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The Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington D.C. celebrated Earth Day 2008 by showcasing the Paso Pacifico "Return to Forest" reforestation project. The event was carried out in partnership with Paso Pacifico, Carbonfund.org, Rainforest Alliance, and the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance. The honorable ambassador Arturo Cruz opened the evening by expressing the importance of the conservation for the sustainable development of Nicaragua. His words were followed by those of Nicaraguan Vice-Minister for the Environment, Roberto Araquistain who spoke of how reforestation is a major priority for the government. Executive Director of Carbonfund.org Eric Carlson highlighted the innovative partnership between Paso Pacifico and his organization. Jeff Hayward of the Smartwood program at Rainforest Alliance shared with attendees more about the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) and announced that the Paso Pacifico ‘Return to Forest’ project has received CCBS verification at the gold level rating.
The Executive Director of Paso Pacifico, Sarah Otterstrom, closed the event by emphasizing that this project could replicated throughout the developing world to reduce the threat of global warming while benefiting biodiversity. There were over one hundred attendees from diverse government and non-governmental organizations. Representatives from important Paso Pacifico partners such as the International Institute for Tropical Forestry (US Forest Service) and the landowner partners (Leo S.A.) were also present.
Sarah Otterstrom, Jerry Bauer (IITF/USFS), Sandra Pearson, Ambassador Arturo Cruz, Liza Gonzalez, and Eric Carlson (Carbonfund.org). These partners stand together on Earth Day 2008! with CCBS Gold rating certificate from the Rainforest Alliance
During the week of April 14-18, Paso Pacifico, in coordination with the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) offered a workshop for the rangers from the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, recently hired resource guides of Paso Pacifico and members of the Nicaraguan Army. The goal of the workshop was to examine the roles and responsibilities of a 21st century ranger, especially in relation to protecting the marine turtles which come ashore to establish their nests and deposit their eggs on nearby beaches. The workshop was held in the community of Ostional in their community center. Local residents provided lunches and snacks for the participants.
The participants had the chance to share with their colleagues the challenges they face at work and develop new skills in visitor management and ranger work. They took advantage of the small team work to learn to express themselves better and listen respectfully to others. Almost everyone showed some improvement in being able to stand up and talk publicly. The facilitators of the workshop rated it as successful and the participants had nice things to say about it. At the end of the workshop, the Paso Pacifico employees had the opportunity to overfly the area in which they are going to work, courtesy of the NGO, CAVU, headquartered in Costa Rica.
A baby Olive-Ridley turtle hatchling recently hatched from a
beach being protected by community rangers
Durante la semana de 14-18 de abril, Paso Pacífico, en coordinación con el Ministerio del Ambiente and Recursos Naturales de Nicaragua(MARENA), ofreció un taller para los guardaparques del Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor, los guardarecursos empleados por Paso Pacífico, los voluntarios-comunitarios, y los miembros del Ejército Nicaragüense. El propósito del taller fue examinar los roles y responsabilidades de un guardaparque en el siglo XXI, especialmente en relación a la protección de las tortugas marinas que llegan a las playas circundantes para establecer sus nidos y depositar sus huevos. El taller se realizó en el pueblo de Ostional en su centro comunal. Algunos miembros de la comunidad suministraron los almuerzos y bocadillos a los participantes.
Los participantes tuvieron la oportunidad de compartir con sus colegas los desafíos que se enfrentan durante su trabajo y de desarrollar nuevas destrezas en atención de visitantes y en el trabajo general de un guardaparque. También aprovecharon del trabajo en equipos para aprender a expresarse con más confianza y escuchar a otros respetuosamente. Casi todos demostraron más confianza que antes en ponerse de pié para hablar públicamente. Los facilitadores del taller lo calificaron como un éxito y los comentarios de los participantes fueron muy buenos. Al fin del taller, los guardarecursos de Paso Pacífico tuvieron la oportunidad de hacer un sobrevuelo del terreno en el cual trabajarán, cortesía de la ONG CAVU, con sede en Costa Rica.
