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Santiago Lacuth on his way back from climbing parrot nest trees While in Mabita, Honduras in May 2016 I interviewed Santiago Lacuth, an indigenous Miskito conservationist (see video below). Along with his wife, Anayda Panting, they manage the Rescue and Liberation Center for parrots. I asked him when was a time that parrots touched his heart, and he replied: "The macaws suffer so much. The chicks will never fly free, they are only robbed by poachers. They are very sad, and this causes us to feel very sad. The heart of the people of my community is to protect the macaws." The heart of One Earth Conservation is to also protect the macaws, and Santiago's people. When they suffer, we are sad. Though it is very hard work to stop the poaching, we join them, and together, as Santiago says, "We intend to do this." We are inspired to do this, because parrots touch our hearts, and as Mary Oliver writes, "So quickly, without a moment's warning, does the miraculous swerve and point to us, demanding that we be its willing servant." This year we are plan to really expand our presence in this region by taking in even more confiscated parrots, and building a liberation cage that can more quickly move birds into the wild. Please help us support these people in achieving their dreams of birds flying free and having freedom for the people in their indigenous territory. For as they protect the parrots, they also protect their lands and their way of life. Anayda Panting on her way back from harvesting her fields, and then on to caring for the parrots!

Right now or tonight, go or peer outside, and look for the full moon. The super moon we all experienced recently, known as the Cold Moon, happens when the moon is closest to the earth. Known that when you look at the moon, you are looking at yourself, one bright face beholding another. Why do I say that this is you? Because about 4.5 billion years ago a Mars-size object called Theia slammed into the earth. This Great Impact resulted in an explosive mix of two planetary bodies, and a spinning away of part of the material that became the moon. The moon is of earth, as are you. Our moon has been credited with making earth what it is today: 1. The tides caused by the pull of the moon on oceans, form tidal pools, out of which first life may have formed. 2. The moon attracts extraterrestrial bodies so they don't slam into earth, killing life. 3. Tidal forces help form our climate by keeping ocean currents of cool and warm water moving. 4. The moon slows down earth's spin, so without the moon, our days would be much shorter, as little as 5 hours long billions of years ago. Wind velocities would also be much higher. The moon also keeps the earth from slowing down too much, and if it did, the earth would wobble and there would be cataclysmic changes to our seasons. Look up at the moon and be amazed. This wonder will nurture you, as will looking up, which engenders an openness to connecting to life and others. Look up and give thanks to the moon who has made you and whose same face will always shine upon you. (the moon's orbital and rotational cycle are the same, so we always see just once face of the moon). The moon, whose face will never turn from you, adores you. #nurturenature

Evil and Bad: A Multispecies Perspective Using Critical Anthropomorphism (photo by David Monniaux) Our evolution designed humans to make rapid assessments and to fit experiences and objects into categories, such as evil and bad, so they could quickly defend themselves, or move towards that which benefits them. But we have to ask today how helpful is the concept of evil or others being bad. This is because the concept of others being evil or bad can lead to: Increased violence Decreased choice Decreased view of others inherent worth and dignity Increased disconnection to other humans, including ourselves Increased disconnection to other species, and to life Incorporating evil into our language and conception leads to distancing ourselves from others and from the reality of life. Instead of curiosity, possibility, and embracing reality, we shift to restrictive relationships where we see others, or even life itself as fundamentally flawed.To say that any part of life is evil, instead of being a network of relationships which form us (literally as the bacteria and viruses in our gut keep us healthy and pieces of DNA of other species make up human DNA) is to cut ourselves from belonging on this planet and diminishing our sense of identity. We are the other, and all that we are, is who they are. Humans exist because of other species. To say that any part of another is evil is to say the same about ourselves, and locks us into self loathing or distrust. We become incapable of feeling welcomed and whole on this planet, and in so doing in our isolation, cannot welcome others into a network of mutuality and belonging. One way to feel welcomed and whole on this planet, and to welcome others, is to develop our multispecies intelligence. Multispecies intelligence is the ability to understand and use emotional intelligence, communication, and behavior across species lines for the mutual benefit of all. It requires understanding species needs, behavior, motivations, and interconnecting relations with others and their habitat. We do this in part by seeking to know the motivations for their