Weekly Estuary Update
This week we're sharing more ways to support and contribute to the protection and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary, from the 18th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day and activities celebrating Earth Day, to workshops, field experiences, and professional opportunities. Keep reading and get involved!
Puerto Rico Water Quality Day
The day has arrived! This Saturday, April 18, 2026, we will have the eighteenth Puerto Rico Water Quality Day, where groups around the archipelago will evaluate and collect data on the quality of the bodies of water that surround them.
We've distributed all the monitoring kits and are ready for the event. If you didn't receive your kit or didn't register your group, you can still participate in one of the many open stations, made possible by the event co-hosts. See the list of available open stations at [link to station]. estuary.org/waterqualityday.
Press conference
Estuario thanks the government leaders who were present at the press conference for the eighteenth annual Puerto Rico Water Quality Day, representing the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Autonomous Municipality of Bayamón. Thank you for your continued close collaboration and commitment to the health of our waters!
Family day out at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Celebrate the 18th Annual Puerto Rico Water Quality Day with the Estuary! Join us for the next Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, April 18, 2026. We will have an open monitoring station on the grounds of Jaime Benítez Park, with water quality assessments at 9:00 am and 10:00 am.
See the full schedule of activities at estuary.org/events.
Several activities will count toward accumulating Green Contact hours or community service, as applicable. Registration is not required. For any questions or comments, please write to us at: [email protected].
Estuary Cinema
Estuary Cinema presents: A Minecraft Movie; Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 7:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. The film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. This screening is free. Bring your blanket or chair!
Talk on endemic birds in the estuary
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival with the talk: Endemic birds of Puerto Rico in the estuary basin; Provided by Eliezer Nieves Rodríguez, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 7:00 pm via Zoom.
This talk counts towards Green Contact hours or community service.
Register today at: estuary.org/events.
Earth Day with the UPR Botanical Garden
On Saturday, April 25, Estuario joins the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden in Río Piedras in celebrating Earth Day. There will be food vendors, artisans, educational activities, and more.
We will have several activities during the event:
Field experience of Participatory Bird Censuses [7:00 am – 9:00 am] (This activity requires you to register at: estuary.org/events)
Informative talk: San Juan Bay Estuary: Opportunities for education and citizen science [10:30 am – 11:00 am]
Interpretive tour: Discovering the nature of urban forests [1:00 pm – 2:00 pm]
We'll also have information tables where you can learn about urban green spaces in the San Juan Bay estuary watershed and its biodiversity, and where you'll have the opportunity to register for the Estuary 5K at the early bird price ($30). We hope to see you there!
Interpretive tour
Get a closer look at one of the green spaces that revitalize the cities connected to the San Juan Bay estuary. Join us for the interpretive tour: Discovering the Nature of Urban Forests; Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Piñones State Forest.
This route counts towards Green Contact hours or community service.
Register today at: estuary.org/events.
5K Estuary in the Botanical Garden
Join a race like no other, held entirely within the grounds of the Río Piedras Botanical Garden. We have an updated route, perfect for runners and walkers of all levels. You'll traverse trails, admiring streams and lakes, listening to birdsong, and enjoying the shade of centuries-old native trees. There will be a 1K segment for children. The kids will have fun at their own pace!
The second edition of the Estuary 5K will be on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 7:00 am at the Rio Piedras Botanical Garden in San Juan.
The Estuary 5K is carried out with the endorsement and close collaboration of the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico.
We are looking for adult volunteers for the Estuary 5K.
There are still spaces available for volunteers. adults (18 years and older) to support the Estuary 5K race at the Botanical Garden, from 6:00 am to 10:00 am on May 17, 2026. Event volunteers will receive a t-shirt and have reserved parking at the DRNA building, steps from the event. They will be required to attend a virtual orientation meeting via Zoom, which we will announce later.
Sign up as a volunteer for the Estuary 5K, en estuary.org/events.
Actions for the reduction of aquatic waste
In the watershed of the San Juan Bay estuary.
