Weekly Estuary Update
Greetings from the estuary! Below, we share opportunities for collaboration, volunteering, and training this week, through initiatives and actions planned to benefit the ecosystems of the San Juan Bay Estuary and its communities.
Collaboration Agreement for the benefit of the San Juan Bay Estuary
On Friday, April 12, 2024, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Honorable Pedro Pierluisi, received the Estuary at La Fortaleza to sign a Collaboration Agreement between the Government of Puerto Rico and the San Juan Bay Estuary.
With this agreement, the Government of Puerto Rico reaffirms its commitment to implementing the actions established in the Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary to achieve the restoration of this nationally important estuarine system. Together, we will achieve the sustainability of the San Juan metropolitan region and the Estuary's mission to restore and conserve the water quality of the San Juan Bay Estuary ecosystem as a sustainable driver of social and economic development.
We appreciate the presence of the Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), the Honorable Anaís Rodríguez; the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP), the Honorable Eileen Vélez; the Director of the Caribbean Region of the EPA, Carmen Guerrero; the President of the San Juan Bay Estuary Management Conference, Jorge San Miguel; the members of the Board of Directors of the San Juan Bay Estuary Conservation Corporation, especially Friedel Stubbe and Blas Fonalledas; and the team from La Fortaleza. Here's to thirty more years of collaborative results!
Changes to the Family Day Trip to the County Lagoon Estuarine Nature Reserve
Due to the weather forecast for Saturday, May 4th in the Condado area, changes have been made to the schedule of activities for this month's Family Day Out. We will have the following activities:
[3:00] The macrame workshop will now be indoors, on the grounds of Blue Lagoon, in Jaime Benitez Park (building next to the gazebo).
[4:00] We will now have a yoga class, indoors at Blue Lagoon.
[5:00] Endemic Bird Talk (with Green Touch hours), indoors at Blue Lagoon. The birdwatching tour of the reserve has been cancelled.
The Estuary Cinema has been cancelled.
According to the weather forecast for Saturday, May 4th, the function of TrollsThe screening scheduled for 7:00 pm at Jaime Benítez Park has been cancelled. We will be announcing a new date for Cine del Estuario soon.
We are seeking new Estuary Resident Artists
We are happy to announce a new season of Resident Artists of the Estuary, for this year 2024, which will be focused on the efforts of the restoration of the Juan Méndez ravine, in San Juan!
See the call for applications here Apply today. The application period is open until May 15, 2024.
Job opportunities
Senior Project Lead (Juan Méndez Creek Restoration) – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking qualified applicants for the Senior Project Lead- Juan Méndez Creek position to lead project efforts in coordination with Estuario's work and its team.
Stakeholder and Engagement Manager – The Stakeholder and Engagement Manager assists the Executive Director and the Management Conference with engagement, educational, and outreach activities.
Accountant – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking qualified applications for an Accountant to join our highly skilled team for projects receiving funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Economic Valuation Study – Request for Proposals – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is looking to engage a professional consultant(s) to conduct an economic valuation study to determine the current economic value of the natural resources and services in the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed.
Video Production Services—Request for Quote – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, Estuario, is looking to engage a professional consultant(s) to provide video production services to produce a video for the Estuario's 30th anniversary.
Certification of scientific citizens
We continue with introductory workshops for the Water Quality, Microplastic Characterization and Reduction, and Coastal Resilience modules. See the scheduled events below:
Other activities
Educational tour at the County Lagoon
As part of the Estuary's educational activities, last Monday, April 29, we received the group An Adventure called Homeschool in the Estuarine Nature Reserve of the County Lagoon.
Between an interpretive tour and educational stations, participants and their parents rediscovered the importance of urban forests, water quality monitoring, the responsibility that comes with living in an urbanized watershed, and secrets of our terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity.
Thanks to our estuarine education team: Coral Avilés, Daritzel Cintrón and Eliezer Nieves, for connecting minds and hearts with our estuarine resources.
Weekly bacteriological monitoring
Assessment conducted on Thursday, May 2, 2024. We have a RED flag at County Lagoon. Despite a low enterococci count, we recommend avoiding direct contact with the water due to the large amount of rainfall we are receiving. One station exceeded the water quality parameter for enterococci. Beach Action Value 70 CFU/100mL. Have a good weekend.
