say goodbye to New York...and hello to Des Moines, Iowa, to which I go with beauty before me, behind me, and all around. The family farm, where many generations of my mother's family were born and she herself, is but a short drive from where we will live. So I will be coming home, seeking to have a home in homelessness, for the whole earth is my beautiful blue boat home.

Recently the representatives of five communities in La Moskitia, Honduras came together for their quarterly Conservation Committee meeting. They arrived by truck, horse, foot, and motorcycle. These meetings are for growing the capacity and networking capability of the following communities currently involved with our conservation project there: Suhi, Mocoron, Wahabispan, Rus Rus, and Mabita. The school at Rus Rus where we learned about conservation and loving the world as it looks in May 2023. The real classroom for this work is the earth and the text is our relationship to our lovely planet. We offered a brief training on how to design a conservation project using the model below (Kapos et al, Cambridge Conservation Forum), as well as parrot identification. One village reported seeing two new species that we have not documented officially before in the area (the Pacific parakeet and orange-chinned parakeet). We look forward to recording them in our upcoming annual counts. The majority of the time was spent learning and practicing emotional and social intelligence. For the purpose of the meeting, we defined emotional intelligence as being curious and aware of one’s feelings (emotions, body state, mood) and the needs that the feelings correspond to. Social intelligence is basically the same but pertains to the feelings and needs of others. The higher the emotional and social intelligence in people, the greater the individual and group health, which results in more positive outcomes in relationships and conservation activities. We need strong relationships and conservation teams to weather the storms of corruption, violence, and inadequate governance that plagues this area. One aspect of emotional intelligence is the idea of self-empathy; we practice translating our inner chatter and dialog into feelings and needs statements. This practice is just one tool among many to improve outcomes and relationships, and it is a powerful one built upon the foundations of Nonviolent Communication developed by Marshall Rosenberg. Basically, the practice helps us accept our feelings and needs, which leads to greater self-love. We need great self-love because if there is any part of ourselves we don’t love, then there are parts of the entirety of existence we don’t love. This in turn challenges our ability to be nurtured and be resilient in the midst of great loss and challenge, and to care for life. Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things. – Lao Tzu Booklet for the Conservation Committee. We learned our lessons well, but it takes practice to put love into action. Several days after the meeting I was called upon to settle some conflict within one of the communities regarding their parrot patrols. One person who attended the Conservation Committee meeting explained to those experiencing conflict with one another and their community that they had to work on loving themselves and others so that they could be present to the needs of the wildlife, the forests, and the people. I wasn’t sure how the concepts of emotional and social intelligence would translate into another culture, but based on this conflict resolution meeting and comments from those who attended, the message and training was well received. Conservation Committee of La Moskitia - demonstrating their love of fun It seems that deep down many of us know that our work in the world begins and ends with self-love and acceptance, and with that we can save our people, our parrots, and our planet.