behaviors, such as understanding their subjective experience (emotions and internal processing) and needs. This means employing what is known as critical anthropomorphism: Critical anthropomorphism refers to a perspective in the study of animal behavior that encompasses using the sentience of the observer to generate hypotheses in light of scientific knowledge of the species, its perceptual world, and ecological and evolutionary history. By engaging in critical anthropomorphism we avoid two errors on either end of the spectrum of multispecies understanding: one is to say that other species are nothing like humans (anthrocentrism), and the other is to say they are exactly like us (uncritical anthropomorphism). Critical anthropomorphism means that we imagine what it is like to be in the shoes, paws, hooves, wings, claws, feet, and skin of another, and then to check ourselves where we might have made either of the two types of errors. We employ all the science that is available to us, study, reflect, discuss, check our assumptions, and then ask: How might my perception of another lead to more harm than good? To grow your multispecies perspective, we suggest this following video practice. Growing Our Multispecies Intelligence - Video Practice Use these practices to journal with, think about, or invite others to discuss and practice with you. (Trigger Warning: These videos show animals performing behavior that might be uncomfortable for you to watch.) 1. For each of the following videos, watch them and put yourself in the place of the animals. What are they thinking, feeling, and needing? What motivates them? 2. As you watch, what are you thinking, feeling, and needing? Do these videos make you uncomfortable? Why? 3. What do the narrators' comments reveal about how humans perceive "bad" behavior in other species? In human species? 4. Did any of these behaviors come as a surprise to you? 5. Does watching these videos bring up any requests you might make of yourself or others? Do they suggest possible actions in which you might engage? Deception: Chimpanzee mother sneaks tools away from son Kidnapping: Hamadryas baboons kidnaps a puppy from her family Sexual Coercion/Rape: Fur seals attack king penguins Sexual Coercion/Sea otters Torture: Domestic cat playing with mouse Siblicide: Red-tailed hawk chick attacks sibling Extra-pair coupling/switching partners/adultery: Male penguin fights to remove intruder that female accepted as new mate Various videos and commentary (reveals what people can think of "bad behavior) #evil #bad #anthropomorphism #animalbehavior #multispeciesintelligence #rape #sexualcoercion #torture #kidnapping #deception #chimpanzee

Thanksgiving Message and Nurture Nature Tip One of the best practices for improving our happiness and resilience is gratitude. It is best to practice gratitude on a daily and year-round basis, though we are particularly mindful of it during our national day of Thanksgiving, which occurs this week in the United States. Wherever you are, in the world or your life, even if the days seem dark and the future bleak or unknown, take a moment to write down three things for which you are grateful. If you do this for several days in a row, you will notice a shift happening. Because gratitude is such a key asset in nurturing ourselves and nature, we here at One Earth Conservation say thank you as much as possible. We do it for ourselves, for you, and for life. So here is our list of three things today: 1. We are grateful for our donors who have already contributed this year to the Parrot Rescue and Liberation Center in Honduras, as well as to our other projects. Thank you so much! This center is shifting the ability of Hondurans throughout the country to care for their birds and decrease the illegal wildlife trade. It means a great deal to us to reduce the loss and the suffering of birds, and empower the indigenous people there to protect and preserve their lands and biodiversity. A deep bow of gratitude to our donors! 2. We are grateful for our volunteers, which is everyone involved with One Earth Conservation within the USA. We hire biologists and field technicians throughout Latin America, but here in this country we are investing our time and resources to build a better world. It's true that we began to pay Co-Director Gail Koelln a small stipend, but this only partially covers all her past, present, and future gracious gifts of her time. Thank you Gail and our volunteers! 3. We of One Earth Conservation are grateful to have meaning and purpose in our lives to help others nurture nature, and we are quite delighted that we spread meaning and purpose into the lives of donors, volunteers and others. It is a deep gift to be building community and hope with you. Thank you life for bringing us this community of hope, resistance, and solidarity. If you'd like to be part of this audacious effort in gratitude, please join us by: 1. Donating to the Honduran Parrot Rescue and Liberation Center. We are participating in Giving Tuesday on November 29, so please keep us in mind after the busy days of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday! You can donate by clicking here. 2. Sharing the donation opportunity with others by sending them this link: 3. Taking up a gratitude practice, and letting us and other people know you have done this, so we can share the power and the promise. Just send us an email. #Gratitude #Thanksgiving #nurturenature #Donating

