Our highlights for the month of October 2015

Informative table at Calle Loíza Festival:

On October 4th 2015 we had the opportunity of once again connecting with the citizens of the estuary through an informative table at the Calle Loiza Festival. Along other organizations such as ENLACE and Casta Taft 169, we shared our educational materials and volunteer opportunities with the presents.

Guardians of the Estuary:

As part of their Guardians of the Estuary program, the students of the Onofre Carballeira intermediate school conducted a study of the storm water drains close to their school in Cataño. Integrating the technological tools they had available, they used their mobile phones to locate and tag any drain or sewer in their proximity. In the process they learned about the use and processes of each type of drainage. The activity concluded with the tagging of the sewers using the Estuary tags that read “Llega a tu playa!” (This drains to your beach!”.

New office at Old San Juan:

We were very busy last week working making sure everything went smoothly with the relocation of our office to the Old San Juan. This new location will have a visitor center and will put us in direct with the public, the San Juan Bay and the opportunity to create visual exhibitions about different topics of importance to the Estuary. This year the Visitor Center exhibition is dedicated to the Martín Peña Channel and the history of their struggle.

Tampa Bay Estuary Program-sponsored BASIS Symposium:

San Juan Bay Estuary Program long time volunteer and AmeriCorps Vista Leader Diana Ferro participated last week from the Bay Area Scientific Information (BASIS) Symposium sponsored by our colleagues at the Tampa Bay Estuary Program in Florida. Way to go Diana!

The Isla Verde Reef Natural Reserve celebrates its 3rd anniversary:

During the night of September 26th, under the light of the “supermoon”, our science director, Dr. Jorge Bauzá talked about the SJBEP to the attending the ceremony. We are very proud of Paco López, community leader at Isla Verde and recipient of this year “Sentinel of the Estuary” award.

50 anniversary of the AmeriCorps VISTA Program:

Today, our  AmeriCorps VISTA attended the 50 anniversary of the Program in Puerto Rico.

They were part of the conference that discussed several topics including poverty in the island and their efforts to eradicate it.

Shoreline tour with VISTA Ivangs Rivera:

Today our AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer y great friend of the Estuary, Ivangs Rivera, offered an educational tour along the north shore of the estuary -from Loiza to Toa Baja- to tens of middle and high school students from the La Milagrosa school in Ponce.

Days like today reveal our most important mission: volunteers educating and generating more volunteers to create change in our environment.

Thank you Ivangs!

Birds of the Estuary workshop:

Not all birds are pigeons and “changos”!

Our AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and bird expert offered a shore bird workshops at Fair View School in Trujillo Alto.

2015 Sentinel of the Estuary:

During our last Board of Director Meeting held on October 8, 2015, a very important event concurrently took place. We celebrated 16 of our most important community, municipal and agencies leaders in the effort to conserve the SJBE. We called the award “Sentinel of the Estuary” because of the groundbreaking work these colleagues have performed throughout the years. The 2015 Sentinels of the Estuary are:

• Alberto Lázaro, PRASA
• Ernesto Díaz, CZMP
• Capítulo Estudiantil de la Sociedad Ambiente Marino
• Pedro Carrión, Corredor del Yaguazo
• G-8, Martín Peña communities
• Grupo 7 Quillas
• Noelia Rosa
• Maylene Pérez
• Nilsa Medina
• Paco López, Arrecife de Isla Verde
• Laura Roldán
• Luis Crespo, Lago Las Curias
• Juan Cruz, Chiclana Creek
• Ariel Lugo, IITF
• Jimmy Nieves, MillerCoors
• Claudia Gutiérrez

PEW Trust Meeting and Field Trip:

During the past Saturday afternoon we hosted a field trip for a group of world class scientists that were visiting the Island as part of the PEW Fellows Symposium held in Rio Grande during the weekend. The group had requested a field trip to visit the SJBE and continuing with our tradition of support to local enterprises, we hired Melba Ayala and her ecotourism company Excursiones Eco to take the group of 12 scientist that came from Brazil, Philippines, Canada, China and the US to learn about the Martín Peña Channel and the ecosystems of the SJBE.

By the end of the day we discussed the history of the Martín Peña Channel, the ecology of local mangroves and other species, the fisheries of the San José lagoon and the importance of the dredging of the channel for the overall health of the system. The group left very satisfied with the trip, we hope to see them soon again!

Guardians of the Estuary in Carolina:

Led by their Earth Sciences teacher, Yamila Meléndez, the Guardians of the Estuary from the Dr. Gilberto Concepción de Gracia high school, in Carolina, receive a training before the water quality monitoring of the waters of the Suárez Channel.

We warmly welcome these new citizen scientists who study and work voluntarily for the Estuary and the quality of its waters.

