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
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.
Present your research
We are accepting abstracts for projects or studies relevant to the San Juan Bay estuary watershed. If you are an expert or knowledgeable in urban sustainability and resilience, we invite you to submit a poster as part of the Puerto Rico Watershed Symposium on Wednesday, December 4.
Join as a volunteer
We're also accepting applications for volunteers to help with various tasks over the three days. Sign up today on the event website.
The 2024 Summit is open to the public. See more information at estuary.org/summit-2024.
Family Day Trip to the Estuary
On Saturday, November 2nd, we celebrated another edition of our Family Day Out at the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. We began with a Nature Hunt, where about 70 people joined us on the reserve's self-guided botanical trail. During the activity, participants learned about the plants found in the reserve, their morphology, distribution, and various uses.
Then, bird experts Coral Avilés, Eliezer Nieves, and Jordi Salguero, a student at the bird education and census boarding school, gave us an interesting talk on migratory birds. About 76 people were present. We played a trivia game with the information we had learned.
At 5:30 pm we split into several groups for a birdwatching tour. After the tour, we enjoyed a screening of the film Migration at the Estuary Cinema.
The talk on migratory birds and the birdwatching tour were part of the activities of the Migratory Bird Festival, held in the Caribbean in collaboration with Environment for the Americas.
Friends of the Lagoon
The Estuary invites you to the next Friends of the Lagoon meeting, on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at Jaime Benítez Park in the Condado Lagoon.
The meeting will also have a virtual component via Zoom. Register at estuary.org/events to get your access link.
Orientation meeting for the Estuary Artist-in-Residence opportunity
We have scheduled a new orientation meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm via Zoom.
This meeting is an integral part of the proposal submission and selection process.
Register today at estuary.org/events.
Collaboration between the Estuary and the State of New York
The San Juan Bay Estuary is working to protect ecosystems vital to Puerto Rico. See how the Lieutenant Governor of New York joins the effort, via HITN Television. HERE.
Bird census
On Saturday, November 2nd, we conducted a bird census in San Juan's Central Park. Thanks to all the volunteers and citizen scientists who joined us, particularly the group of students from the Biological Sciences course at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, who completed their certification in the Participatory Bird Census module of the Estuary, in their second field experience.
They were sighted and documented in eBird 42 species of birds, including several migratory ones that visit the estuary ecosystems at this time of year.
We thank our team of educators and birdwatchers, Coral Avilés and Eliezer Nieves, for leading the activity and Jordi Salguero, who is working on an internship in education and citizen science with the Estuary.
Planting of coastal vegetation
On Saturday, October 26, we carried out a coastal vegetation planting and follow-up planting of past plantings in the Condado Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve. We were joined by 36 citizen scientists, who planted approximately 325 specimens of red mangrove, black mangrove, and button mangrove. This planting served as a field experience for the certification of the Estuary Coastal Resilience module. The coordinators, Agnes Pagán and Andreína Alexatos, led the effort.
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
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) RESEARCH AND STUDY PROPOSALS – ESTUARIO FELLOWSHIP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS—The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is looking to engage graduate students to design and conduct a research project that employs a multidisciplinary approach to develop innovative strategies for enhancing the resilience of vulnerable regions through nature-based solutions in the San Juan Bay Estuary.
Community Facilitator (RFP)—The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership seeks qualified applicants to provide services as a Community Facilitator in the Juan Méndez Creek (JMC) Restoration Project.
ESTUARY RESIDENT ARTIST—The Estuary Resident Artist will focus his proposal along the Juan Méndez ravine in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
[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
Assessment conducted Thursday, November 7, 2024. We have a RED flag for County Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the water in all areas that exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality parameter of 70 CFU/100 ML. Have a good weekend.
