Estuario Weekly Update
An estuarine greeting! Below, we share the events, capacity-building and collaboration opportunities scheduled this week, in benefit of the San Juan Bay Estuary, its communities and ecosystems.
Estuario Family Day
The next Family Day at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve will be on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Save the date!
We will have activities and several opportunities to accumulate green hours for Contacto Verde, including a migratory bird talk and a bird tour through the reserve. See more information in estuario.org/eventos.
At 7:00 p.m., Cine del Estuario presents: Migration; at the Jaime Benítez Park pavilion. The film will be screened in Spanish, with subtitles in English. This feature is free of charge. Bring your blanket or chair!
Orientation Meeting—Estuario Artists-in-Residence
The SJBEP is calling artists to the orientation meeting for the opportunity to participate as Estuario Artists-in-Residence in 2025. The meeting is on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom and is part of the process of submitting your proposal. This meeting is compulsory. Sign up at estuario.org/eventos.
AquaFest
United for the prevention of aquatic pollution! The SJBEP invites you to participate in the first AquaFest: Festival de Aguas Limpias y Comunidades Saludables; 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.
Recycling Pop-up in Loíza
Bring your recyclables to the next Recycling Pop-up, a new monthly collection event in Loíza. The next (and first) Pop-up will be on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Miguel Fuentes Pinet Stadium. See more information, HERE.
Participatory bird census
On Saturday, October 12, the most recent field experience of the Estuario Participatory Bird Census Module was carried out at the Piñones State Forest. This activity was part of the October Big Day, a worldwide citizen science event. Bird censuses were also carried out at Piñones and at the Blasina Canal in collaboration with Museo del Niño de Carolina.
We thank all the volunteers who joined us and want to congratulate the 13 students of the Biological Sciences course of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus who completed their certification.
We also thank the leaders of the activity, Coral Avilés Santiago and Eliezer Nieves Rodriguez, from our estuarine education team.
Complete your certification in the Participatory Bird Census module. See the available events, at estuario.org/ccc.
Coastal vegetation planting
On Saturday, October 12, eleven participants planted around 342 specimens of coastal vegetation, including red mangrove, button mangrove, white mangrove and black mangrove, at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve.
This planting counted as a field experience of the Coastal Resilience module of the Estuario Certification for Citizen Scientists. The coordinators, Andreína Alexatos and Agnes Pagán, led the event.
Continue your certification in the Coastal Resilience module. View scheduled workshops and field experiences in estuario.org/ccc.
Certification for Citizen Scientists
Below are the upcoming scheduled events. See more information in estuario.org/ccc.
Participatory Bird Census Module:
Coastal Resilience Module:
Employment Opportunities
Analista – Manejo de Recursos y Residuos—Esta posición estará documentando de manera sistemática el manejo de residuos sólidos y desarrollando una estrategia para replicar el modelo estratégico de la campaña Que no toque el piso ni llegue al agua en otras áreas geográficas de la cuenca.
Estuario Project Coordinator – Aquatic Debris—The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (Estuario) is seeking a qualified applicant to fulfill the Estuario Project Coordinator position focused in the Aquatic Debris area.
Coordinador(a) del Día de Calidad de Agua (2025)—Buscamos un/a Coordinador(a) del Estuario para realizar la organización de este evento. Esta persona deberá integrar a todo sector al evento con entusiasmo y aumentar su participación, tomando en cuenta los datos de años anteriores. Su meta primordial deberá ser el acceso a agua limpia y segura para todos en Puerto Rico.
Green Infrastructure Coordinator (full time staff position)—The Green Infrastructure Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing all projects related to green infrastructure and coastal resilience to support the implementation of the Estuario Plan, also known as the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP).
ARTISTA RESIDENTE DEL ESTUARIO—El Artista Residente del Estuario enfocará su propuesta a lo largo de la quebrada Juan Méndez en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Por Artista Residente del Estuario nos referimos a cualquier persona que contenga facultades artísticas y que pueda llevar a cabo el proyecto descrito. El periodo de duración del proyecto es por un año comenzando el 1 de marzo de 2025. Esta solicitud está abierta a todo tipo de expresión artística.
Media coverage
Lumarhi J. Rivera. October 13, 2024. Revisión con enfoque en el cambio climático. Ambiente hoy. El Nuevo Día. p.44.
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
Evaluation conducted Thursday, October 17, 2024. We have a RED flag for Condado Lagoon. We recommend avoiding the regions that exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality parameter for enterococci of 70CFU/100ML. Remember to avoid the water during rain events.