Nurture Nature Tip of the Week The basis for most of our Nurture Nature Program is empathy. What are you, the other, the enemy, and other species feeling and needing? How does life bind us together in one beautiful whole, and how out of that understanding can we have creative stories that allow our political processes more greatly to link to kindness and compassion? So in this time of political turmoil, either in the USA after the recent elections, or almost in any and every part of the world, slow down, breathe, and ask what everyone is feeling and needing. Life knows no division between the good and bad, or the evil and the sacred. Saturday Night Live - singing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen who died this week Life is a broken hallelujah - there is joy and there is pain, and all of it, is a prayer to being. (Angel of Grief at Standford University - photo by Daniel Hartwig) After grieving, praying, and breathing deep, take heart for healing and hope, and then act! Become part of a community of resistance, solidarity, and hope. Join us here or join others elsewhere, but do not isolate yourself thinking you are different, better, or worse. We are in the fiery embrace of reality, let us embrace life back, and give life. #election #grief #empathy

Since 2013 One Earth has been working on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua, gaining partners as we go, including the LOCOs and Flora y Fauna Internacional, and helpful lending of climbers and expertise from Paso Pacifico. Our main goal was to find out where the parrots were, and in what numbers. We discovered that they are on this island in high numbers, perhaps the highest density of anywhere in their range. They are treasure. (photos by Norlan Zambrana Morales) Now our goal is to understand their breeding ecology and threats to their breeding success. We suspect that one of the highest risks is poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, as it is elsewhere in Central America. This year we aim to find out, while also locating and monitoring nests, employing local community members, and holding education and community awareness activities. We began our season in late October, for here on this island this species breed earlier than anywhere else in the range. Our conservation team met with community leaders, and held a school event which terminated in a parade. While parading down the main street in Playa de Santa Domingo, a parrot looked out from her nest as the children passed by. Already we have identified 5 nests. With over 1000 of this species on the island, we probably need to find about 295 more nests. We have our work cut out for us, but to keep these emerald birds here flying against a backdrop of towering volcanoes, we cherish the honor of the challenge before us. #conservation #poaching #yellownapedamazon #endangered #parrot #bird #Nicaragua

Alicia Roost Site Rushing madly from our parrot survey near estancia (ranch) Arecife in the department of Concepcion, Paraguay, we aimed for estancia Hermosa looking for yellow-faced parrots. We got to the ranch station (retiro) Alicia late, but still in time to see approximately 25 parrots coming into a patch of trees in front of the retiro. Determined to know more, we arranged to return and spend the night so we could get in two counts as well as survey the numerous termiteria where the birds nest. Squeezed in tight for staying warm and dry at Alicia (with Andres and Angie) A few days later we showed up in time to get soaked to the skin, and then spent the next 24 hours trying to warm up in the unseasonably cool weather. Dry by evening, we documented 134 distinct individual yellow-faced parrots (102 slept at the roost site) and 2 turquoise-fronted amazon parrots. Of these there were 10 single birds, 41 pairs, 4 triples, 1 group of four, and a group of 26-31 that came and went throughout the day. Flock showing various amounts of yellow and red feathers on abdomen. They are drying out too after all that rain! In this group of 26, only 2 birds had a lot of visible yellow and red feathers on their abdomen, and two less so. Also, several birds had feather loss around possibly swollen nares. We saw this same plumage distribution in another separate flock of 41 where 2 had a lot of color on their abdomen, and 2 had moderate amounts of color. In this same flock we also observed 4 juvenile turquoise-fronted amazons. The greater amount of colored abdominal plumage other than green is thought to represent older, male birds. We might then be seeing older "retired" males or females escorting juvenile flocks of individuals that are not paired up during the breeding season. The loss of feathers around the nares is also thought to be a normal aging feather loss pattern. Candelero type of termiteria - possibly preferred for nesting When not getting wet or shivering, we spent the day time investigating nests in termiteria. We confirmed two nests, and were suspicious of another. In one of the nests the female sat tight while we observed her and took measurements of the termiteria. Based on what we saw, we were in the breeding season, and ranch workers told us it was early in breeding season. Female sitting tight in her nest We did discover one other roost site of yellow-faced parrots near estancia San Miguel with a flock of 67 