(En español debajo del ingles) One Earth Conservation’s (OEC) Parrot Conservation Corps (PCC) is a year-long webinar series being led by Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner and Dr. Sylvia M. de la Parra Martínez this year for Spanish speaking people from Central and South America who have a real interest in knowing, studying, and understanding birds from the order Psittaciformes, commonly known as parrots. Currently, participants include 18 people from seven countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The participants come from a variety of fields and backgrounds, such as wildlife veterinarians, biologists, engineers, and undergraduate and graduate biology students. It has been very interesting for LoraKim and me to meet and share ideas with a multidisciplinary group of people with different opinions and professions. At the same time, we are all united by a common objective, which is the protection and conservation of this group of birds. The course allows participants to learn about and discuss topics that range from the ecological to the spiritual. Topics addressed include the history of birds and their evolution, the historical and evolutionary context of parrots, the basic ecology of various species, survey methods for counting and measuring the abundance of different species, and analyzing some examples of One Earth Conservation’s various conservation projects. These include projects in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua where local conservationists work to protect species such as the scarlet macaw (Ara macao), the yellow-naped amazon (Amazona auropalliata), and the yellow-headed amazon (Amazona oratrix). Left to right: scarlet macaw, yellow-naped amazon, yellow-headed amazons The course has also addressed crucial concepts that define the mission and vision of the organization, such as promoting parrot well-being in the Americas by conducting transformative parrot conservation, taking action to end the wildlife trade, and encouraging in people a strong sense of human connection to all life that results in the well-being of all. This has allowed the participants to reflect on and conduct conservation as a process in which the human heart and human conscience, as well as the birds’ well-being, is always taken into consideration. One of the main goals of this year’s PCC is the realization of mini-projects, supported by OEC, with the main objectives being to support ideas that contribute to the conservation of parrots in their places of origin and to encourage conservationists to publicize the work they carry out in their region. One example of such a mini-project is the one conducted by Zulema Estefania Solis Muñoz and Cristian David Torres Morel, who had a great interest in publicizing information about the parrots of Pilar, located at the Ñeembucú Department in Paraguay. They made a video that included photos and information about the different species and spread it on social media. The video link is as follows: https://youtu.be/uR3okijbM6E. In addition, they spent a few days bird watching, during which they invited the general public so that people were able to learn how to identify and gain knowledge about the parrots that live in their community. Birdwatching in the urban community of Pilar, Argentina Another project was conceived and implemented by Daiana Lera from Argentina. Daiana is a PhD student who works with the Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus), evaluating its abundance in a communal roost in the city of Bahía Blanca. Dai's work is supported by a significant number of volunteers who have participated for several years and help with the monitoring of the species. Providing support to motivate Dai and her volunteers was very gratifying for us at OEC. Our support allowed them to create t-shirts that illustrate the impact of their work and dedication to this endangered species. The shirts have double the impact, since the people who live in the study area are able to find out directly about the presence of the parrot in the urban space, as well as the work of the volunteers. Volunteers from the annual count of the burrowing parrot in Bahía Blanca, Argentina The mini-project of Amada Pam Puch and Vanessa Martínez García, was developed in the indigenous community of Tzucmuc, Yucatán, Mexico. Their work consisted of a offering a workshop for primary school children. The children learned a lot about parrots, such as the main characteristics of Psittacine species (feathers, intelligence, feeding, reproduction), problems that threaten parrots, why they are so important to our world and life, and why we should we take care of them. Amada also led the children in making signs out of blankets, on which different silhouettes of parrots had previously been drawn, and the children wrote conservation phrases or other messages they wanted to share about parrots. Among the messages they wrote were: “Don't kill the parrots,” “Save the parrots,” “Take good care of the birds,” “Let them be free,” “Don't catch parrots,” “Don't kill the parrots, they help to plant,” “No parrots in cages,” “Don't sell parrots,” “Freedom