Weekly Estuary Update
This Thursday, November 28, Thanksgiving Day, we thank all the friends, neighbors, donors, collaborators, and protectors of the San Juan Bay estuary, its ecosystems, and communities for their tireless commitment and continued support of our efforts to protect our waters. Thank you!
Giving tuesday
Help us restore and protect the waters of the San Juan Bay Estuary and its ecosystems. Make your donation to the Estuary today, in commemoration of this upcoming Giving Tuesday, which will be on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
Your donation will help us achieve a more resilient and healthy watershed for its inhabitants.
Any amount is appreciated. See the different ways you can contribute, at estuary.org/donate.
Family Day Out
The next Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve will be on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Jaime Benítez Park. We will have the following activities:
[3:00 pm] Sports activity
[4:00 pm] Talk: The soil and its importance in estuarine ecosystems (Green Contact hours)
[5:00 pm] Botanical tour of the Reserve (Green Contact hours)
[6:00 pm] Reading of the story: Monarch; with the writer, Miriam Rosado Reyes (Green Contact hours)
[7:00 pm] Estuary Cinema presents: Trolls Band Together
We look forward to seeing you! For more information, visit estuary.org/events or write to us at: [email protected].
Summit 2024
The Estuary invites you to the Summit 2024, To be held on Monday, December 2, Tuesday, December 3, and Wednesday, December 4, at the theater of the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico in Hato Rey. This is a large-scale event that will bring together experts and knowledgeable individuals in the fields of sustainability and urban resilience to achieve greater integration and collaboration among diverse sectors and disciplines.
The 2024 Summit is open to the public. See more information at estuary.org/summit-2024.
Blue Friday
The Estuary invites you to the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Friday, November 29, 2024, where we will spend an environmental Blue Friday, cleaning from 8:00 am to 10:00 am with the Friends of the Lagoon.
We'll meet at Jaime Benítez Park. We'll be waiting for you!
Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival
United to prevent water pollution! Don't miss the first AquaFest: Festival of Clean Water and Healthy Communities; 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.
Bird Study Merit Badge for Scouts
The San Juan Bay Estuary, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Council of the Boy Scouts of America, will be offering the Bird Study Merit Badge.
The requirements for the merit badge will be presented in a virtual workshop via Zoom. The workshop consists of two parts on separate days, so participants must attend both virtual sessions.
First virtual session: Monday, December 9, 2024 (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM)
Second virtual session: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM)
For the field requirement, we will have a list of dates to coordinate attendance at two bird censuses, between December 14, 2024, and January 5, 2025. The listener must always be accompanied by an adult (Unit Leader or parent/guardian), so both must register for the dates they will attend. The bird censuses will be early in the morning, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
The instructors for the merit badge and bird censuses will be Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez and Coral Avilés Santiago.
Scouts interested in participating must first have approval from their Scoutmaster before registering and ensure that an adult leader from their unit registers and is present at both virtual sessions. To register, they can access HERE.
Christmas Bird Censuses Gamaliel Pagán Hernández
The Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Censuses are back! Join us as we assess the health of the ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary by counting and documenting endemic and migratory birds. The censuses will begin on Saturday, December 14, 2024, and continue through Sunday, January 5, 2025.
See the list of dates and register today at estuary.org/events.
Call for volunteers for recycling stations
The Estuary invites you to participate as a volunteer at the recycling stations for the Christmas lighting ceremony at Taller Comunidad La Goyco, on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm
The hours completed can be validated as field experience for the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module. To participate, sign up. HERE.
Volunteer day
December 5, 2024, is Volunteer Day. We dedicate this day to all the volunteers who make the work of the Estuary possible, through tasks such as water quality monitoring, waste reduction, wildlife assessments, and coastal resilience, among others. Every action counts!
Estuary volunteers receive certification as citizen scientists. By joining as a volunteer, you can become certified in one or more of the available thematic modules: Water Quality Monitoring, Participatory Bird Censuses, Microplastics Characterization and Reduction, and Coastal Resilience. Learn more at: estuary.org/ccc.
Microplastic assessment in San Juan Bay
On Friday, November 22, 2024, five volunteers conducted a microplastics assessment in San Juan Bay as part of the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuary's Citizen Scientist Certification program. This field exercise was led by aquatic waste manager Cristina Ramírez Colón.
Thank you to Leonicha, José, Camila, Arelys, and Edwin for their contribution to the restoration and maintenance of the estuary's waters! See more activities at estuary.org/events.
Certification of scientific citizens
Below are the scheduled events for the coming weeks. See more information at: estuary.org/ccc.
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Coastal Resilience Module:
Job opportunities
Media coverage
November 25, 2024. The San Juan Bay Estuary invites citizens to participate in the 2024 Summit. Local News. Metro Puerto Rico. Web. https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2024/11/25/estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan-invita-a-los-ciudadanos-a-participar-de-la-cumbre-2024/
[Download your free copy] San Juan Bay Estuary: History and Research Opportunities
The Estuary is pleased to share its 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
Get ready for this hurricane season. Download the Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide of the Estuary and follow its recommendations. The strength and resilience of your community begins in your home.
Also visit the Virtual Estuary Community Centerwhere you will find vital information, such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don't panic! Get ready.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
The results of the samples taken today, Wednesday, November 27, 2024, will be published tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, November 28. You can view the results on any of our social media accounts and through our water quality portal. estuary.org/water-quality