Trash Free Waters Project Video:

Our communications team put together a short documentary highlighting our Trash Free Waters initiative. It's part of our ongoing effort to educate the citizens of Puerto Rico about the presence of bodies of water in their urban environments, and highlights the efforts of many organizations who have worked with us in this project.  The video has been published in our new YouTube Channel as of Monday, October 19th, 2015. Here's the video:

Classical Music Workshops:

We have chosen the proposal brought forth by a small music academy named Kids & Musik, located in Santurce, to bring classical music interactive workshops to the children of 8 schools located within the communities of the Martín Peña Channel.  This project is part of our AmeriCorps VISTA strategy implementation and is funded by the Titín Foundation. We are currently in the process of setting up dates for the workshops.

Make a difference day:  

On saturday october 24th teamed up with volunteers from Banco Popular to plant sea grapes and study beach erosion in Piñones as part of their “Make a difference day”. During the half a day event adult and children volunteers performed beach profiles, explored the wildlife of the sandy beach and planted sea grapes to help stabilize the sand dunes.

Lionfish removal training:

On October 25th, SJBEP’s marine biologists Carmen Valentín and Ivangs Rivera recieved training on the removal and management of the invasive species, the Lionfish. The training covered theoretical aspects of the removal and ended up with a practice in the artificial reefs in Escambrón where 3 lionfishes were safely removed from the environment.

School trip to the Piñones natural reserve forest:  

On October 30th, Javier Cardona also took the students of the Piñones’ community elementary school to the Piñones forest and lagoon. The activity was supported by our AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, who are working  on resource-based economic opportunities with this community.

Educative trip through our estuary watershed:

Our education manager Javier Cardona took a group of students in an adventure through our watershed.  The students, from the University Gardens specialized school in sciences and mathematics, started in the southernmost part of the watershed, in Las Curías Lake and the Caimito community of Chiclana, within San Juan. They met community leader Juan Cruz who spoke to them about the community's commitment to their natural resources. The students continued their trip northwards, where they ended in the beautiful beaches of Piñones, easternmost part of our watershed. 26th October 2015.

Trash Free Waters Conference:

On Monday, 26th of October, we were part of the TFW and the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership Conferences, which we facilitated, in Cantera, next to the San José Lagoon. This conference served as the premiere of our TFW initiative short documentary, shot and edited by our communications team of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers.

Mass death of fish in San José Lagoon:

The effects of the water in the San José Lagoon running out of oxygen were first apparent during the weekend. By Monday, the lagoon’s condition was at its worst. Our executive director, Dr. Javier E. Laureano and scientific director, Dr. Jorge Bauzá, addressed the media several times in the following days, educating the population on the cause of this occurrence, as well as one of the solutions to insure this won’t happen again: dredging the Martín Peña Channel. The state of the Lagoon served as a poignant backdrop to our TFW and  PRRP conferences.

Dr. Javier Laureano interviews for Telemundo Puerto Rico

Dr. Jorge Bauzá interviewing for WAPA TV Puerto Rico

Our highlights for the month of September 2015

 Mass reading of "Canito, el murciélago pescador:"

The Corporation for the conservation of the San Juan Bay Estuary organized and facilitated the mass reading of our estuary-themed children's book: "Canito, el murciélago pescador" in 19 schools located within the San Juan Bay watershed (two of them outside it, in Bayamón and Ponce). The educative initiative was made possible by our staff members and VISTA volunteers, along with a number of renowned artists spanning different disciplines. These included the author of the book, Zulma Ayes, visual artist Rafael Trelles and actor Yamil Collazo, among others. The reading took place September 10th, 2015.

Our AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers Joselín E. Ramírez and Zenaida Vázquez put together and edited a short video featuring footage and photography from the many schools where the reading took place. Here's the video:

Canito, el murciélago pescador

Siempre agradecidos con todos los lectores que dedicaron su tiempo este 10 de septiembre de 2015 a leerle "Canito, el murciélago pescador" a los niños de decenas de escuelas de Puerto Rico. Pasamos un día maravilloso. ¡Gracias por todas las fotos que han enviado!

Posted by Estuario: ciudad de las aguas on viernes, 11 de septiembre de 2015

Author Zulma Ayes and our education manager, Javier Cardona.

Author Zulma Ayes and Javier Cardona prepare to read "Canito" at the Alejandro Tapia Elementary School in Villa Palmeras, Santurce.

Actor Yamil Collazo reads the story to the kids at the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Elementary School in Cantera Peninsula, San Juan.

Informative Table:

In Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of September, we continued our outreach education initiative through the setup of informative tables in different gatherings and conferences. We were present both days in the 2nd National History Students’ of Puerto Rico Encounter in Old San Juan, and on Saturday we attended the Citizens’ for Science Encounter in Manatí.