individuals. We cannot be sure if these might be some of the same birds we counted at Alicia. Our estimate then of the number of distinct individuals we saw was 175-242. Not bad considering only a few years ago this species was unknown in Paraguay. (Thanks to Andres Alvaréz for documenting their presence in Paraguay!) Destroyed termiteria We still have much to learn about this species: What is their breeding ecology? What does the pattern of feather coloration and loss mean? When do they breed? Are they poached? Do they migrate? Is their population stable? Three chicks a month after we were there - hopefully the ranch workers wont' poach them! We understand from the locals that this species is not highly prized for the illegal bird trade, for they are shier and less talkative then the sought after turquoise-fronted parrot. Their conservation status is Near Threatened, however, due to habitat loss. Some of the ranches we visited did purposefully destroy termiteria so as to plant pasture grass for cattle. Others, such as San Miguel, preserve their termiteria because they are good for the soil. Transportation to and from nest sites We arranged with the people of Retiro Alicia to protect their birds and monitor their numbers, and were glad to hear from the owners and managers of Estancia San Miguel and Hermosa that they would gladly cooperate to protect all their parrot species. Angie placing "Fly Free Parrot" wrist bands on manger of Estancia Hermosa, Dr. Francisco Varela We were grateful that we found the parrots, and the people to cherish them. Thanks to all the estancia workers and owners, as well as to Arne Lesterhuis of Guyra, Angie Mendoza of Fauna y Vida, y Dr. Andrez Alvaréz of Universidad Nacional Asunción) #Paraguay #populationmonitoring #Endangered #poaching #parrots #birds

Stuck in the mud, again! In September I joined colleagues from Guyra, Universidad Nacional Asunción, and Fauna y Vida to survey parrot populations in the department of Concepción. We conducted driving, stationary, and fixed transect counts. Along the way we also interviewed workers at the ranches and people with parrots in their homes. The picture that we gathered was that the macaws are heavily sought after for the illegal wildlife trade and have numbers that we surmise from anecdotal evidence and what we counted, are in very low numbers. The macaws in this area include the red-and-green, hyacinth, blue-and-yellow macaw, golden-collared, and blue-winged. After last year's survey we had been told that amazon parrots were not being poached, but unfortunately, that is not the case. The newspapers reported on turquoise-fronted amazon parrots being smuggled out of Paraguay headed towards Hong Kong just the week before we arrived here, and we saw this species in homes throughout the area. Turquoise-fronted parrot as pet in Paraguay. They seem to be in every other home, and often not in great condition such as this parrot that is thin, in poor feather condition, and managed inhumanely. Our second week in this region, therefore, we concentrated on this species to see how they were doing, as well as the orange-winged and yellow-faced parrot, two recent additions to the bird list of Paraguay, and of whom little is known. Cattle ranches abound in the area (termiteria in background) We visited every estancia (ranch) we could in the area, with our hopes high for Estancia Pyahu where we had been told was a roost site for the yellow-faced parrot. After getting our truck unstuck from the mud we joined the family that ran the ranch station (retiro), called Cerrito. The father told us that just recently a well known poacher had come to him asking him to trap the adult parrots as they came into the roost site. Taking chicks from their parents is a hardship for the birds, which many don't survive, but the more mature wild adults suffer more greatly when trapped, handled, and transported. Owner and workers of Pyahu, and Angie from Fauna y Vida Before the evening count began, we each took a guess at how many parrots would be there. Numbers guessed ranged from 50 to 3000, with the family assuring us that a great number of parrots came to roost here. At first we saw just a handful of yellow-faced and turquoise-fronted parrots, but when it got too dark to really see which species was which, the amazons did come in, numbering over 300. Turquoise-fronted parrots coming into the roost site at dusk We heard quite a number of orange-winged parrots, but could not count them accurately because we had limited counters which we had not placed in optimum locations. The family invited us to return to document the roost site with more accuracy, and we accepted. Turquoise-fronted parrots playing at roost site We would return the next day and count the parrots in both the evening and morning, and would place counters encircling the trees of the station. After setting up our camp on the porch and doing some afternoon birding, we were in our places. Here's what we counted: Turquoise-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) = 217 Orange-winged amazon (Amazona amazonica) = 150 Yellow-faced amazon (Alipiopsitta xanthops)= 5 Peach-fronted parakeets (Eupsittula aurea) = 19 Chevron-winged parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri)= 2 Orange-winged amazon parrots roosting Given that the orange-winged amazons came in late and we only had their calls to rely upon