Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings! Below, we share opportunities for collaboration, volunteering and capacity-building for this week, through initiatives and actions created for the benefit of the ecosystems of the San Juan Bay Estuary and its communities.
Educational Day at Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve
Learn more about the San Juan Bay Estuary and its ecosystems. Join our education team on the Educational Day at Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. m. to 9:00 p.m. at Jaime Benítez Park. Learn more and register today: https://estuario.org/events/.
Cine del Estuario
Cine del Estuario returns! This Saturday, December 3, 2022, don’t miss Sing 2; at 7 p.m. at the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. This event is free of charge. Bring a blanket or chair!
Christmas lighting at Taller Comunidad La Goyco
Our friends from the community initiative Que no toque el piso ni llegue al agua, on Calle Loíza, invite you to enjoy the Christmas lighting at Taller Comunidad La Goyco, this Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Don’t miss it!
Training workshop: Community Water Network
ITIAS and the Community Water Network collaborators invite you to the workshop El Atlas: una herramienta para conocer y defender nuestras aguas, on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 9 a.m., at the G8 offices in Hato Rey. For more information, contact INAS/ITIAS, through Facebook/Whatsapp.
Certification for citizen scientists
The round of introductory workshops for certification in the modules of water quality monitoring, characterization and reduction of microplastics, participatory bird censuses and coastal resilience continues.
Don’t miss the Coastal Resilience Workshop, Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Sign up today, in https://estuario.org/certification-for-citizen-scientists/.
Blue Friday at Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve
On Friday, November 25, 2022, the group of swimmers Los Tsunamis, with the support of Amigos de la Laguna and San Juan Paddleboarding, collected more than 180 cans, glass and miscellaneous single-use plastics from the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. Check out the photo gallery, here.
GREEN-PR Environmental Leadership Program
GREEN-PR is recruiting university students and young people (over 18) for the next round of its environmental leadership program. This year, they will focus efforts on training and creating composting, food preservation, reduction, recycling and public education projects about single-use plastics. Apply here: https://forms.gle/bBe35wrkEvruidVe8.
Save the dates! Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Censuses
The Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Censuses are approaching! We will soon open calls to all our citizen scientists to be part of this participatory science event, held in conjunction with the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, an effort that has been carried out in the United States for 123 years. The censuses will be from December 14, 2022, to January 5, 2023. Stay tuned!
Media coverage and publications
Torres Barreto, B. November 26, 2022. Gobiernos y ciudadanos para una reconstrucción sustentable. Punto de vista. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/opinion/punto-de-vista/gobiernos-y-ciudadanos-para-una-reconstruccion-sustentable/?fbclid=IwAR3p55J7B_8yuSycsGhEWxi60WBnyUljAVkAv3OhDftVLKRpoHmbu66SX3c
November 25, 2022. Estuario de la Bahía de San Juan se une al “Blue Friday” en la Laguna del Condado. Metro Puerto Rico. Web. https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2022/11/25/estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan-se-une-al-blue-friday-en-la-laguna-del-condado/
November 25, 2022. Remueven sobre 180 piezas de basura de la laguna del Condado como parte del “Blue Friday”. Locales. El Nuevo Día. Web. https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/notas/remueven-sobre-180-piezas-de-basura-de-la-laguna-del-condado-como-parte-del-blue-friday/
November 25, 2022. Iniciativa “Blue Friday” recoge 180 desechos de basura. NotiUno.com. Web. https://www.notiuno.com/noticias/ultimo-minuto/iniciativa-blue-friday-recoge-180-desechos-de-basura/article_a98f629a-6d18-11ed-9f28-ebcccd2681d8.html
November 25, 2022. Ciudadanos recogen basura en la Laguna del Condado. Ambiente. ¡Ey! Boricua. Web. https://eyboricua.com/noticias/ambiente/ciudadanos-recogen-basura-en-la-laguna-del-condado/
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation conducted on Thursday, December 1, 2022. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. However, we suggest caution with Station 5 (Aguadilla Street), Station 1 (Jaime Benítez Park), both on Laguna del Condado, and Pine Grove Beach. These stations failed to meet the water quality standard. Finally, we recommend avoiding direct contact with water bodies during rain events and at least 48 hours afterwards.
The actions for the restoration and management of bodies of water within the San Juan Bay Estuary Watershed are possible thanks to the public. Donations to the San Juan Bay Estuary Program are deductible from Puerto Rico and US tax returns.
For more info, go to https://estuario.org/donate/.
Follow us on social media, where we share information on activities which will contribute to your knowledge and personal and professional development. If you have any doubts or questions, please contact us through [email protected].
Register as a volunteer, HERE.