Our informative table at the Pedro Albizu Campos University in Old San Juan.

Informative table at the La Esperanza Estate Natural Reserve, in Manatí.

Guardians of the Estuary:

We have a very active volunteer group of elementary school students. These last two weekends have been quite busy for them. Javier Cardona has led different school groups in learning and sharing knowledge with fellow classmates on how our storm sewers work and keeping our surrounding bodies of water clean. All of these groups placed custom seals by sewer drains near their schools that read in Spanish: “FLOWS TO YOUR COAST | DO NOT POLLUTE.”

Girls from the Julián Blanco specialized school of ballet, September 21st.

Students  of the democratic school Espacio A in Old San Juan, September 24th.

Underwater trash cleanup:

Our contractor Cristina Ramírez organized an underwater trash removal excursion at the Condado Lagoon in September 19th. This activity is part of her Trash Free Waters project. The attendants were divided into two groups: divers who swam underwater to grab trash from the bottom of the lake, and walkers who cleared the lagoon’s shore of any solid waste.

Diving and on-foot groups cleaning-up trash in the Condado Lagoon, September 19th, 2015.

Shorebirds workshop in Piñones:

VISTA Volunteer Stephanie Camacho organized a shorebird workshop in Piñones’ natural reserve as part of the group’s ongoing effort to establish ecotourism as a source for economical growth in that community. The workshop was a success, with about a dozen enthusiasts attending the activity.

Attendants at the Piñones’ beach and the Piñones’ Lagoon, September 26th, 2015.

AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Stephanie Camacho coaching attendants in the identification of shorebird species.

Highlights of September 2014

          

Javier Laureano, Cecilio Ortiz and Ernesto Díaz at the congressional briefing 

A diverse public was commited to the discussion at the Trash Free Waters Workshop

One of the trees planted in the Ponce de León Avenue

Dr. Jorge Bauzá at the Citizen Science Conference

      1) SJBEP at a Congressional briefing on climate change: on September 18, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the President of our Scientific and Technical Committee, Ernesto Díaz, with our Executive Director, Javier Laureano, and a representative from the University Of Puerto Rico, Ceciclio Ortiz, offered a presentation to a group of advisors and staffers from the US Congress about the climate crisis of the Island.

The briefing was organized by Congressman Pedro Pierluisi and Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand. After the briefing the group attended a press conference and a TV interview with Univisión Azteca.

The event was sponsored by the Rockefeller Family Fund, the Latino Climate Action Network, and El Puente. 
School performed water quality tests; Santurce, where volunteers created a vertical garden; Isla de Cabras, and a planting in Chiclana Creek in Caimito. Thanks to all the volunteers and the Environmental Protection Agency for sponsoring this project.

2) Estuary 360:  Planting, monitoring and cleanup the SJBE's watershed.  Last Saturday, September 6, 2014 the SJBEP organized an event with community members, students, volunteers from government agencies and private corporations to help enhance and restore several sites of the watershed. In only one of the sites (Esperanza Peninsula), the volunteers recovered 550 plastic bottles within one hour. Other sites included: the San Juan Bay, where students from the Onofre Carballeira

3) The SJBEP organized an innovative Trash Free Waters Workshop in junction with the United Nations Environmental Programme, EPA headquarters and the PR Recycling Partnership.  On Tuesday, September 9, 2014 our organization sponsored a key workshop to draft an agenda for action to work with the aquatic trash situation that is affecting the globe. EPA headquarters selected the San Juan Bay Estuary watershed as a pilot project to tests comprehensive policies and partnerships that effectively prevent land-based produced debris to reach the water bodies.

Thanks to the participation of Carla Friedrich from UNEP-Regional Office of North America- we were able to present a global perspective of the problem; Mark Liechtenstein from the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership offered a view of effective policies that are being implemented at the regional level; and Noemi Mercado from EPA headquarters presented the Agency's Trash Free Waters objectives and multi-sectorial view of the aquatic debris situation.

The workshop is being transcribed into a document that will be available online in the next couple of weeks.

4) The SJBEP creates a new urban ecological corridor: Thanks to a contribution from Mitsubishi Motors to enhance our EPA-sponsored urban planting project, we were able to plant 200 trees along 5.6 miles of the Ponce de Leon Avenue and the Ashford Avenue.  These are two of the main urban arteries of the metropolitan area of San Juan and had hundreds of abandoned planters that were turned into improvised trash cans. We were able to bring new soil to the planters and plant 200 new trees that will now enhance the urban ecosystem of San Juan and bring birds, butterflies, and improve storm water quality.

Our organization is in conversations with the Municipality to have the municipal government join the initiative to water and maintain in good condition these new trees.