for identification, we went trampling through the roost trees in the dark to document their presence - and indeed we did! Orange moon over orange-winged parrot roost site We also saw groups up to 38 of orange-wingeds, and plenty of family groups of 3, 4, and 5. In the morning we got plenty of videos and pictures of all 3 species, sometimes even in the same tree! Video of parrots leaving roost site - mostly oranged-winged parrots in this clip Video of parrots at roost site (you can hear and see orange-winged and turquoise-fronted in this clip) Given the spectacular concentration of parrots roosting here, we made an arrangement with the family that they would protect and monitor the birds, and not trap them to sell to the local poachers and buyers. They will report monthly until we can return again to study this area further. They tell us that even more birds come here in November - January, perhaps double or triple the number. They also say that 4 years ago there weren't many birds roosting here, but the numbers of had been steadily increasing since then. We don't know the meaning of this, given the possible nomadic nature of these birds, the pressure from poachers to live trap adults, and continued habitat loss due to logging and cattle. Family of protectors at Pyahu with conservation team - Andres, LoraKim, Angie (showing "Fly Free" wrist bands and flying ourselves) The pressures are great, and so is the beauty and wonder. Surely we can motivate ourselves and other yet-discovered-parrot-conservationists to take a stand here, to keep the parrots flying free in Paraguay. #Paraguay #parrots #conservation

My husband’s car after Superstorm Sandy caused it to be “totaled” by a fallen tree. Today I looked up definitions of the verb “to weather” on dictionary.com. To weather is “to bear up against and come safely through (a storm, danger, trouble, etc.).” It becomes clearer to me almost every day now, and to many others, that we will have to learn how to weather the rapid changes to our climate. As we listen most recently to the news of those impacted by Hurricane Matthew and the raging storms and tornados in the Pacific Northwest US, it can feel quite scary as we wonder who will be hit next? Having lived through Superstorm Sandy myself, I not only have “been there,” but also wonder if and when it will happen to us again. It seems like there is nowhere in the world where the effects of our changing climate has not been felt. People react to the climate crisis in various ways, ranging from anger to denial and everything in between. Some are motivated to action while others do not even want to face what is happening. I believe most people know on some level that something is very wrong and want a better world for themselves, their families and others. Although the situation is serious, difficult and overwhelming, we can learn how to cope without denying the reality of what is going on. Once we are able to cope, we may even feel motivated to take positive action to improve our situation, whether they are small personal activities or larger environmental justice efforts. The first question, however, is how do we move from fear, despair, anger and/or feeling overwhelmed to a more positive and constructive place? Photo by By xusenru, https://pixabay.com/en/users/xusenru-1829710/ [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons I know that it has become a bit of a cliché, but the well-known saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” (that is usually attributed to Gandhi, but it’s origins are uncertain), is really a good place to begin. One of the changes possible for us all is to grow in self-awareness and acceptance. We need to recognize and acknowledge our own feelings and needs before we can help others, be they human, animal or plant. To do this, we can develop our “emotional intelligence,” which is defined, in part, as awareness of our own feelings and needs. Developing and honing our emotional intelligence is the first step towards refining our ability to see how the climate crisis, as well as other important issues in our personal lives and the world, is impacting how we relate to ourselves, our families and friends, and other people in the world. Becoming more emotionally aware nurtures us by helping us to confront issues such as the climate crisis and providing us with the energy to move out of denial, anger, fear and other negative emotions and move into compassion, inspiration and other positive emotions that help us cope and to take action. By Crackulates (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Once we’ve worked on our emotional intelligence skills, we can then move on to social intelligence, multispecies intelligence, ecological intelligence and spiritual intelligence. We actually can work on developing all these intelligences concurrently, if we so desire, as they are all related. However, emotional intelligence is foundational to all of the rest. If we know ourselves, we can better know the world and, therefore, have greater choice about how to deal with the changes and challenges we all are facing. If you’d like to learn more about all of these concepts, please check out One Earth Conservation’s Nurture Nature Program at http://www.oneearthconservation.org/nurture-nature. If you are interested in exploring more in an online group, we are offering a free webinar on Ecological Intelligence on Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00pm. You can register for the webinar through the Nurture Nature link above. #climatechange #selfhelp #nurturenature