Historic meeting between community leaders, army officials and Ministry of Environment Officials to discuss ways to improve communication and cooperation surrounding sea turtle conservation
Six high school students from North Carolina held a bake sale to raise funds for Paso Pacifico's reforestation program and to educate the public about climate change. As a result of their efforts they were selected as one of ten winning teams for the Lexus Environmental Challenge. Prior to their sale, they spent an entire day baking 300 homemade tree-shaped cookies with green icing and bagging green and white popcorn. The students set up shop at a local shopping center and shared information about the threat of climate change and what we can do the address it. They raised hundreds of dollars through by selling tree cookies. The money raised will be used to reforest Nicaragua and reduce greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Paso Pacifico will share the story of their concern and support with students in Nicaragua. Thank you Team Earth!
Photo Caption: Team Earth! Students Evan Keith, Zac Rushton, Joe Coulter, Maggie Sullivan. Photo: Katy Link, also Team Earth! Member
Paso Pacifico proudly offers the iChapters slide show to members. The following is the code for the slide show:
Paso Pacifico and IChapters team up to launch an innovative initiative aimed at benefiting trees and forests. When college students buy digital books from IChapters they save trees. IChapters is making their positive impact go even further by planting a tree with Paso Pacifico every time a digital book is sold. We hope that all Paso Pacifico supporters will become a part of this effort to reduce paper use and help us to reforest Nicaragua. For more information visit http://www.changingthepresent.org/drives/show/1002
Community members who live near La Flor Wildlife Refuge attend concert in support of sea turtle conservation. Through the support of the USAID and US Forest Service, Paso Pacifico was able to invite ten community members to Managua to enjoy music and listen to messages in support of sea turtle protection. The concert was organized by Fauna and Flora International and the Nicaraguan Sea Turtle Network. The concert also promoted the national campaign to stop sea turtle egg consumption. The trip also included a visit to the National Zoo where community members learned from an exhibit on butterfly conservation.
Domitila Reserve partners with Paso Pacifico to reforest over 100 hectares.
Domitila Reserve (www.domitila.org), one of Nicaragua's premiere private reserves, has now joined with Paso Pacifico as part of our Return to Forest restoration project. This project is working to restore tropical dry forests while benefiting communities and sequestering atmospheric carbon. At Domitila alone, the project is providing employment to over sixty members of the local community who would otherwise be unemployed. Additionally, Domiltila owner and Paso Pacifico staff have hand-selected over 25 native tree species for reforestation. Domitila Reserve is one of the largest reforestation areas in this year's Return to Forest reforestation project. The Domitila Reserve is at the northern edge of the Paso del Istmo corridor and plays an important role for connectivity between Lake Nicaragua and tropical dry forest ecosystems.
Photo caption: Community members are ready to plant thousands of trees at Domitila Reserve
Community members visit Mombacho Nature Reserve to learn about protected areas.
Members of communities located in the Paso del Istmo corridor were guided on a behind the scenes tour of the Mombacho Reserve by scientists at Fundacion Cocibolca. They learned about the value of interpretive trails, a visitors center, wildlife protection, and the potential for reserves to attract tourists. Community members are considering creating a community-based reserve in partnership with Paso Pacifico.
Photo caption: Community members in the lush cloud forest at Mombacho
Paso Pacifico Board Member, Rick Smith, was one of 5 invited rangers from other countries to address the first-ever national meeting of the park rangers of Spain. 350 rangers, called agentes medioambientales in Spain, met in Murcia, Spain, to discuss conservation issues common to the protected areas of Spain. Smith was asked to speak on the roles and responsibilities of US park rangers, with special emphasis on the duties of those assigned to Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park. Rangers from France, Portugal, Argentina, and Italy made similar presentations on ranger activities in their respective countries.
Paso Pacifico board of directors were given a real treat during their annual board meeting in Nicaragua. Cooperative members led members on a tour of their well-protected tropical dry forest. Then they served board members with a roasted "pelibuey". Paso Pacifico will be supporting cooperative members to create a private reserve.
Paso Pac’fico is proud to announce that board member Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo has been awarded a distinguished service award by the Society for Conservation Biology. This prestigious award is given to professionals in Conservation Biology who have used their career to benefit the goals of conservation. Dr. Dirzo continues to support on-the-ground conservation by playing an active role on the Paso Pac’fico board of directors.
Paso Pacifico is pleased to announce the publication of its first newsletter. This four-page color document will help us to communicate our mission to the public. Initially, Paso Pacifico will publish the newsletter on a bi-annual basis. Paso Pacifico is particularly grateful to newsletter editor Elaine Hurd. A digital copy of the newsletter is on our website.
