Weekly Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Below, we share the events, training opportunities, and collaborations scheduled for this week, all benefiting the San Juan Bay estuary, its communities, and ecosystems.
Family day out at the Estuary
The next Family Day Trip to the Estuary at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve will be on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Save the date!
We'll have activities and several opportunities to accumulate Green Touch hours, including a migratory bird talk and a birdwatching tour through the reserve. See more information at estuary.org/events.
At 7:00 pm, Cine del Estuario presents: Migration; at Jaime Benítez Park. The film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. This screening is free. Bring your blanket or chair!
Orientation Meeting—Estuary Resident Artists
The Estuary invites artists to an orientation meeting for the opportunity to participate as Estuary Artists-in-Residence in 2025. The meeting is on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 2:00 pm via Zoom and is part of the application process. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory. Register today at estuary.org/events.
Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival
United to prevent water pollution!
The Estuary invites you to participate in the first AquaFest: Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival; on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Finca Higuaca, Cabo Rojo.
There will be a beach cleanup, educational workshops, interactive exhibits, arts and crafts, live music, and information tables.
AquaFest is a collaborative initiative that seeks to prevent aquatic waste through education.
See more information about the event and reserve your space, HERE.
Recycling pop-up in Loíza
Bring your recyclables to the next Recycling Pop-up, a new monthly collection event in Loíza. The first Pop-up will be on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Miguel Fuentes Pinet Stadium. See more information HERE.
Participatory bird census
On Saturday, October 12, the most recent field trip for the Estuary Participatory Bird Census module was conducted in Piñones State Forest. This activity was part of October Big Day, a global citizen science event. Bird censuses were also conducted at the Piñones breakwater and along the Blasina Canal in collaboration with the Carolina Children's Museum.
We thank all the volunteers who joined us during this day and we wish to congratulate the 13 students from the Biological Sciences course at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, who completed their certification.
We also thank the leaders of the activity, Coral Avilés Santiago and Eliezer Nieves Rodriguez, from our estuarine education team.
Go birdwatching with the Estuary! Complete your certification in the Participatory Bird Census module. See available events at estuary.org/ccc.
Planting of coastal vegetation
On Saturday, October 12, eleven participants planted some 342 specimens of coastal vegetation, including red mangrove, button mangrove, white mangrove and black mangrove, in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve.
This planting served as a field experience for the Coastal Resilience module of the Estuary's citizen scientist certification program. It was led by coordinators Andreína Alexatos and Agnes Pagán.
Continue your certification in the Coastal Resilience module. See the scheduled workshops and field experiences at estuary.org/ccc.
Citizen Scientist Certification
The following are the upcoming scheduled events. See more information at estuary.org/ccc.
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Coastal Resilience Module:
Job opportunities
Analyst – Resource and Waste Management —This position will be systematically documenting solid waste management and developing a strategy to replicate the strategic model of the campaign "Don't let it touch the ground or reach the water" in other geographic areas of the basin.
Estuary Project Coordinator – Aquatic Debris —The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (Estuary) is seeking a qualified applicant to fulfill the Estuario Project Coordinator position focused in the Aquatic Debris area.
Water Quality Day Coordinator (2025) — We are seeking an Estuary Coordinator to organize this event. This person will be responsible for enthusiastically engaging all sectors of the community and increasing participation, taking into account data from previous years. Their primary goal should be access to clean and safe water for all in Puerto Rico.
Green Infrastructure Coordinator (full time staff position) —The Green Infrastructure Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing all projects related to green infrastructure and coastal resilience to support the implementation of the Estuary Plan, also known as the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP).
ESTUARY ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT — The Estuary Artist-in-Residence will focus their work along the Juan Méndez Creek in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Estuary Artist-in-Residence refers to any individual with artistic abilities who can carry out the described project. The project period is one year, beginning March 1, 2025. This application is open to all forms of artistic expression.
Media coverage
Lumarhi J. Rivera. October 13, 2024. Review with a focus on climate change. Environment today. El Nuevo Día. p.44.
[Download your free copy] San Juan Bay Estuary: History and Research Opportunities
The Estuary is pleased to share the recent publication, San Juan Bay Estuary: History and Research Opportunities ; by Ariel E. Lugo and Jorge F. Bauzá Ortega.
This comprehensive document includes valuable information on research conducted in the estuarine system, calling for these observations, findings, and conclusions to be added to in potential future research.
To arrange for the pickup of a free printed copy, please contact us at 787-725-8165.
Prepare yourself this hurricane season
Prepare for this hurricane season. Download the Estuary Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. Your community's strength and resilience begin at home.
Also visit the Estuary Virtual Community Center , where you'll find vital information, such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency kits.
Don't panic! Get ready.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, October 17, 2024. We have a RED flag for County Lagoon. We recommend avoiding areas that exceeded the water quality parameter for enterococci, "Beach Action Value," of 70 CFU/100 mL. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