for birds,” and “See them in their natural hábitat.” Children from the community of Tzucmuc, Yucatán, Mexico, working in decorating their blankets The phrases were shared with other people, to encourage other children and adults to know and care for parrots. Amada and Vanessa observed that the children recognize the value of birds in their ecosystem, especially parrots, and they learned how this helps to conserve their habitat. Children from the community Tzucmuc, Yucatán, Mexico, showing the blankets they made and their conservation messages The PCC has been an important space for sharing knowledge and feelings for both the organizers and participants. One Earth Conservation seeks to reach more souls to whom we can convey the message of conservation directly to each person’s heart. We encourage more people to work to protect parrots from a holistic vision of resilience and to thereby contribute to a better world for human beings and the other species with which we live. If you’d like to do more for communities of all species and you speak English or Spanish, please be aware that OEC is tentatively planning to offer a bilingual PCC starting in January 2024. There will be a small stipend offered to those accepted into the program and support for new mini-projects, although the benefits of participation reach much beyond this. En español: El cuerpo de Conservacionistas de Psitácidos es un curso en línea dirigido por la Rev. Dra. LoraKim Joyner y la Dra. Sylvia M. de la Parra Martínez, enfocado a personas de habla hispana del centro y sur de América, las cuales tienen un interés genuino por conocer, estudiar y comprender al grupo de los Psitácidos. Actualmente, tenemos la participación de 18 personas de seis países: México, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Argentina, Paraguay y Brasil. Donde podemos encontrar veterinarios de vida silvestre, biólogos, ingenieros, estudiantes de biología y estudiantes de Posgrado. Ha sido muy interesante conocer y compartir con un grupo multidisciplinario de seres con distintos enfoques de pensamiento y profesiones pero que a la misma vez nos une un objetivo común que es el de proteger y conservar a éste grupo de aves. El curso del Cuerpo de Conservacionistas de Psitácidos ha permitido a los participantes escuchar el desarrollo de temas que van desde lo ecológico hasta lo espiritual. Abordando contenidos de interés común como la historia de las aves y su evolución, el contexto histórico y evolutivo de los psitácidos, la ecología básica de las especies, métodos de campo para realizar conteos y conocer la abundancia de las diferentes especies, así como estrategias de conservación, analizando algunos ejemplos de proyectos de conservación que tienen una gran relevancia dentro de la historia de One Earth Conservation (OEC) en países como Honduras, Guatemala y Nicaragua con especies como la Guara roja (Ara macao), el Loro nuca amarilla (Amazona auropalliata) y el Loro cabeza amarilla (Amazona oratrix). De izquierda a derecha: Guara roja, Loro nuca amarilla, Loro cabeza amarilla Por otro lado, el curso ha abordado aspectos cruciales que definen la misión y visión de la organización. La cual consiste en promover el bienestar de los loros en las Américas, mediante la conservación transformadora de los psitácidos, tomando medidas para poner fin al comercio de vida silvestre y fomentando en las personas un fuerte sentido de conexión humana con toda la vida que resulta en el bienestar de todos. Esto ha permitido a los participantes reflexionar y retomar la conservación como un proceso en el que deberían de estar implícitos el corazón y la conciencia humana. Un logro dentro del Cuerpo de Conservacionistas de Psitácidos es la realización de mini-proyectos apoyados por OEC con el objetivo principal de alentar a los conservacionistas a que den a conocer los trabajos que se llevan a cabo en su región o bien apoyar ideas que aporten a la conservación de los psitácidos en sus lugares de origen. Un ejemplo de miniproyecto es el de Zulema Estefania Solis Muñoz y Cristian David Torres Morel, los cuales tenían un gran interés por dar a conocer los psitácidos de Pilar, localizada en el Departamento de Ñeembucú en Paraguay. Para ello hicieron un video con fotos e información de las distintas especies con el objetivo de difundirlo en redes sociales. El enlace del video es el siguiente: https://youtu.be/uR3okijbM6E. Asimismo, organizaron unos días de observación en los que pudieron invitar y convocar a la población en general para que tuvieran una experiencia en campo de identificación y conocimiento de los psitácidos que se encuentran en su comunidad. Observación de aves en la comunidad urbana de Pilar, Argentina Otro trabajo fue el de Daiana Lera, estudiante de Doctorado en Argentina. Dai trabaja con el Loro barranquero (Cyanoliseus patagonus) evaluando su abundancia en el dormidero comunal de la ciudad de Bahía Blanca, Argentina. El trabajo de Dai es apoyado por un número importante de voluntarios que participan desde hace varios años y apoyan en el monitoreo de la especie. Para OEC brindar apoyo para motivar a ellos fue muy gratificante con la