Professor Sarkar, an expert in conservation planning and corridor design, visited the Paso del Istmo corridor. He will be working with Paso Pacifico over the coming year to help prioritize areas for restoration and conservation within the corridor.
Liza Gonzalez presented research findings at the International Sea Turtle Symposium held in South Carolina. The presentation was of a socio-cultural study at the La Tortuga community and the Jose Adan Calderon cooperative adjacent to La Flor Reserve. Results demonstrate the opportunities to work in coordination with the local community to better protect sea turtles and to better support managers at the La Flor Willdife Refuge.
Dr. Stephanie Spehar and Suzanne Hagell visit various farms throughout Paso del Istmo corridor collecting spider monkey fecal material to analyze genetic information that will tell us information such as degree of inbreeding and dispersal across different population groups.
Paso Pac’fico Executive Director spoke to UC Davis alumni at its annual awards banquet challenging them to make a difference at the time and place where one has the opportunity to do so. Dr. Otterstrom shared her gratitude to the Nicaraguan people and her professors for helping her to develop Paso Pac’fico and to work for the benefit of conservation.
Paso Pacifico’s Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Otterstrom, will be awarded the Emil M. Mrak International Award for her distinguished career and service outside of the United States. Otterstrom will be honored alongside six other alumni at the 2007 Alumni Awards Ceremony on January 27th
The Jose Adán Calderon Cooperative is located adjacent to the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, a globally important sea turtle nesting site. The cooperative members are looking to move away from poaching sea turtle eggs. Paso Pacifico will work with them to identify viable opportunities in eco-tourism. The cooperative owns and protects over 200 hectares of endangered tropical dry forest strategically located within the Paso del Istmo wildlife corridor.
Children from three schools across the Paso del Istmo wildlife corridor have new baseball equipment and uniforms to begin the 2007 baseball season. The newly formed league will enable children to more safely and proudly participate in recreational activities. Paso Pacifico worked with Eagle Scout Nils Otterstrom to make the equipment donation and uniform purchase possible. Outdoor opportunities for youth build community pride and cooperation, and that is good for conservation!
Liza González, Paso Pacifico’s country director recently visited the United States to staff a table at the WCN Wildlife Conservation Expo in Los Altos, CA. Paso Pacifico shared information with the public about its efforts to protect and restore habitat for the endangered Geoffroyi spider monkey.
Over 27,000 trees were successfully planted on the Nica Dev S.A. property located in the Paso del Istmo wildlife corridor. Thirty workers braved the rainy season mud to dig holes and move native tree seedlings to previously deforested areas of the private reserve and Nica Dev S.A. development. Plants were moved from the tree nursery to the field using oxcarts and a truck. Species planted include the threatened Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata), the endangered Pacific Mahogany (Swietenia humilis), and the wildlife benefiting Guapinol tree (Hymenaea courbaril). Landowners and Paso Pacifico will continue to work together to ensure the success of the seedlings. Local community members who participated in this reforestation project are considering launching a small native tree nursery as a type of sustainable business. Paso Pacifico and Nica Dev S.A. are considering ways to support community members in such an endevour.
Rural women along the Paso del Istmo corridor are working to increase the agricultural diversity in their household gardens while improving family nutrition. Paso Pacifico has supported women from the El Carmen and Aceituno communities in Cardenas in establishing home gardens that include high nutrient vegetables and fast-growing fruit crops (i.e. papaya, passionfruit). These women, who normally have a limited opportunities to participate in community organizations are now working together and plan to eventually sell a portion of their crops to the local market.
Landowners in San Juan del Sur, Rivas prepare for rainy season planting of thousands of native trees to restore their watershed
and create a nature reserve. With over 26 species of native trees in the tree nursery, this reforestation effort is expected to
be an important first step towards restoring tropical dry forests within the Paso del Istmo corridor. Seeds and stakes were
collected from local seed sources. Nica Dev S.A. hired the help of local community members. This is the first year of a multi-phase
restoration effort funded by Nica Dev S.A. These landowners are committed to conservation and are eager to have their private reserve
become a corridor for the endangered spider monkey. Such collaborations between Paso Pacifico and the private sector demonstrate the
potential for sustainable development in the Paso del Istmo corridor.