Pop-up Recycling in Loíza
This Saturday, April 18, 2026, Estuario will be at the Recycling Pop-up in Loíza, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Miguel Fuentes Pinet Park. Stop by our educational table to learn about the community campaign. Leave a clean footprint in Piñones, as well as other initiatives for the conservation of our water and grey infrastructure.
The Loíza Recycling Pop-up takes place on the third Saturday of each month. They collect #1, #2, and #5 plastics, aluminum, brass, and corrugated cardboard. It is organized by LimPiaR, Tais, and the Municipality of Loíza.
Barrio Obrero Foundation Festival
From April 17th to 19th, the Barrio Obrero Foundation Festival is taking place, featuring musical and artistic performances by school groups, cooperative games, and exhibits highlighting the importance of community work. The festival's closing events will include craft stalls, information booths, children's activities, creative workshops, a classic bicycle display, music, and a photography exhibit. Estuario will be present with an educational booth.
The Barrio Obrero Foundation Festival will be active on Saturday, April 18 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and on Sunday, April 19 from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Plaza Antonio R. Barceló, Avenida Borinquen.
Green meeting in the Municipality of Trujillo Alto
On Saturday, April 18, Estuario will also be present at the Trujillo Alto Municipality's Green Gathering, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Bicentennial Promenade, Barrio Pueblo (next to the Historic Bridge). There will be a butterfly garden, electronic equipment collection, a talk about bees, a children's story reading, and information about the municipal recycling program. One hundred native trees will be given away.
The electronic equipment collection service will be accepting: computers, cell phones, iPads, chargers, computer parts and cables, Reuters, converter boxes, DVDs, VHSs, VCRs, GPSs, printers, fax machines, scanners, radios, sound equipment, cameras, mp3s and televisions.
La Goyco Community Fair
The La Goyco Community Workshop Fair will be held on Saturday, April 25, from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm, dedicated to World Earth Day. There will be workshops, storytelling, music, a discussion about composting, and a screening and discussion of the documentary. The Rights of Nature; Talks and more. Estuary will be present with an information table.
Workshop for interpreters and guides
Estuary invites tour guides, environmental interpreters, and non-formal educators to the workshop. Birds of estuarine ecosystems: Techniques for creating meaningful experiences; On Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve, we will review the identification of common birds in the different ecosystems of the San Juan Bay estuary watershed and various techniques to incorporate into guided tours and ecotourism experiences.
This workshop counts towards continuing education contact hours for tour guides. Register today. HERE.
Opportunities for professional services contracts
Citizen Scientist Certification
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. Remember that all workshops and field experiences count toward Green Contact hours or community service. See more information at [website address]. estuary.org/ccc.
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; on Monday, April 20, at 8:30 am at Lake Las Curías and the Piedras River
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; on Tuesday, April 21, at 9:00 am in San Juan Bay
Field experience: Physical-chemical monitoring; on Wednesday, April 22, at 8:00 am at Laguna San José/Torrecilla
Field experience: Bacteriological monitoring; on Thursday, April 23, at 9:30 am at the County Lagoon
Participatory Bird Census Module
Field experience; on Saturday, April 25, at 7:00 am at the Río Piedras Botanical Garden
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Module
Microplastics Characterization and Reduction Workshop; on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience; on Friday, April 24, at 9:00 am at Laguna San José/La Torrecilla
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological restoration of dunes and mangroves; on Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Seed propagation; on Sunday, April 26, at 8:00 am at Vivero Estuario in Centro TAU, Loíza
Media coverage
April 17, 2026. Public comment period begins for the new San Juan Bay Estuary Plan. Science and Environment. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/ciencia-ambiente/otros/notas/comienza-el-proceso-de-comentarios-publicos-para-el-nuevo-plan-del-estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan/
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Thanks to the volunteers who supported the bacteriological monitoring on Thursday, April 16, 2026, part of the Water Quality Monitoring module of the Estuary Citizen Scientist Certification. The results are below.
Assessment conducted on Thursday, April 16, 2026. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. Several stations exceeded the "Beach Action Value" water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 mL. We recommend avoiding these areas. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
