Bioblitz in Condado Lagoon
Last Saturday, September 23, we held our first Bioblitz of the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve! This event was organized as part of the celebration of National Estuaries Week, and featured several group tours that evaluated birds, reptiles, amphibians, marine life, plants and nocturnal fauna. There were also workshops on censuses of birds, botany and nocturnal animals.
During the week, we offered workshops aimed at training participants to perform an effective Bioblitz. These workshops covered the species of flora and fauna found in the estuary, and the use of iNaturalist, the platform used for species documentation.
We thank the volunteers and citizen scientists who joined us, as well as the resources and collaborators who supported us: botanist Mario García, biologist and professor Dr. Rafael Joglar, Wilkins Otero of the Puerto Rico Bat Conservation Program, the coordinator of bird censuses of the Estuary, Eliezer Nieves, DNER management officer of the Reserve, Ricardo Colón, our education manager, Ivangs Rivera, Aquatic Waste Program Manager, Cristina Ramírez, and Education and Coastal Resilience Coordinators, Coral Avilés and Daritzel Cintrón.
Thanks also to the botanists and naturalists, Rita Cáceres, Roqui Bello, Alejandro Cubiñá, Carlos Laboy, Steve Maldonado, George Locassio, Jadiel García, Ianis Rivera, Naomi Rohrbaugh and all the other citizen scientists who in one way or another collaborated with the identifications, even days after the event.
Employment opportunity
ESTUARIO PROJECT COORDINATOR – PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Estuario is seeking to hire an Estuario Project Coordinator for Public Outreach and Education onsite at the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve, to educate about the importance of the Lagoon and engage with its users and the general public.
Certification for citizen scientists
Here are the scheduled field trips and workshops:
Water Quality Module:
- October 5 – Field trip: bacteriological monitoring in Laguna del Condado and bordering beaches; from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Coastal Resilience Module:
- October 3 – Elective workshop: ecological assessment of coral communities; 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. by Zoom
- October 8 – Field trip: ecological assessment of coral communities; 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Playita del Condado
- October 8 – Field trip: ecological assessment of coral communities [STUDENTS 9-12]; 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Playita del Condado
- October 11 – Elective Workshop: Fish Identification; 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom
- October 12 – Elective Workshop: Ecological Mangrove Restoration; 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. by Zoom
- October 14 – Field trip: ecological assessment of coral communities [STUDENTS 9-12]; 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Playita del Condado
Sign up today, at https://estuario.org/ccc/.
Recent activities
Last Friday, September 22, we made a field trip of the microplastics characterization and reduction module of the certification of citizen scientists, where we monitored the levels of microplastics of Laguna San José and Canal Suárez.
We thank the five citizen scientists who accompanied us. Until next time! See photos of the field trip, here.
Field trip in the Piñones State Forest with the Montessori College of Puerto Rico:
Simultaneously on Friday, September 22, we carried out a field trip in the Piñones State Forest with 66 students from the Montessori College of Puerto Rico. The youth learned about the ecosystem, how the forest connects to the estuary, and the importance of keeping it healthy in a sustainable way. See the photos of the trip, here.
Message from your Virtual Community Hub
Download our community hurricane preparedness guide today and use its recommendations during this hurricane season.
The strength and endurance of your community begins at home.
Stay informed!
Take advantage of our information platform, the Estuario Virtual Community Hub, where you will find vital information to prepare with your family and community.
To learn about risk mitigation strategies at Estuario and identify the risks, conditions and assets in your community, go to: https://estuario.org/mitigacion/
Monitoreo bacteriológico semanal
Evaluation conducted on Thursday, September 28, 2023. We have a RED flag for the Condado Lagoon Natural Estuarine Reserve. Several areas exceeded the Beach Action Value water quality standard of 70 CFU/100 ML—we recommend avoiding these areas.