elaboración de playeras dando a conocer el esfuerzo de trabajo y dedicación hacia esta especie en peligro. Asimismo, para Dai y los voluntarios el portar las playeras tiene un objetivo doble, pues de ese modo la población de la zona de estudio podía enterarse de manera directa la presencia de ellos y del loro en el espacio urbano. Voluntarios del conteo anual del Loro Barranquero en Bahía Blanca, Argentina El miniproyecto de Amada Pam Puch y Vanessa Martínez García, fue desarrollado en la comunidad indígena de Tzucmuc, Yucatán, México. Su trabajo consistió en la realización de un taller en el que participaron niños de nivel primaria a los que se les explicó información de los Psitácidos como: ¿qué son los loros?, sus características principales, (plumaje, inteligencia, alimentación, reproducción, problemáticas de conservación), porque son tan importantes y por qué debemos cuidarlos. En una segunda parte del taller dirigida por Amada, consistió en realizar letreros en mantas, en las que previamente se había dibujado diferentes siluetas de loros y los niños fueron mencionando sus frases de conservación o algún mensaje que querían compartir acerca de los loros, entre los que mencionaron, fueron: “no maten a los loros, salva a los loros, cuida bien a las aves, déjalos ser libre, no atrapes loros, no mates a los loros ellos ayudan a sembrar, no encierres a los loros, no vendas a los loros, libertad para las aves, y conócelos en su hábitat natural”. Las frases fueron expuestas y compartidas a más personas para alentar a otros niños o adultos a conocer y cuidar de los loros. Ellas concluyeron que con la actividad pudieron observar que los niños reconocen el valor de las aves en su ecosistema, en especial de los loros y que ello ayudara a conservar su hábitat. Niños de la comunidad de Tzucmuc, Yucatán, México trabajando en la elaboración de sus mantas El cuerpo de conservacionistas de psitácidos ha sido un espacio importante de conocimiento y sentimiento para las organizadoras y participantes. Como One Earth Conservation queremos llegar a más almas con las cuáles podamos hacer llegar el mensaje de conservación directo al corazón, donde el trabajo por los psitácidos se lleve a cabo desde una visión holística, de resiliencia y podamos con ello contribuir a un mundo mejor para el ser humano y las demás especies con las que convive. Niños de la comunidad Tzucmuc, Yucatán, México, mostrando las mantas que confeccionaron con mensajes de conservación Si desea hacer más por tu comunidad, por todas las especies y comprende el español, esté pendiente de nuestra próxima convocatoria el 10 de enero de 2024. Se ofrecerá un pequeño pago a los aceptados en el programa, aunque los beneficios alcanzan mucho más allá de esto.

People in Guyana have been climbing trees for thousands of years, but only recently have parrot conservationists been doing so. Thanks to the US Forest Service (USFS), who trained the parakeet rangers of Karasabai in September 2022, we now have the ability to safely climb trees to monitor the status, health, and outcomes of parrot nests. Not until March 2023, however, did we climb up to any active sun parakeet nests, or any nests for that matter. Karasabai parrot rangers counting on the Rewa River (above) hosted by the Rewa parrot rangers (below) Then the parakeet rangers of Karasabai visited the parrot conservationists of Rewa Village, which is a 3-hour drive by truck and then another 2.5 hours by river. There was an exchange of experiences and knowledge during the first few days of the visit, as well as demonstrations of how Rewa rangers do their monthly parrot counts and how Karasabai rangers climb parrot nests. Karsabai rangers demonstrating tree climbing to the children of Rewa The Rewa rangers then invited the parakeet rangers of Karasabai out onto the Rewa River to see their parrot nests and, hopefully, to confirm if any of their nests were active by climbing trees. The day was crisp and clear as we headed up the river, with the Karasabai parakeet rangers (with stoic wonder) noting their first blue-and-yellow and scarlet macaw sightings. They also saw their first red fan parrots, for these do not occur in the savannah areas around Karasabai, although scarlet macaws did at one time before they were trapped out. A scarlet macaw in her nest cavity giving us a wary eye (above). She then flew nearby while we climbed the tree. Waiting, and waiting, for the spectacular results of a long tree climb to document scarlet macaw chicks Then it was the turn of the Rewa conservationists to stare with mouths agape as the Karasabai climbers went up very large and tall trees to check on macaw nests. Those who were not climbing waited patiently (okay, maybe not so much) below the tree or in the boat on the river, while the fairly inexperienced climbers (especially of large river trees) inched their way up to the nest cavities. At one-point, bees began to attack Michaelson, so he just calmly took off his climbing gloves and stuffed them into the bee cavity entrance so he could continue his climb. After much struggle, Michaelson was able to thread a cable camera into the entrance and confirmed