Estuario Weekly Update
An estuarine greeting! Through our weekly update, we share events and opportunities for collaboration, training, and volunteerism scheduled in benefit of the San Juan Bay Estuary, its ecosystems and communities.
Family Day
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the most recent Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, December 7, 2024! This time, we focused on celebrating World Soil Day.
We started at three in the afternoon with a sports activity. Several people approached us to be part of a badminton game. Then, Yomaries González Bermúdez, from the organization Arte-Suelo-Ser, taught us about the different types of soils in Puerto Rico and their importance within estuarine ecosystems. The 41 people present learned about soil aggregates, porosity, organic matter and other topics.
After the talk, we took a botanical tour of the Reserve, where we highlighted the importance of the soils and their dynamics with the San Juan Bay Estuary. We learned about the symbiotic relationships between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, about organic mulch, mangrove forest productivity, and more. About 35 people joined the tour.
Later in the afternoon, the author, Miriam Rosado Reyes, delighted around 41 young people and adults with the reading of her book, Monarca. We closed the day with Cine del Estuario, featuring the film, Trolls Band Together. We thank the administrator of the Jaime Benítez Park, José Ramos, Yomaries González Bermúdez, the organization Arte-Suelo-Ser and the author, Miriam Rosado Reyes, for their collaboration.
Family Day will be back on February 1, 2025!
Christmas lighting at La Goyco
Through the community campaign, Que no toque el piso ni llegue al agua, the SJBEP was part of the Christmas lighting of Taller Comunidad La Goyco, on Saturday, December 7, 2024. A total of 31 volunteers were present at the event’s recycling stations, through which three bags of combined materials, three aluminum bags, one plastic bag, 17 pounds of compostable materials, and 25 pounds of leftover food were diverted.
Thank you to the volunteers who joined us!
The hours invested count as field experience for the Characterization and Reduction of Microplastics Module, of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists.
AquaFest
The SJBEP was among the coordinators and collaborators of the first Aquafest: Festival of Clean Water and Healthy Communities United for Prevention, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Finca Higuaca, in Cabo Rojo. Efforts like this are part of the actions within Puerto Rico’s Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Waste. The SJBEP, along with other organizations, featured educational tables at the event.
As part of the festival’s activities, Estuario’s Public Policy Advisor, Stacy Larancuent, deposed in a panel on Act 51-2022 “Law to Prohibit the Sale and Use of Single-Use Plastics in All Commercial, Sale and Distribution Premises Authorized to Do Business Pursuant to the Laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”.
The festival was attended by approximately 500 people, who benefited from educational activities, exhibitions, music, food and artisans, all focused on increasing awareness of the problem of aquatic waste pollution, and how to prevent it.
AquaFest will return in 2025.
Reserva Marina Arrecife de la Isla Verde 12th Anniversary
The SJBEP celebrates its collaborators at the Reserva Marina Arrecife de la Isla Verde, who, on the occasion of their twelfth anniversary, will be carrying out water quality monitoring, beach cleaning, planting and dune maintenance activities in the Reserve, on Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Stop by the Kiosko Informativo! More information here.
Second Recycling Pop-up in Loíza
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, take your recyclables to the second Recycling Pop-up in Loíza, a monthly collection event where you can properly dispose of plastics (#1, #2 and #5), aluminum, brass and corrugated cardboard that you no longer use.
The pickup will be from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Miguel Fuentes Pinet Stadium, in Loíza.
Take advantage!
Mangrove monitoring in the Condado Lagoon
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, a group of 14 participants carried out a planting monitoring at the San Gerónimo Beach of the Condado Lagoon, as part of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists’ Coastal Resilience Module. During the activity, we emphasized the importance of mangrove ecosystems in the SJBE, and collected red mangrove, white mangrove, black mangrove and button mangrove seeds. The activity was led by the Estuario Coordinators, Agnes Pagán and Andreína Alexatos.
Ceertification for Citizen Scientists
Below, we share the events scheduled for the coming weeks. See more information about the certification, thematic modules and available registrations, in estuario.org/ccc.
Water Quality Monitoring Module:
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module:
Coastal Resilience Module:
Employment opportunities
Green Infrastructure Coordinator (full time staff position)
Estuario Project Coordinator- Environmental Indicators Monitoring
Communications Consultant (Support)
Analista – Manejo de Recursos y Residuos
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) RESEARCH AND STUDY PROPOSALS – ESTUARIO FELLOWSHIP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Media coverage
César R. Candelario Febles. December 8, 2024. Certificación al alcance de todos. Ambiente Hoy. El Nuevo Día. pp. 40-41.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation conducted on Thursday, December 12, 2024. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. One station exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality standard of 70 CFU/100 ML. We recommend avoiding this area. Remember to avoid water during precipitation events.
