Weekly Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Below, we share events, initiatives, and training and collaboration opportunities scheduled to benefit the waters, ecosystems, and communities connected to the San Juan Bay estuary.
Support the Estuary with your Refund
This tax season, we encourage you to donate a portion of your refund to efforts to eliminate sewage discharges into beloved bodies of water like Condado Lagoon and beaches. You'll also be supporting the restoration of San Juan Bay, the canals connecting the lagoons in the San Juan metropolitan area, and management projects for this vital ecosystem.
Look for the option “Contribution to the Special Fund for the San Juan Bay Estuary”, which you will find on the line 1B of the boxing “Refund” from 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 methods available to donate to the Estuary at estuary.org/donate/.
Family day out at the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Join us for the Estuary Family Day Out at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve on Saturday, March 1, 2025. We'll have a cleanup in the Reserve, a talk about the wildlife of the Estuary watershed, a trivia game, a sports activity, and an Estuary Film screening. See more information at: estuary.org/eventsNo registration is required. We look forward to seeing you!
Estuary Cinema presents: Wicked
Estuary Cinema presents: Wicked; Saturday, March 1, 2025, 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!
5K Estuary in the Botanical Garden
The first Estuary 5K will be on March 23, 2025, at 7:00 am in the Río Piedras Botanical Garden, San Juan! You'll run along trails, enjoying streams and lakes, and listening to birdsong under the shade of native and centuries-old trees.
Registration includes a commemorative shirt, a medal upon completing the 5K, a race number, a chip to record your race duration, hydration, and access to educational tables after completing the race.
For an additional cost, you can get the opportunity to enter the raffle for the VIP Concert Experience of No me quiero ir de aquí, by Bad Bunny.
The Estuary 5K is carried out with the endorsement and close collaboration of the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Water Quality Day
Are you ready to assess the health of your community's water? Create your group, choose a body of water, and join the largest citizen science event on the Island; the 17th Puerto Rico Water Quality Day will be on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
Registration opens soon! Stay tuned to our updates and social media for more details.
Characterization of microplastics in the Margarita Canal
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the most recent field experience of the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module of the Estuary Scientific Citizens Certification was carried out, through the Margarita Canal and the entrance to the Martin Peña Channel.
We appreciate the participation of Christopher Orozco, Dianivette Rolón, Elsa Ortiz, Rey González, and Edgar Lozada, who accompanied us throughout the journey. We congratulate Elsa Ortiz, Edgar Lozada, and Dianivette Rolón, who, through this field experience, earned their certification as citizen scientists.
Citizen Scientist Certification
Below are the events scheduled for the coming weeks. See more information at: estuary.org/ccc.
Participatory Bird Census Module
Participatory bird census workshop; on Thursday, March 6, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm via Zoom
Field experience; Sunday, March 9, from 7:00 am to 10:00 am at Central Park in San Juan
Register today at: estuary.org/ccc.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, February 27, 2025. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. However, we recommend avoiding areas that exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality standard of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
