Estuario Weekly Update
This Thursday, November 28, Thanksgiving Day, we thank all the friends, neighbors, donors, collaborators, and protectors of the San Juan Bay Estuary, its ecosystems, and communities, for their tireless commitment and continued support in the actions we take for the well-being of our waters. Thank you!
Giving Tuesday
Help us restore and protect the waters of the San Juan Bay estuary and its ecosystems. Donate to the Estuary today, in commemoration of this upcoming Giving Tuesday, which will be on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
Your donation will help us achieve a more resilient and healthy watershed for its inhabitants.
Any amount is appreciated. See the different ways you can contribute, in estuario.org/donar.
Family Day
The next Family Day of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve will be on Saturday, December 7, 2024 on the grounds of the Jaime Benítez Park. We will have the following activities:
[3:00 p.m.] Sports event
[4:00 p.m.] Workshop: Soil and its importance in estuarine ecosystems (Contacto Verde hours)
[5:00 p.m.] Botanical tour of the Reserve (Contacto Verde hours)
[6:00 p.m.] Reading of the story: Monarca; with the writer, Miriam Rosado Reyes (Contacto Verde hours)
[7:00 p.m.] Cine del Estuario presents: Trolls Band Together
See you there! For more information, go to estuario.org/eventos or write to us at: [email protected]
Summit 2024
The SJBEP invites you to the Summit 2024, to be held on Monday, December 2, Tuesday, 3 and Wednesday, December 4, at the theater of the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico, in Hato Rey. This is a massive event that will bring together experts and connoisseurs in the topics of sustainability and urban resilience to achieve greater integration and collaboration between various sectors and disciplines.
The Summit 2024 is open to the public. See more information in: estuario.org/cumbre-2024
Blue Friday
Join us at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, on Friday, November 29, 2024, where we will spend an environmental blue Friday, performing a cleanup from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. with community group Amigos de la Laguna.
We will meet on the grounds of the Jaime Benítez Park. Don’t miss it!
AquaFest: Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival
United for the prevention of aquatic pollution! Don’t miss the first AquaFest: Clean Water and Healthy Communities Festival; on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Finca Higuaca, Cabo Rojo.
There will be a beach cleanup, educational workshops, interactive exhibits, arts and crafts, live music, and information tables.
AquaFest is a collaborative initiative that seeks to prevent aquatic waste through education.
See more information about the event and reserve your space, HERE.
Bird Study Merit Badge for Scouts
The SJBEP, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Council of the Boy Scouts of America, will be offering the Bird Study Merit Badge.
Merit badge requirements will be offered in a virtual workshop via Zoom. The workshop consists of two parts on different days—participants must attend both virtual sessions.
First Virtual Session: Monday, December 9, 2024 (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM)
Second Virtual Session: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM)
For the field requirement, we will have a list of dates to coordinate attendance at two bird censuses, between December 14, 2024, and January 5, 2025. The Scout must always be accompanied by an adult (Unit Leader or parent/guardian)—both must register on the dates they will attend. The bird censuses will be early in the morning, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
The instructors for the merit badge and the bird censuses will be Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez and Coral Avilés Santiago.
Scouts interested in participating must receive approval from their Scoutmaster before registering and ensure that an adult leader from their unit registers and is also present for the two virtual sessions. To register, you can access HERE.
Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Census
The Gamaliel Pagán Hernández Christmas Bird Census is back! Join us to assess the health of the ecosystems connected to the San Juan Bay Estuary, through the counting and documentation of endemic and migratory birds. Censuses will begin on Saturday, December 14, 2024, and continue through Sunday, January 5, 2025.
See the list of dates and register today, at estuario.org/eventos.
Call for Volunteers for Recycling Stations
The SJBEP invites you to participate as a volunteer at the recycling stations of the Christmas lighting of Taller Comunidad La Goyco, on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The hours completed can be validated as field experience of the Microplastics Characterization and Reduction module. To participate, sign up HERE.
Volunteer Day
December 5, 2024, is Volunteer Day. We dedicate this day to all the volunteers who make the work of the SJBEP possible, through water quality monitoring, waste reduction, wildlife assessments and coastal resilience. Every action counts!
The SJBEP volunteers are certified as citizen scientists. By joining as a volunteer, you can get certified in one or more of the thematic modules available: Water Quality Monitoring, Participatory Bird Censuses, Microplastic Characterization and Reduction, and Coastal Resilience. See more information at: estuario.org/ccc.
Evaluation of microplastics in the San Juan Bay
On Friday, November 22, 2024, five volunteers conducted a microplastic assessment in San Juan Bay, as part of the Microplastic Characterization and Reduction module of the the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists. This field experience was led by the aquatic waste manager, Cristina Ramírez Colón.
Thanks to Leonicha, José, Camila, Arelys and Edwin for their contribution to the restoration and maintenance of the SJBE waters! See more activities in estuario.org/eventos.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the events scheduled for the coming weeks. See more information at: estuario.org/ccc.
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Coastal Resilience Module:
Employment opportunities
Media coverage
November 25, 2024. Estuario de la Bahía de San Juan invita a los ciudadanos a participar de la Cumbre 2024. Locales. Metro Puerto Rico. Web. https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2024/11/25/estuario-de-la-bahia-de-san-juan-invita-a-los-ciudadanos-a-participar-de-la-cumbre-2024/
Download Your Free Copy—San Juan Bay Estuary: Research History and Opportunities
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership is pleased to share the recent publication, San Juan Bay Estuary: Research History and 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 adding to these observations, findings, and conclusions in potential future research.
To arrange for a paperback pickup, please contact us at 787-725-8165.
Prepare for this 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 number information and instructions for preparing emergency backpacks.
Don’t get scared! Get prepared.
Weekly water quality monitoring
The results of the samples taken today, Wednesday, November 27, 2024, will be published tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, November 28. You can see the results on any of our social media accounts and through our water quality portal: estuario.org/calidad-de-agua
