29 Nov Join us – Education through bird watching: “Give wings” to knowledge

Blogpost by Luis Carlos Solis, Asistencia Técnica

Each year from the middle of December through early January, Christmas bird counts are organized worldwide. These counts consist of the identification and registration of the number of bird species observed in a given period of time. This tradition has been established in the world of bird watchers and is taught to each new generation.

The Osa Peninsula is no exception to this tradition, as different organizations collaborate in December for one day to participate in tracking the progress of endangered species and assessing the impact of environmental threats on birds and their habitat. This year, children and young people from educational centers of the Osa Peninsula, through the coordination of teachers and local organizations, will be responsible for carrying out the first Osa Peninsula Children Christmas Count 2017.

This event is possible thanks to the coordination and collaboration of several institutions and organizations: Osa Conservation, Neotrópica Foundation, University of Costa Rica Golfito Campus, Ficus Tours, Osa Birds, Osa Wild, Utopia Drake Outdoors, Osa Birders Tours, Lapa Rios Lodge, Danta Corcovado Lodge, and La Palma Academic College. They will lead guided walks around each school, lecturing about the birds that frequent the places and that are observed daily by the children. The purpose of this activity is to improve the relationship between the young population, birds, and their habitat, in order to create new guardians of the natural heritage of the Osa.

The Christmas Children’s Bird Count will take place on Tuesday December 5 – Thursday December 7, 2017 of this year with the participation of 17 educational centers in different sectors of the Peninsula including the communities of Carate, Piro, Carbonera, Saturnino Cedeño of Puerto Jiménez, Dos Brazos of Tigre River, Gallardo, Cañaza, Agujas, Guadalupe, Riyito, La Palma Academic College, Alto San Juan, Chal Bay, El Campo, Admiral de Banegas, Rancho Quemado, and Aguilas de Bahía Drake.

Through experiencing nature and research, each of the participants contributes greatly to the monitoring of the health and long-term condition of bird populations and contributes to their conservation worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Manuel Sanchez