Estuario Weekly Update
Estuarine greetings! Below, we share initiatives that promote contact with nature, environmental learning, and collective action for the health of the waters connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE).
Estuario Family Day
Join us for the next Estuario Family Day, on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, celebrating a plastic-free summer on the grounds of Jaime Benítez Park. We will have the following activities:
Installation of “No Fishing” signs in the Lagoon: Cuidemos la Reserva Natural Estuarina de la Laguna del Condado (Contacto Verde/community service); at 1:00 p.m.
Educational Talk: Impacto de la enfermedad de pérdida de tejido en corales duros (Contacto Verde/community service); at 3:00 p.m.
Underwater Tour: Descubriendo los arrecifes urbanos (Contacto Verde/community service); at 4:30 p.m. This activity has a limited number of 12 participants and requires separate registration.
Interpretive Tour: Las plantas de la Reserva Natural Estuarina de la Laguna del Condado y su conexión con el agua (Contacto Verde/community service); at 5:30 p.m.
Come with your family/friends! All activities are free of charge. It is not necessary to register to participate (except, in this case, the Underwater Tour, which has a capacity of 12 people and requires registration).
Cine del Estuario
Cine del Estuario presents: Inside Out 2; on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Jaime Benítez Park of the Laguna del Condado Estuarine Natural Reserve. The film will be screened in Spanish, with English subtitles. This feature is free of charge. Bring your blanket or chair! Cine del Estuario is shown on the first Saturday of every month.
Interpretive tour: The SJBE and its relationship with water quality
Join us in an interpretive tour in the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, where you will learn about the different functions of this estuarine ecosystem and the importance of its water quality.
Participate in the interpretive tour on Sunday, June 29, 2025, and every last Sunday of the month at Mercado Local of Condado Lagoon, in Jaime Benitez Park, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Workshop for educators
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (SJBEP) invites educators from public, private schools or homeschoolers of all levels to the workshop: Agua + árboles para conservar nuestros ecosistemas estuarinos; on Friday, July 11, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Jaime Benítez Park of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. We will discuss the connection of water and trees to the ecosystems of the SJBE watershed.
The first part of this workshop will review basic concepts about flora and water quality. The second part will be a botanical tour where we will learn about the identification of some species of trees and their relationship with water quality.
Sign up today, at estuario.org/eventos.
Urban trail in Capetillo
Join us on the urban trail: Descubriendo las conexiones entre el agua de la ciudad y del estuario; on Saturday, July 12, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in Capetillo, Río Piedras.
This activity counts toward Contacto Verde/community service hours. Sign up today, at estuario.org/eventos.
SJBEP provides oil-handling workshop
Last Saturday, June 14, the SJBEP Aquatic Debris Project Coordinator, Camila Rodríguez, participated in the monthly meeting of the Red Comunitaria de Agua at the community of Venus Gardens, where she offered an oil-diversion workshop— No lo tires al fregadero: manejo alternativo de aceites para la protección de las aguas del Estuario.
We hope that the communities of the Network will continue to replicate initiatives and implement vegetable oil diversion programs, thus protecting water infrastructure and natural resources.
SJBEP supports Recycling Pop-up in Loíza
Last Saturday, June 21, the SJBEP was present at the monthly Recycling Pop-up of LimPiar, in the Miguel Fuentes Pinet Park of the Municipality of Loíza.
Through our information table, we invited participants to protect their waters by promoting the municipal vegetable oil diversion program and teaching the importance of diverting this material from water infrastructure.
We recognize the municipality of Loíza for maintaining this oil diversion effort and infrastructure for its residents. Likewise, making visible the joint campaign with LimPiaR, entitled: Deja una huella limpia en Piñones. We thank LimPiaR for the invitation and follow-up to this event.
SJBEP at the Trujillo Alto Environmental Fair
On Saturday, June 21, the SJBEP was present at the Environmental Fair of the Municipality of Trujillo Alto. On this occasion, in addition to its educational table, the SJBEP held a talk on the importance of diverting vegetable oil and the importance of conserving bodies of water.
We also invited participants to take advantage of their municipal oil diversion program. The SJBEP recognizes the Municipality of Trujillo Alto for its environmental commitment and the organization of events like this.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the activities scheduled for the coming weeks. See more information in estuario.org/ccc. These activities count toward community service and Contacto Verde hours.
Water Quality Monitoring Module
Water Quality Monitoring Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, July 3, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Bacteriological Monitoring; Monday, July 7, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Water Quality Monitoring Field Experience: Bacteriological Monitoring; Thursday, July 10, at 9:30 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop: Physical-Chemical Parameters; Thursday, July 10, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Coastal Resilience Module
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Planting of Coastal Vegetation; on Saturday, June 28, at 8:00 a.m. in Piñones, Loíza
Coastal Resilience Workshop: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs and Seagrasses; Tuesday, July 8, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Coral Reefs; Saturday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Planting of Coastal Vegetation; Saturday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Coastal Resilience Field Experience: Ecological Assessment of Seagrasses; Saturday, July 12, at 12:00 p.m. at the Condado Lagoon
Prepare for Hurricane Season
Get ready for this hurricane season. Download the Estuario Community Hurricane Preparedness Guide and follow its recommendations. The strength and resilience of your community starts at home.
Also visit the Estuario Virtual Community Hub, where you’ll find vital information such as relevant emergency numbers and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t get scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
Evaluation carried out on Thursday, June 26, 2025. We have a GREEN flag for the Condado Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the areas that exceeded the “Beach Action Value” water quality parameter for 70 CFU/100 ML enterococci. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
Thanks to the volunteers who supported this week’s bacteriological evaluation, as part of the Water Qualiity Monitoring Module of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists.
