Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Through our weekly update, we inform residents and friends of the communities in the San Juan Bay estuary watershed about events, projects, activities, and training opportunities. This April we celebrate Earth Month. Stay tuned for the efforts we will be making during these days.
Water Quality Day 2023
On April 1st, we celebrated the fifteenth annual Water Quality Day. This event kicked off Earth Month. A press conference was held at Jaime Benítez Park in Condado Lagoon, with the participation of Anaí Rodríguez Vega, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources; Carmen Guerrero, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency; Gustavo Martínez, Professor at the University of Puerto Rico; and Brenda Torres Barreto, Executive Director of the Estuary.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed a Family Day Out at Jaime Benítez Park in Laguna del Condado. We celebrated a day full of fun and learning for both adults and children. We will share the final results soon.
We would like to thank our sponsors: Ford-Environmental Donations, Mapfre, Earth Eco Water Challenge, Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, Federal Environmental Protection Agency, Autonomous Municipality of San Juan, La Goyco Community Workshop, Sea Grant Puerto Rico, Las Salinas Interpretive Center, Cabo Rojo, Surfrider Foundation Rincón, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Health Sciences and Institute of Environmental Engineers of the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico.
We also want to thank the organizations that were present with their information tables: Community Water Network, the Department of Natural Resources, Pro-City Reef, Inc., Bat Conservation Program, Sustainable Environment Organization (OPAS), Scuba Dogs Society, Gostosos Products, and all the artisans who attended.
To date, over 800 people have already reported their participation data at more than 160 stations across the island. If you participated and haven't yet uploaded your results, do so today! You can access the form. here.
Urban Forest Network
Discover the resources available in the spaces of the Estuary Urban Forest Network. Join us for a mangrove seed collection at Piñones State Forest this coming Saturday, April 15, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Register at https://estuario.org/eventos/.
Certification of scientific citizens
We have scheduled the following activities as part of the participatory bird census and coastal resilience modules of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification Program:
Participatory bird census module:
- Field trip: participatory bird census – Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 7:00 am – 10:00 am, at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden
Coastal resilience module:
- Thematic workshop: coral reef restoration – Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm via Zoom
- Field trip: monitoring coral reefs – Saturday, April 15, 2023, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am, County Lagoon
- Thematic workshop: restoration of seagrasses – Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm via Zoom
- Field trip: monitoring of seagrass – Sunday, April 23, 2023, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am, County Lagoon
Register today: https://estuario.org/ccc/
Media coverage
Guillama Capella, M. April 1, 2023. Estuary Program urges the creation of new protocols for preventing and responding to health emergencies. Local News. El Nuevo Día. Web.https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/notas/programa-del-estuario-urge-a-crear-nuevos-protocolos-de-prevencion-y-reaccion-a-desbordes-sanitarios/
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. We have GREEN flag in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. The map identifies the stations that exceeded the water quality parameter for enterococci (70 CFU/100mL). We recommend avoiding direct contact with these bodies of water during rain events (at least 48 hours after the rain has ended).
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, access https://estuario.org/donar/.
Tune in to our social media channels, where we share information, including various virtual activities that will contribute to your knowledge and personal and professional development. For any questions or inquiries, please contact us through [contact information missing]. [email protected].
We invite you to register as a volunteer, HERE.