that scarlet macaw chicks were in there. This then became the first active parrot nest confirmed by Indigenous parrot conservationists in Guyana! Overnighting in hammocks on the river, the rangers were full of smiles at their accomplishments, which also included returning to camp with a boat full of fish to smoke for dinner and to take home to their families. The next day, Nerius confirmed the presence of an active red-and-green macaw nest. Our return to Karasabai was triumphant. Smoking fish through the night and into the early morning by moonlight and flashlight We hoped we were on a roll with “firsts” so after returning to Karasabai and a partial day of rest, we went to climb nests in the drier and mountainous rimmed savannah. The parakeet rangers were sure that one dead and slender tree in a farming area was active with sun parakeets. When we placed the cable camera attached to a long pole into the entrance, there were 3 white eggs. Smiles broke out because we thought we had our first pictures of an active sun parakeet nest. I was concerned because the eggs appeared too oblong for sun parakeet eggs and worried that they might not hatch, but everyone thought they were parakeet eggs because only the week before sun parakeets had spent the night here. Our glee was further enhanced as we next climbed a red-and-green macaw nest nearby, where we found one chick alive and another that had died of unknown causes within the last week. Using an endoscope camera to inspect a possible sun parakeet nest. The pictures aren't clear with this kind of camera, but the images can help us determine what is going on in the cavity (most of the time!) Red-and-green macaw nest in Karasabai - thanks to Willington for the successful climb! Michaelson and I conducted a long nest watch later that afternoon of the sun parakeet tree to confirm the activity of the nest, and as we approached, a lineated woodpecker flew out from the cavity. Now it is not unheard of for a woodpecker to inspect an active parrot nest, so we were still hopeful as we buried ourselves into the thorny and itchy brush to hide our presence. Through the hot afternoon and early evening sun parakeets did come very close to the cavity, but only to forage. They showed no interest in the cavity, but a lineated woodpecker sure did! She came and went several times and spent the night, with her eggs! I admit to being disappointed, for it was only a woodpecker’s nest. Michaelson and I working hard (above), as was the female lineated woodpecker on her nest (immediately below) but not so much the sun parakeet (further below) We were not able to accomplish documenting with pictures our first parakeet nests or chicks, and the mood for the evening and the rest of my visit was somewhat subdued. Climbing tall and challenging macaw nests is no easy feat, and they have much to be proud of, but they have their goals set on improving sun parakeet knowledge and conservation. This does not preclude them from caring for wildlife, for Michaelson returned to the woodpecker nest a a few weeks later because a wildfire had swept through the area. He wanted to make sure the eggs or chicks were okay, for a woodpecker is not just a woodpecker, but a bright and beautiful being. The fire had indeed ravished the tree, and having been burned at its base, had cracked in two. Michaelson scooped up the two woodpecker chicks and found that they had survived the fall, but how would they make it with their nest cavity down? The answer – put the nest cavity back up. Michaelson took the segment of the tree that had the cavity and attached it to a nearby tree. He then put the chicks in the cavity and watched the cavity to make sure the parents would enter it to feed the chicks. They did! And this time everyone was glad to see the woodpeckers come and go from the nest, for it meant life was safeguarded and the rangers had been instrumental in saving lives. The refurbished home of the woodpeckers after the fire and fall The perseverance of the rangers to not only care for many species but to continue advancing their ability to care for the endangered sun parakeet finally paid off with a positive documentation of sun parakeet chicks. The next week they found not just one, but two active nests (photos below). Others have seen parakeet chicks in nests before in Guyana, but those others are the trappers who market these birds domestically and internationally. There are far more sun parakeets in captivity than in their native range in Guyana and Brazil. Once with numbers described as being in the thousands around Indigenous villages, we have counted in Guyana only 253 – 405 wild sun parakeets during our annual November counts. So, let’s applaud the Karasabai parakeet rangers for documenting the first sun parakeet nest confirmed visually in Guyana and applaud all who work tirelessly to keep parrots flying free. Thanks to our very special donors , the US Fish and Wildlife Service and USAID, who awarded us a grant to support the sun parakeet project in Karasabai, and to Foster Parrots, who introduced us to the people and wild parrots in Guyana and continue to support us in every way.

