Weekly Estuary Update
This week, we invite you to actively participate in caring for our waters. We continue to create spaces to learn, move, and connect with nature and the community, from supporting the Estuary with your refund to the 18th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day. Explore the opportunities, participate, and be part of the actions that contribute to the restoration and management of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
Support the Estuary with your Refund
This tax season, consider donating part of your refund to conservation and management efforts for the waters and ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
Look for the option “Contribution to the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary”which you will find in the box “Refund” on page 1 of your form.
This method is possible thanks to Law 48 of 2009, which establishes the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary.
Learn about the different ways to donate to the Estuary at: estuary.org/donate.
Register for the 18th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day
Sign up today! Puerto Rico Water Quality DayThe largest citizen science event on the island!
For the eighteenth consecutive year, you will monitor the water quality of rivers, streams, lagoons, reservoirs, and beaches near you. You will learn how to use the monitoring kit provided by the Estuary and collect data that will help us better understand the health of these bodies of water.
Create your group, choose your body of water and register at estuary.org/waterqualitydayMonitoring kits are limited, so we recommend registering as soon as possible. The 18th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. throughout the archipelago.
Take advantage of our virtual training workshops, where you will learn how to use the water quality monitoring kit (provided by the Estuary) and how to correctly record the data you collect that day.
See the dates at: https://estuario.org/eventos
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 Río 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.
Save the date: Earth Day celebration
On Saturday, April 25, the Estuary will be present at the Earth Day celebration at the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden in Río Piedras. There will be food vendors, artisans, educational activities, and more. Save the date!
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!
Opportunities for professional services contracts
The family day trip in March was a success.
The Estuary once again celebrated its customary family outing at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, March 7. The day began with the first training workshop of the eighteenth Puerto Rico Water Quality Day, where the event coordinator, Aranxa Martínez, instructed us on how to use the monitoring kit to perform analyses of various physical and chemical parameters of the water.
Later, we conducted a land cleanup in the Reserve, collecting 192 pounds of trash from the southern and northwestern shores of the lagoon. We appreciate the willingness and environmental commitment of the volunteers who participated! After the cleanup, we held a presentation about the Reserve's ecosystems, its biodiversity, and its relationship with the waters of the San Juan Bay estuary.
The family day out concluded with Cine del Estuario, where we screened the film How to Train Your Dragon (2025) outdoors. Approximately 52 people enjoyed this showing.
We thank the Estuary's aquatic waste management team, Cristina Ramirez, Stacy Larancuent and Paul Lanctin, and the coordinator of Puerto Rico's Water Quality Day, Aranxa Martinez, for their collaboration.
Thanks also to the administrator of Jaime Benítez Park, Wilfredo Vázquez, and to the Municipal Police headquarters, for their continued support.
The next family outing will be on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and will coincide with the 18th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day. More details will be posted soon.
Urban tour in Condado
Last Sunday, March 22, we celebrated World Water Day with an urban tour from the Condado Lagoon to the surrounding beaches, exploring the connection between the city and the San Juan Bay estuary.
The heavy rain didn't stop the experience. On the contrary, it allowed us to observe firsthand how water flows and connects different urban spaces with the coastal ecosystems to which they belong.
The participants discussed runoff, stormwater and sanitary sewer systems, water quality monitoring, and the vital role of coastal vegetation in protecting marine biodiversity. We thank everyone who participated in this learning experience.
Actions for the reduction of aquatic waste
In the watershed of the San Juan Bay estuary.
The Estuary was present with its educational table at the most recent Recycling Pop-up in Loíza on Saturday, March 21. We educated attendees about the municipality's proper vegetable oil disposal procedures, as well as the community campaign efforts with LimPiaR. Leave a clean footprint in Piñones and other educational initiatives on the importance of conserving our water and grey infrastructure.
During the event, 778 pounds of recyclable material were collected, including plastic, aluminum, and cardboard. Thanks to the more than 100 people who attended. The Loíza Recycling Pop-up takes place on the third Saturday of each month at Miguel Fuentes Pinet Park. They accept #1, #2, and #5 plastics, aluminum, brass, and corrugated cardboard.
See more information about the Estuary's vegetable oil diversion efforts and its partners, here.
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
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological Monitoring; on Thursday, April 9th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory Bird Census Workshop; on Tuesday, April 7th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience; on Friday, April 10, at 7:00 am at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses; on Thursday, April 2th, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
Field experience: Seed collection and propagation; on Saturday, April 11, at 8:00 am in Piñones
Field experience: Ecological assessment of coral reefs; on Saturday, April 11, at 8:00 am at the County Lagoon
Field experience: Ecological assessment of coral reefs; on Saturday, April 11, at 12:00 pm at the County Lagoon
Media coverage
March 22, 2026. Brenda Torres Barreto. Nature as a key ally. Opinion. El Nuevo Día. p.39.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, March 26, 2026. We have a RED flag for County Lagoon. We recommend avoiding areas that exceeded the "Beach Action Value" water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