Upon arriving in Paraguay in September I was told the news that only the week before a group of turquoise-fronted parrot chicks and eggs from Paraguay had been confiscated at the airport in Madrid (photo above of adult, video of chicks and eggs in suitcase below). They were being transported to Hong Kong in a suitcase that was artfully equipped with a heater and ventilator to keep the eggs and chicks on track for hatching and growth. The is evidence of the sophistication of the international parrot trade where birds are bled from the Americas to feed the appetites of those in other regions, such as Asia and the Mid-East. We were told that this is the same buyer of parrots that is responsible for much of illegal parrot trade in the Concepcion area of Paraguay. We had hopes this confiscation would diminish the taking of parrots in the area, but the poacher with whom we spoke and told us that his "buyer had fallen" was on his way to pick up Hyacinth macaw eggs. Hyacinths are an endangered species, and in this area of Paraguay, we only saw one pair of birds during the two weeks we were there. Reportedly the Chinese buyer, and others, work out of Cuidad de Este, known as the base for smuggling operations for the three countries that border here: Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. There was a shootout the day I arrived in the country and actually, reports are that most days someone is killed in this city known for trafficking not just parrots, but drugs and people. Throughout our survey of parrots in this area we heard time and time again of all the parrots poached here, and how there is no to little enforcement of Paraguay's wildlife protection laws. With corruption and violence in the area, I wonder how we can ever hope to work here, let alone have an impact. But even still, we tried to do what we could, for the beauty of the parrots remain, and as long as they do, we must be there to protect and cherish them. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to hear what we found and what conservation efforts we implemented. #conservation #illegalwildlifetrade #Paraguay #parrots

Rosa came into this world weighing maybe 20 grams, all pink with unruly yellowish down. I, nor any other human, knew her then. I also never met her parents, but I imagine they loved her, and cared for her. They stroked her body with their beaks, pulling at the sheath of her new feathers so they could sprout rainbow and rise over the earth. But then one day men came to her home, broke into it, and pulled Rosa screaming from the warm comfort of the place where she was safe, loved. At least that is one version of her early life. Another telling is that the men hacked into her pine tree, and felled it to get to Rosa on the ground. However she became a prisoner of human desire, she ended up with broken legs and wings. Her parents swooped, calling until they were hoarse, but to no avail. They would never see Rosa again. Rosa now entered into a dark time. Men bound her in a burlap sack so she wouldn’t move and could be easily moved from the fields to the nearby town. She was given little water, and heard no longer the sounds and words of comfort that she had known before. No attention was given to her brokenness, even though she cried in pain as she was moved clandestinely from house to house. New men with a different vision for how to meet desire, found her in squalor, fed only corn mush. Her legs were swollen, scabbed over from where the bones had once protruded (see photo above). Tomas Manzanares, he himself with deep scars and bone wounding from those that would take from both indigenous and parrot alike, took care of Rosa, nursing her to some semblance of health, at least enough to grow out her feathers, though dull and damaged with bars of stress that told the story of how her life was full of such loss and sorrow. I saw her pictures from afar and wondered if she would ever fly, let alone live. Anayda caring for Rosa Live she did, finding her way to Anayda. Anayda and her spouse Santiago, and other villagers, had been taking in rescued scarlet macaws and yellow-naped parrots for the past 2.5 years in the village of Mabita in La Moskitia, Honduras. Rosa joined this liberated flock, though she had to be hand carried from branch to feeding platform to porch. I met her when she was nearly 18 months old, a sad and pain-ridden being. She cried constantly, her lungs were congested, she was desperately thin, her ears leaked fluid from a mite infestation, and her legs were bowed out – one side from a break, the other, dislocated at the hip. She could not extend her wings either, both with internal tissues scarred and joints contracted, evidence of the early fractures that had not been tended to or allowed a chance to heal. I thought she would die, and said so to Anayda. “Without you, Rosa will not live.” Anayda heard that as a charge and did not let Rosa die. She continued the treatments I began, and never let Rosa out of her sight. When she went to Nicaragua to tend fields, Rosa rode in her shirt, both of them behind Santiago on a motorcycle. Rosa in September 2013 I next saw Rosa when she was two, and she was a fine thing. Still fearfully thin, she had regained