Red-bellied macaws nesting near the village Fishing and hunting are the bedrocks of Kalebaskreek weekly existence, as well as the smattering of government jobs, like teaching and maintenance of grounds. Trapping of parrots had until recently also supplied income for some of the younger people. They mostly trapped young blue-and-yellow macaws by climbing high up into trees and setting up nylon mesh nets, but they would also remove chicks from nests as well as a variety of other parrots. All this is legal in Suriname, only one of two countries that allow trapping and exportation of parrots for the international wildlife trade. Wild macaws (blue-and-yellow, red-and-green, and scarlet) in a low welfare situation at a trapper's home Recently CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) put a temporary ban on exporting blue-and-yellow macaws, red-and-green macaws, and mealy parrots, making it easier to start a community conservation project in Suriname. Kalebaskreek Village, with which we are partnering, agreed to end the trapping and hunting of parrots and instead turn their energy towards parrot conservation. They call themselves Parrot Rangers, and we supply them with equipment, training, and stipends. The project officially began at the end of November 2022 and already the villagers say there are more parrots in the area than before. Steve-o (in front) helps me translate, for he knows Dutch, Sranan Tongo, and English I visited the village in late March, 2023. The four months since November have mostly gone well, considering that we are working in three human languages – Dutch, Sranan Tongo, and a bit of English. Twelve rangers have worked every week, counting birds and filling in our count data forms. The week I was with them, we learned together how to monitor the nests in the region, for it is the parrots' reproductive season here. I know a lot about parrot nesting ecology, but I don’t know these local species and this ecosystem, which is swampy with a large river, the Coppename. The Rangers are now set up to not only monitor the population, but also to monitor the success of nests. Parrot Rangers Sharona, Donivan, and Junita out looking for macaw nests (to save and not to trap) One early evening on the boat as the sun was falling into the wide river and the macaws were noisily defending their territories on the shore, Junita, one of the lead coordinators for the rangers, asked me if we had parrots in my country. I said we had one, but they were now extinct (the Carolina parakeet). I then said that there were lots of species from other countries that were now living in the US. “Oh, they are flying around?” After I answered yes, she said, “So then they can come home.” She might not know much about the distances involved or the politics and policies of wildlife regulations, but she did know her heart and homeland. The birds belong here, in their home, and in her home. We will do our best to help these people keep their birds close and flying free. It is only one village, but it IS one, and more than one parrot will be saved while many, many more are harmed by the trapping and trade that continue (See Report, "Guide To Understanding and Reducing Harm to Parrots in Suriname"). More parrots in low welfare conditions (orange-winged amazon parrots) as explained in above-mentioned report The day I left, in fact, the rangers saved their first bird. A young macaw chick fell to the ground when trying to fledge from one of our assigned nests, unable to fly. She was found to have deformed feet. The bird is now under the care of Junita. I communicated frequently with Junita how to take care of her and to “not clip her wings.” Clipping wings is a standard practice here for pet birds, but we want this one to fly free around the village, where she might live a full and productive life with Kalebaskreek as her home. We thank the Rangers for welcoming her, me, and anyone else who would like to tour this ecosystem full of parrots and possibilities. To find out how you might support their dreams of becoming an eco- and scientific tourism destination, please write us at info@oneearthconservation.org or give a donation for this project via our Global Giving page at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/indigenous-parrot-conservation-in-suriname/photos/#menu and stay tuned as their dreams grow into reality. Steve-o working in Kalebaskreek

One Earth Conservation is continuing to update the way we communicate with the world. In January we were so pleased to share our new logo with everyone and today we are equally pleased to announce that we have totally revamped our website! The website’s url remains the same: https://www.oneearthconservation.org/, but the look, feel, and – most importantly – content and resources have been updated and enhanced to provide users with the best possible online experience. You can learn about the species OEC and our partners work so hard to protect; read about the places and people with whom we work; discover numerous resources to explore parrot conservation, have some fun, and become inspired; and find out how you can get involved with this urgent work. Below are links to some highlights: Parrots – Why do we work with parrots in particular? What species are we protecting? Want to watch a short film about one of our projects? Check out this link: https://www.oneearthconservation.org/parrot-conservation Projects – Where in the world are we doing parrot conservation and who are our partners? https://www.oneearthconservation.org/our-conservation-projects Resources – Listen to a podcast. Read a book. Try a scarlet macaw meditation. Explore all this and much more. https://www.oneearthconservation.org/resources Get involved – What are the different ways you can get involved? https://www.oneearthconservation.org/get-involved We’d love to receive your feedback about the new site. Please send your comments and any questions to info@oneearthconservation.org.

