Weekly Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Through our weekly update, we share scheduled events and opportunities for collaboration, training, and volunteering that benefit the San Juan Bay estuary, its ecosystems, and communities.
Summit 2024
We did it! This week we held the Estuary Summit, on December 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2024. It was three productive days of sharing knowledge and generating ideas to benefit the waters of the Greater Puerto Rico Metropolitan Area. It wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of our top-notch team, the dedication of our volunteers, and the commitment of our speakers, panelists, and attendees.
We congratulate the fifteen volunteers who received their citizen scientist certificate in the Coastal Resilience module, during the conference of Resilience to climate change, from Tuesday, December 3, authenticating their training in the topics of restoration of dunes, mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs.
We are immensely grateful to the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico, who opened their doors to this event and made us feel at home. Their collaboration is key to transforming the San Juan metropolitan region into a stronger and more sustainable one.
Thank you and see you soon!
Family day out
Join us for a Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve this 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 (with Green Contact hours)
[5:00 pm] Botanical tour of the Reserve (with Green Contact hours)
[6:00 pm] Reading of the story: Monarch; with the writer, Miriam Rosado Reyes (with 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]
Christmas Bird Censuses Gamaliel Pagán Hernández
On Saturday, December 14, the Christmas bird censuses begin. Gamaliel Pagán Hernández.
Join us in assessing the health of ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay estuary by counting and documenting endemic and migratory birds. The census will continue until Sunday, January 5, 2025.
There are still spaces available. See the list of available dates and register today at estuary.org/events.
Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival
The first AquaFest: Festival of Clean Water and Healthy Communities; Starting at 7:30 am 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 aims to prevent aquatic waste through education. The Estuary will be present at this event. Look for our information table!
See more information about the activities that will take place and reserve your space. HERE.
Christmas lights switched on at La Goyco
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 may be validated as field experience for the Estuary Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module.
There are still spaces available for the 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm shift
To participate, sign up HERE.
Certification of scientific citizens
Below are the scheduled events for the coming weeks. See more information at: estuary.org/ccc.
Coastal Resilience Module:
Job opportunities
[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.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, December 5, 2024. We have a GREEN flag for County Lagoon. The station on Manuel Rodríguez Serra Street exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality parameter of 70 CFU/100 ML. We recommend avoiding this area. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend.
