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Birders' Exchange | |
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BIRDERS' EXCHANGE RECIPIENTSYucatan Peninsula, Mexico Prepared by Barbara MacKinnon, CAPY Program Coordinator, Amigos de Sian Ka'an A.C.
The Birder's Exchange Program, through its donations of binoculars, field guides, telescopes, caps and backpacks to bird conservations efforts on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico has made an impressive impact on recipients - particularly during this past year (view more photos of recipients throughout Yucatan Peninsula). Training efforts carried out in six communities located within four important natural federal reserves around the peninsula since 2000 have resulted in creating a solid base of community bird guides whose interest would dissipate if it were not for Birder's Exchange generosity in providing the basic equipment needed by these guides to practice what they have learned. It is absolutely amazing to see how birds have changed lives.as well as perceptions towards the need to protect habitat in these villages. Self-esteem is the first obvious outcome resulting from training due to the fact that the majority of participants are adults who have not had the opportunity of formal education past primary school. The teaching of English bird names have led to English classes as guides seek to better communicate with visitors. The Maya speaking nature guides in the community of Chunyaxché in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo are now almost entirely tri-lingual! And the school children in Celestún are soliciting English classes as well - but want classes that include learning about birds, as they associate the two as part of the same process! (Guides are taught English bird names from the start. hence the perception of English and birds going hand in hand!) Motivation to learn more about birds comes first from increased economic benefits to those who have learned best to identify birds in English through increased tips and demand for work opportunities. In addition, the best of the guides have been selected for advanced training in monitoring techniques and selected to work as field assistants to ornithologists working in the area. Without basic equipment, guides cannot expect to attain these results. Some of the Birders' Exchange donations (new binoculars, caps, field guide books) were used as prizes for the bird-a-thons that took place during the Second Yucatan Bird Festival in the two reserves of Ría Celestún and Ría Lagartos. Two pairs of new binoculars were also donated to field technicians working for the conservation NGO Niños y Crías (Children and Critters) who carry out banding and monitoring of the flamingo population that nests in area. A wonderful Swarovski telescope is shared between this organization for increased visibility in reading the bands on the flamingos, with the Club Toh, the Mérida birding organization that goes out every second Sunday of the month. In Celestún, Birder Exchange binoculars were donated to three members of the Peregrine group all of whom participated in the first Christmas Bird Count held there December 14, 2003. A new pair of Steiner binoculars was also recently donated to Angel Dzib. Another pair will go to Elio Dzib, brother to Alex Dzib. Pronatura loans five pair of BEX donated binoculars out to guides in Celestún upon request. Another two pairs of binoculars were given to Santiago Contreras from Río Lagartos and Mederick Calléjas, a promising biology student from El Cuyo - both in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. In Chunyaxché, BEX binoculars were provided a very special guide, Alfonso Cen who is mostly deaf since birth. However, Alfonso makes up for his lack of hearing by his incredible sight. softly touching your shoulder from behind and directing your attention to an obscure bird heavily camouflaged in the thick forest vegetation. His clients highly praise him for his keen eyes, excellent identification skills and gentle nature. His brother, Antonio Cen, has improved amazingly in both his ability to identify birds as well as to speak English. He has been using a pair of BEX binoculars for the past two years and led members of the RARE Board and yours truly on a bird walk recently. Ismael Caamal was extremely pleased with the donated telescope. All the guides there were very pleased with the gift of additional field guides, as were guides in Celestún. Field guides and two more pairs of BEX donated binoculars have yet to reach Río Lagartos and El Cuyo communities in the Ría Lagatos Reserve. CAPY has begun to assist the community of Tekal de Venegas near the 16thC town of Izamal, east of Mérida. They have decided to develop ecotourism activities on a portion of the communal lands that contain monumental Maya ruins as well as eight large sinkholes and waterholes, in order to discourage the practice of capturing birds for the birdcage trade and hunting. A pair of binoculars and a bird book donated by BEX have already been given to the President of the Ejido, Manuel Chan. More binoculars will be needed for this community after training has begun. recipients list | more photos of recipients throughout Yucatan Peninsula
Birders' Exchange |
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