There is no doubt that the Earth’s systems and beings are in crisis. Humans can respond to this by withdrawing into themselves and by hunkering down to guard resources and protect themselves and those close to them. But there is another way. Solutions can come from recognizing that we are all interconnected in beauty and worth, and that it matters when another being suffers! Embracing that reality means embracing a sense of solidarity with all life on this planet. Writing the book “Prion” was a way for me to share a vision of solidarity in story form and show how people might come together in crisis and sorrow. I even imagined that “Prion” could inspire the movement that is described in the book: Unconditional Solidarity, Solidaridad Incondicional (US/SI). In “Prion,” people join US/SI by celebrating the beauty and worth of life and mourning what has been lost. They come together in a crucible of paradoxical love, both wanting to disengage from life and to embrace it. Out of these tensions comes Unconditional Solidarity, which is a vision and a belief that all life matters. It means that we help each other maintain faith that life is woven of worth, beauty and tragedy, and we discover, over and over again, how life and the power of love knows no bounds. Inspired by life, people make promises to particular species, ecosystems, mountains, rivers, and each other. Parrots are the species to which people make their promises in “Prion.” Why parrots? In my writing, I wanted the chance to spread more widely the message of the inherent worth, complexity, and beauty of parrots, as well as the harm of the wildlife trade that our human demands engender. I also wanted to write about parrots to give hope, not just to parrot protection projects, but to myself. US/SI is the conservation approach used by One Earth Conservation. It’s hard to keep going without others to foster a vision based on life’s wonders in the midst of such senseless loss. Writing the book helped me remember the how and why of parrot conservation, and was an invitation to others to join me in solidarity so that loneliness might lessen. Solidarity means never having to be lonely again, for we can’t but help be in solidarity with others. Timothy Morton explains how this is so in his book, “Humankind: Solidarity with Nonhuman People" (Review here). All beings live in a biosphere he calls the “symbiotic real” where entities are related such that there are ragged, haunted, and unknowable boundaries between each, yet we are completely reliant on one another. We need each other because we are each other. This reliance “between discrete yet deeply interrelated beings is solidarity.” We humans can tweak this unavoidable and encompassing solidarity by making it manifest in our thinking and actions through faith in the beautiful mesh of life. Living in interconnection allows ordinary people to see they live in "unordinary" times and in a spectacular reality, so that they achieve extraordinary results. To promote the US/SI vision in Central America, we have created an unifying logo and have made US/SI stickers and patches to give out to people in our projects. I have been surprised to see people take so quickly to the concept, even despite their many different cultures and languages. In real life, people are reacting like the characters in “Prion,” where there is a joy in belonging to such a movement and vision. Hands reach out eagerly to make US/SI part of their lives by immediately incorporating the stickers and patches onto clothes, uniforms, hats, books, computers, and phones. We would now like to invite you to use this emblem and join us in Unconditional Solidarity/Solidaridad Incondicional (US/SI), a commitment to uphold the beauty and the interconnectedness of all life on earth. I imagine the US/SI concept being adopted all over the world, as in “Prion,” where this symbol gave rise to a popular grass roots movement, as varied as the people and species on this planet. Stay tuned because a movement is indeed organizing now around this very concept.

