Estuario Weekly Update
This coming week we celebrate Earth Day! First held in 1970, Earth Day is observed every April 22. This movement seeks to highlight the importance of environmental conservation and the sustainable use of the resources that our planet Earth gives us. We only have one!
This year’s Earth Day, Earthday.org is highlighting the theme: Planet vs. Plastics; which seeks to provide attention to the growing pollution with plastics and microplastics, and the actions we are taking to alleviate the problem. For more information, please visit: earthday.org.
Return your Water Quality Day kit
We did it! The sixteenth Water Quality Day of Puerto Rico was Saturday, April 13, 2024. We thank all the people who came together throughout the Island and collected water quality data.
During the press conference of the opening for the event at the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership announced the allocation of $450,000 in funding for the automation of fifteen pumping stations, a measure that will contribute to protecting and managing the bodies of water interconnected to the San Juan Bay Estuary—as well as the urban infrastructure that surrounds them. See the media coverage, below.
Remember to submit the data collected during the event. Go to: estuario.org/diadecalidaddeagua and fill out the Water Quality Day Form, today.
We are collecting the distributed water quality kits. To drop off your kit, stop by our office: 1315 Avenida Ponce de Leon, San Juan, PR 00907, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
You can also stop by the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday, April 28, from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
If you have any questions or concerns, please write to us at: [email protected] or call us at 787-725-8165.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the workshops and field trips that will take place soon. See all the events scheduled at: estuario.org/ccc.
Coastal Resilience Module:
Field Trip: Seagrass Ecological Assessment – Wednesday, April 24, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Laguna del Condado, with Daritzel Cintron, Coastal Resilience Coordinator
Field trip: planting of coastal vegetation – Saturday, April 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Playita San Gerónimo, with Andreína Alexatos, arborist
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Thematic Workshop: Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico Found in the Estuary Basin – Thursday, April 25, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom, with Eliezer Nieves, Public Engagement Specialist
Field Trip: Participatory Bird Census – Friday, April 26, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the UPR Botanical Garden of Río Piedras, with Eliezer Nieves and Coral Avilés, environmental educator
Register today, at: estuario.org/ccc.
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.
Economic Valuation Study—Request for Proposal – 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.
Accountant – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, also known as the Estuario, is seeking qualified applications for an Accountant to join our highly skilled team for projects receiving funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Senior Project Lead for the Juan Mendez Creek Restoration – This contractor will act as project liaison and will be responsible for leading the technical aspects of the project; carry out the reconnaissance study and develop the report, manage data, support coordination with USACE and carry out any other tasks needed to manage technical aspects for the Juan Mendez Creek Restoration.
Stakeholder and Engagement Manager – The Stakeholder and Engagement Manager assists the Executive Director and the Management Conference with engagement, educational, and outreach activities. The position oversees and coordinates Management Conference (MC) committees and pursues new partnerships and funding opportunities; they provide staff support for the Management Conference and serves as a liaison for various external working groups.
Recruiting Services—Request for Proposal – The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, or Estuario, requests proposals from qualified individual or firms to provide recruiting services for various open positions (contractor and staff). The selected firm will be responsible for sourcing, screening, and presenting qualified candidates to fill positions in accordance with the Estuario’s internal policies and procedures and other grant requirements.
Capacity Building and Facilitation Services—Request for Proposal – The Capacity Building Services supports Estuario’s role as a regional convener, catalyst, and facilitator to restore and maintain clean waters that support a thriving ecosystem, healthy communities, and vibrant ecosystem in the San Juan Bay Estuary and its urbanized watershed.
Artistas Residentes del Estuario—Request for Proposal – Los Artistas Residentes del Estuario generan expresiones artísticas con el objetivo de involucrar a los ciudadanos en el proceso de conservación y restauración de la cuenca estuarina, de una manera creativa y culturalmente relevante. A través del diálogo e intercambio de ideas sobre la restauración y conservación del ecosistema estuarino, los artistas residentes logran aumentar la conciencia ambiental y facilitar el desarrollo de una cuenca resiliente.