her health, her feathers had grown in shiny and shockingly red, the disease gone and replaced with some feistiness. By three she was attempting short flights, abrupt in their landing but able to get her closer to her companion Anayda, and the other macaws. Macaws, being macaws, would often pick on her, but some were her friends, such as Lempira who preened her feathers and kept her company at night. Then Lempira healed enough to fly, so he would go off with all the other macaws, leaving Rosa often alone in Casa Ara. That didn’t stop Rosa from engaging in the world, using her beak for balance and to walk, taking hobbling steps with her bowed legs and curled feet to get to food and to companionship. Rosa had found a safe home in Mabita, Honduras - now two years old I got to spend two months with her near her 4th birthday. I wondered about her future, all broken, so un-macaw-like with her diminished ability (earth please forgive me for such thoughts). I am a hobbler too, legs in declining function, so it is perhaps really myself whom I judge for being less than my species can be. I watched Rosa closely, and found a fierce friend, for she taught me that even the broken can yet shine and serve. Rosa with Santiago and Anayda - she had just taken a short lumbering flight Just past her 4th birthday Moncorron came to the Rescue Center. He was a weak thing, timid and beaten down with captivity. We were afraid to introduce him into Casa Ara, knowing there could be fights. But Anayda said, “Rosa will take care of him. That is what she does with newcomers.” It took all of 5 minutes before Rosa zeroed in on him. Beak advancing to grab wood or wire, she pulled herself slowly towards him. Within ten minutes they were preening each other, hardly thereafter ever leaving each other’s side, Moncorron safe now in the company and protection of Rosa. Rosa with Moncorron in Casa Ara (Macaw House) Some visitors from the USA came to the village one day and stopped at Casa Ara. They had been led to believe that the birds could be handled and only one was “brave” enough to grab a macaw, the only one he could get, Rosa. I saw this from afar and ran running, “No toca las guaras, no toca Rosa.” Don’t touch the macaws, don’t touch Rosa. Why is it that humans must always touch and keep beauty close, harming as they go? When will we ever realize that we live in eternity’s sunrise when beauty flies free? For when others live in freedom, so do we, for their liberation is ours and is their beauty. I got a call from Santiago a few weeks ago. “Doctora, algo triste. Rosa murio.” Dr., something sad, Rosa died. She had developed a cough and was taken into Anyada’s home. There was no clinic, no veterinarian, inadequate medicine, and no diagnostic ability to know why she was so sick. She died two days later. I didn’t feel much then, couldn’t, because I had to work with Santiago on understanding the illness she had and who else might have it. Santiago did the hard chore of performing a necropsy, cutting up little Rosa so her tissues could tell us something of the mysterious illness that threatens the liberated flock. So Rosa is in bits and pieces, and only now, can I let myself break into pieces. I just couldn’t write about her any earlier, I couldn’t risk feeling. Now on the way to Paraguay to yet another country where macaws are trashed and broken for the illegal wildlife trade, on the long plane trip I saw the movie, “Me, Before You.” It is about a woman who tries to love a paraplegic enough so that he would not choose to die. She failed, but she gave him good company and love before he left his life of pain. They were both changed completely in knowing each other, despite their initial and ongoing wounding. Our love and care wasn’t enough for Rosa. We all have failed her, and her kind. But Rosa didn’t falter. She lived in pain and with her unique and precious life; she gave us and the macaws companionship. She taught us the kind of love that tasks us to bone deep rending and mending that never ceases. I wish my love was enough so that Rosa would not have died. But I do not have the power to end pain, anyone’s. And that hurts all the more. Anayda with Rosa, one of the last pictures of them together I’d like to go back to the days before I met Rosa, when I wasn’t responsible for all those crippled and tortured birds in the illegal wildlife trade in Honduras. I have no idea what I am doing, or how to go forward, living in love, beauty, and pain, but I don’t suppose Rosa did either. But she shone and she served. Who are we to attempt anything less than that? Anayda once told me something similar when I asked her why she dedicates her life to caring for macaws. “Once I saw Rosa, I could not let it happen anymore.” I can't let it happen anymore either. So dear Rosa, I promise you now my unending love. May I not forget that though you are now gone, you are still visible and ever with me. Your beauty flies behind me, around me, under and above me, and in front of me. You live into the future in those who knew you, and I dream beyond knowing, that your parents flew over the Rescue Center in your last days and recognized your voice, calling out their love to you. Rosa, Pree Palisa (Miskito for Rosa, Fly Free). Your beauty will never die. And you humans, no toca! Let them fly free. Painting on our research station with the words in Miskito which mean, "Macaw fly free!"

