Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Below, we share opportunities for collaboration, volunteering, and training this week, through initiatives and actions planned to benefit the ecosystems of the San Juan Bay Estuary and its communities.
Educational day at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Learn more about the San Juan Bay Estuary and its ecosystems. Join our education team for Educational Day at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Jaime Benítez Park. Learn more and register for the activities you'd like to attend today : https://estuario.org/eventos/
Estuary Cinema
Estuary Cinema is back! This Saturday, December 3, 2022, don't miss Sing 2 at 7 pm in Jaime Benítez Park at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. This event is free. Bring your blanket or chair!
Christmas lights switch-on at La Goyco Community Workshop
Our friends from the community initiative "Que no toque el piso ni llegar al agua" (Don't touch the floor or reach the water), on Loíza Street, invite you to enjoy the Christmas tree lighting at Taller Comunidad La Goyco, this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 10 am to 8 pm. Don't miss it!
Training workshop: Community Water Network
ITIAS collaborators and the Community Water Network invite you to the workshop "The Atlas: A Tool for Understanding and Defending Our Water," on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., at the G8 offices in Hato Rey. For more information, contact INAS/ITIAS via Facebook or WhatsApp.
Certification of scientific citizens
The round of introductory workshops for certification continues in the modules of water quality monitoring, microplastic characterization and reduction, participatory bird censuses and coastal resilience.
Don't miss the Coastal Resilience Workshop, on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 7 pm to 8 pm via Zoom. Register today at https://estuario.org/ccc/.
Blue Friday at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
On Friday, November 25, 2022, the Los Tsunamis swimming group, with support from Amigos de la Laguna and San Juan Paddleboarding, collected more than 180 cans, glass, and miscellaneous single-use plastic items from the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. See the photo gallery here.
GREEN-PR Environmental Leadership Program
We're sharing a call for applications to recruit university students and young adults (18 and older) for the next round of the GREEN-PR program . This year, the focus will be on learning and creating projects related to composting, food preservation, waste reduction, recycling, and public education about single-use plastics. To apply, please visit: https://forms.gle/bBe35wrkEvruidVe8
Save the dates! Christmas bird censuses Gamaliel Pagán Hernández
The Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Counts are coming soon! We will soon be opening registration for all our citizen scientists to participate in this participatory science event, held in conjunction with the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, an effort that has been carried out in the United States for 123 years. The censuses will take place from December 14, 2022, to January 5, 2023. Stay tuned to our social media for updates!
Media coverage and publications
Torres Barreto, B. November 26, 2022. Governments and citizens for a sustainable reconstruction. Point of view. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/opinion/punto-de-vista/gobiernos-y-ciudadanos-para-una-reconstruccion-sustentable/?fbclid=IwAR3p55J7B_8yuSycsGhEWxi60WBnyUljAVkAv3OhDftVLKRpoHmbu66SX3c
November 25, 2022. San Juan Bay Estuary joins “Blue Friday” in Condado Lagoon. Metro Puerto Rico. Web. https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2022/11/25/estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan-se-une-al-blue-friday-en-la-laguna-del-condado/
November 25, 2022. Over 180 pieces of trash removed from Condado Lagoon as part of “Blue Friday.” Local News. El Nuevo Día . Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/notas/remueven-sobre-180-piezas-de-basura-de-la-laguna-del-condado-como-parte-del-blue-friday/
November 25, 2022. “Blue Friday” initiative collects 180 pieces of trash. NotiUno.com. Web. https://www.notiuno.com/noticias/ultimo-minuto/iniciativa-blue-friday-recoge-180-desechos-de-basura/article_a98f629a-6d18-11ed-9f28-ebcccd2681d8.html
November 25, 2022. Citizens collect trash at Condado Lagoon. Environment . ¡Ey! Boricua. Web. https://eyboricua.com/noticias/ambiente/ciudadanos-recogen-basura-en-la-laguna-del-condado/
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, December 1, 2022. We have a GREEN flag at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. However, we suggest caution at Station 5 (in front of Aguadilla Street), Station 1 (Jaime Benítez Park), both in Condado Lagoon, and Pine Grove Beach. These stations did not meet the water quality standard. Finally, we recommend avoiding direct contact with bodies of water during the rain event and for at least 48 hours afterward.
The restoration and water quality management efforts in the San Juan Bay estuary watershed are made possible by our supporters. Donations to the Estuary are tax-deductible in Puerto Rico and the United States.
For more information, visit https://estuario.org/donar/.
Follow us on social media, where we share information, including various virtual activities that will contribute to your knowledge and personal and professional development. For any questions, please contact us at [email protected ]
We invite you to register as a volunteer, HERE.