See all the opportunities at: estuario.org/empleos.
Shoreline Cleanup with Scuba Dogs Society
On Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Estuario will be part of the Deep Cleanup with Scuba Dogs Society, from Playita del Condado. Simultaneous clean-ups will be carried out on the shore and on the seabed, through free diving or snorkeling. This activity counts toward Green Contact hours or community service. See more information at: scubadogssociety.org/calendario and choose the option Estuario de la Bahía de San Juan to participate with us.
Save the date: Family Day Trip at the County Lagoon
New month, new family day! Set aside Saturday, May 4, to join us in celebrating all mothers at the upcoming Family Day of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. We will have a macramé workshop, a zumba class for mom, a birding tour (with Green Contact hours), an endemic bird workshop (with Green Contact hours) and Cine del Estuario. We will have our friends from Pizzeria 188 selling food and snacks. We look forward to seeing you!
Cine del Estuario
It’s time for another Cine del Estuario! On Saturday, May 4, 2024, don’t miss the movie: Trolls; at 7:00 p.m. in the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. The projection will be in Spanish, with English subtitles. Bring your blanket or chair!
Other activities
Seed collection
On Friday, April 5, 2024, ten participants accompanied the arborist, Andreína Alexatos, and student engagement coordinator, Agnes Pagán, to a seed collection for coastal plantings in the Piñones State Forest. The group collected white and button mangrove seeds and received an educational talk on how to identify these trees and their growth stages. We appreciate the participation of these volunteers, who are in the process of becoming certified as citizen scientists in the coastal resilience module. Awesome!
Planting of coastal vegetation
On Saturday, April 6, Estuario’s coastal resilience team, in collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation, planted around 487 coastal trees in Shacks Beach, Isabela, along with 25 volunteers. This planting was carried out as a field trip for Estuario’s Certification for Citizen Scientists, in the Coastal Resilience Module. You can see more coastal restoration opportunities at: estuario.org/ccc.
Water Quality Workshop at Ponce Principal Correctional Institution
On Wednesday, April 16, Dr. Jorge Bauzá, Scientific Director of the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, held a water quality workshop with inmates from the Ponce Principal Correctional Institution’s Educational Program.
The workshop consisted of the processes and parameters that are part of the water quality assessment, and the importance of access to clean and safe water. The group conducted water quality assessments with samples taken from the beach in Las Cucharas, Ponce.
Media coverage
April 13, 2024. Asignación de fondos para mejoras del sistema de agua potable en la cuenca del Estuario. Locales. Noticias. TeleOnce. Web. https://teleonce.com/noticias/locales/asignacion-de-fondos-para-mejoras-de-sistema-de-agua-potable-en-la-cuenca-del-estuario/
April 14, 2024. Automatizarán 15 estaciones de bombeo. Puerto Rico Hoy. El Nuevo Día. p.14.
April 12, 2024. Día Nacional de la Calidad del Agua: Realizan actividades para tomar muestras. Las Noticias. TeleOnce. https://teleonce.com/noticias/locales/dia-nacional-de-la-calidad-del-agua-realizan-actividades-para-tomar-muestras/
April 13, 2024. Asignación de fondos para mejoras de sistema de agua potable en la cuenca del Estuario. Locales. Las Noticias. TeleOnce. Web. https://teleonce.com/noticias/locales/asignacion-de-fondos-para-mejoras-de-sistema-de-agua-potable-en-la-cuenca-del-estuario/
April 13, 2024. Asignan $400 mil para mejoras en estuario de la Bahía de San Juan. Telenoticias. Telemundo Puerto Rico. https://youtu.be/KeKQbQ5V5wk?si=AEtsMRfdtHU7LUW6
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, April 18, 2024. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend, however, avoiding areas that exceeded the “Beach Action Value” water quality parameter for enterococci of 70 CFU/100 ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events. Have a good weekend!