Our conservation team just came out of the field after two weeks in the Concepcion and Amambay states of Paraguay. One minute we are on a bone jarring dirt road, and the next we are standing next to pavement catching a red-eye bus to the capital city, Asuncion. On that 7 hour cold and dark ride, I thought of all the ranches we had visited. They began to blur together, some with lots of parrots, others with almost none, some a bit boring, and one that kept us especially alert. We didn’t know until we got there that the ranch administrator had been tied up and robbed, and the main office of the ranch had been robbed just last week - both during the day. Also, a security guard had been killed just 7 months ago here. The ranch's roads were full of beauty, and well as stories of hardship we shared about when harm had come to us working and living in Latin America The workers were anxious, and so we had to pay attention to our plans. Because of this, and the recent violence, we could not move around as much as we wanted. We thought it best to hide our money and identification. I then told the volunteer that if she saw armed men coming our way, to take out the camera memory chips so we could at least save the pictures of the of the illegal deforestation, and of course, of the beautiful birds. We stayed long enough for two bird counts, and although we left this ranch, we stayed in the area one more day. Illegal deforestation (photo taken quickly so as to not attract attention) My companions think I was a bit of a target, but we were moving fast enough that the nefarious elements couldn’t track our position or plan anything. I don’t know if it helps that our chauffeur was armed. He put his hand on his pistol several times as we drove into the local town after we left this area. There were lights on the road ahead and as he slowed down we all peered intently to discern what the lights meant. Were they the guerrillas that visited the same ranch we camped out only 2 weeks earlier, or could they be narcos or bandits? The reality of what most of the lights was almost as bad. They didn’t mean violence for us, but for life. The lights were from logging trucks, my companions suggesting that supposedly they moved at night to diminish attracting attention to illegal logging. Logging truck on ranch roads during the day (photo taken quickly through windshield so as to not attract attention) I don't think conservation in this part of Paraguay is any more dangerous than parts of New York City near where I live, or what my son went through in Charlotte, North Carolina as a police officer last week. The people there are protesting against systemic violence and oppression, and that is what we are also doing in parrot conservation. We show up to witness and to love, seeking to defy the assumption that it is okay to live this way where violence is the norm. It is not acceptable that people have to carry guns to be safe, and live in fear, or that parrots are torn from the wild, threatening their species existence on the planet and causing individual parrots to wallow in inadequate captive situations. In areas where parrots are hurting, so are the people, and from the same root causes. If we can help the parrots, we help the people, and if we can cherish the people so that they can flourish, so will the parrots. Testing my bed out for the night - it will be a cold one! Parrot conservation can be risky, but mostly the possible harm to conservationists is not of the physical kind, except as it plays out as hot, long days, and cold nights. It is about braving the constant heartache, and forgetting the beauty that flies in the midst of such tragedy and loss. The real danger is in giving up, or turning off so as to escape the reality and the pain. This too is not acceptable. Testimony must be given. Life must be guarded. That is why we do parrot conservation. (and of course we do it for the birds and the privilege to see them flying free). Thanks to those who do parrot conservation with me in Paraguay - Andres Alvarez (of Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNA), Angie Mendoza (of Fauna and Vida), and Arne Lesterhuis (of Guyra Paraguay) Hyacinth macaw seen during our two weeks in the field (photo taken quickly because, well, she was flying fast!) #Paraguay #parrots