Multispecies Intelligence (MI) is a form of Social Intelligence that specifically addresses more than the human species. MI is the ability to be curious and knowledgeable about the motivations, subjective experience, behavior, and welfare status of other species so as to maximum the benefit and minimize the harm for them. Like Emotional and Social Intelligence, growing MI helps ourselves and our kind. With MI, however, we make a special effort to define it in terms of helping other species because we humans often lag behind in our understanding of other species and how they are beings of moral concern with whom we enjoy mutualistic and interconnected relationships. MI is of importance not just to humans, but to the life around us, and can help us be in solidarity with others. Peggy Hanna captures two wood ducks on film, suggesting the Hokey Pokey dance We can help ourselves and others grow Multispecies Intelligence in a variety of ways – through thoughts, conversation, action, and study. Often in our programs at One Earth Conservation we emphasize the use of our bodies, with an intent of ratcheting down our thoughts and inner chatter. We do so with the aim of being present to the reality of what is before us in this very moment, instead of a reality based on past experiences, our culture, and the stories our conscious mind fabricates to explain the world and our actions. Much of what motivates our behavior happens at a subconscious level, and our actions are underway before awareness reaches the thinking mind. To perhaps have some chance to change our behavior, we want to “listen” to what our bodies are doing, for humans process and sense the world not just in the brain or mind, but throughout our body, such as through our senses and dispersed nervous system. We can also use our body to listen to what others are doing, saying and needing, for there is deep knowing in our shared evolution with others that developed bodies similar to our (and also in many cases, quite dissimilar but with common and convergent adaptations). One practice using the body to grow MI is akin to the dance song, “The Hokey Pokey.” The song begins with “You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out…. and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about.” Each succeeding verse then has you put in a different body part until the last verse where one sings “You put your whole body in and that’s what it is all about!” In MI, we try moving various body parts in line with another how another species is moving. We begin by imagining that we are another species. We can use our memory, or video, but even better, an actual individual that we can see. We observe closely what the other animal is doing, and then we mimic that. We see what their appendages are doing, and then we move our arms or legs like that. What is the mouth or head doing, and then we imitate these motions. What are the eyes (if they have them), touch and taste receptors, ears and nose doing and sensing? At some point you then are ready to put your whole body into motion (or no motion depending on the species) and be that species. If any thoughts arise that such as whether you are getting it right, or if you look silly, let them go, for this is not about getting it right. It is about celebrating and enjoying life. If this can be done in a group or a circle outdoors, the mirth abounds which spreads to spectators who cannot but help smile at a bunch of humans flapping their arms as if they had wings. People report after undertaking this practice, other than being slightly humbled at public displays of interconnection, is that they gain a better understanding of the species motivations and behaviors, often amazingly accurate. They also share that they learn how other species have complex motivations and behaviors, more than they thought before the exercise. The humans have shifted into seeing that other beings indeed have subjective experiences and that they aren’t automatons responding to their environment. As with all MI practices, this embodied practice is followed up with study and reflection to check our human assumptions and increase our understanding. Some versions of the Hokey Pokey end with people in a circle jumping in and out of the center while singing, “Everyone in, everyone out.” This practice is to help us see that everyone is in our circle of concern, and getting humans out of the center of our thoughts. They, us, and the world is so much more than we can ever imagine. We just need to slow down to fathom life around us and put our whole selves into the pursuit of joy, wonder, awe, and beauty. You can join us at our next Birding for Life Walk on April 9, 2023 where we will dare to have much fun and empathy, nurturing ourselves and our world by putting a wing in, a talon out, and turn our whole world around with our MI.