5) SJBEP creates a new wetland forest of 300 trees in the Cucharillas Wetland:  From August 27 to September 3, 2014 the SJBEP planted 300 trees in this nature reserve that is co-managed by the community leadership of the Juana Matos neighborhood in Cataño represented by Pedro Carrión and Corredor del Yaguazo. This new wetland forest will improve the hydrological functions of the ecosystem and increase its fauna and ecological services.

6) Citizen Science Conference:  Region 2 of the Environmental Protection Agency coordinated the Citizen Science Conference on September  11 and 12, 2014. During this opportunity the SJBEP was able to present during the two days several of its key citizen science projects and achievements, such as our water quality monitoring programs, bird and fish censuses. Citizen science is an essential part of the work our organization does to further public participation. 

                                                                                                         

Highlights for May-June 2014

The new vertical garden of the Art Deco building on the Ponce de León avenue.

A volunteer prepares one of the PVC pipe planters used in the vertical gardens.

A group of volunteers proudly show their vertical garden installed at the old Rainbow building in the Ponce de León avenue.

Education Manager, Javier Cardona, shows a paper mask of a Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari), one of the wild residents of the estuary, during a school workshop.

Special thanks to María de Lourdes Panet, Marixa Maldonado, Neysha Jiménez, Edwin Arana and Dinorah Lozano, now certified volunteers under the program "Educadores del Estuario".

Cristina Ramírez and her group of volunteers showing all the trash they picked up near sewer openings.

If left unchecked, pluvial sewers openings can become obstructed with sediments and debris, a situation that is detrimental to both the health of the Condado Lagoon and the flooding frecuency of the community.

Among the affected species there were mojarras, snooks, blue crabs and sardines.

A restored wetland in Malibu, California. A couple of years ago this used to be barren land, showing the great potential of wetland restoration projects.

Gardens and murals of the estuary continues. One of our most popular projects, Gardens and Murals of the Estuary continues its course with several new interventions in Santurce. Thanks to the arrival of the Summer, many students have been able to join the work as volunteers. The recently intervened buildings include the old Art Deco and Rainbow buildings in the Ponce de León avenue. Changing the appearance of abandoned buildings with vertical gardens brings life and a sense of well-being to urban dwellers, and increases the biodiversity of the city.

 Don't miss this and other great urban restoration projects on the link below!

• http://www.elpostantillano.com/justicia-social/10639-renia-fermaint-rosa.html 

Javier Cardona, our Education Program coordinator, brings the Estuary to different classrooms and communities.  With a variety of workshops and hands-on activities on the field, many students have increased their knowledge of the estuary through a combination of art and science! Mr. Cardona recently certified a group of trained volunteers that will expand the capacity of the Education Program to reach different school and audiences by providing workshops and leading field activities. See the pictures above! 

For the full story click here:

• http://estuario.org/index.php/component/content/article/89-noticias/587-taller-de-mascaras-inspiradas-en-animales-del-estuario

Cleaning of runoff sewers in Alto del Cabro. The Alto del Cabro community in Santurce has several pluvial sewers that discharge directly to the Condado Lagoon. As part of the project "The Condado Lagoon is my home", Cristina Ramírez, the project coordinator, led a team of volunteers that cleaned the debris accumulated around the sewer entrances. The debris cleaned included cigarette butts, plastic and glass bottles, as well as plastic wraps and other trash. All of these would have ended up as marine debris in the Condado Lagoon if they weren't picked up before the next rainfall. Thanks to all the volunteers that participated on this initiative!

Recent fish mortality event at San José Lagoon. At the beginning of June, residents and tour guides that work in the San José lagoon noticed a great number of dead fishes and crabs. Water quality monitoring for the weeks prior to this event showed low oxygen levels as well as an elevated pH, all common measurements of an eutrophication event. Also during this week the water had been unusually green, yet another indication of an algae bloom that is the precursor of fish mortality events. When the algae dies it drops to the bottom of the lagoon where it is decomposed by bacteria, which consume all available oxygen while digesting the algae. This results is a sharp drop in oxygen levels in the water, hence the marine life asphyxiates. 

Although there are many drivers that contribute to the euthrophication-algae bloom-fish mortality cycle, poor water circulation is a big factor. For this reason we stress, once again, on the vital importance of dredging the Martín Peña Channel. In the past, the Martín Peña Channel connected the San Juan Bay with the San José Lagoon. Since the channel is obstructed, there is no tidal flushing that could help reduce the amount of contaminants that accumulates in the lagoon. 

Trip to Santa Monica Bay Estuary. During the month of June, our executive director Javier Laureano, traveled to California to become part of the evaluation committee of the Santa Monica Bay Estuary Program. Santa Monica Bay is part of the National Estuary Program (NEP), just like the San Juan Bay Estuary, and as part of  the NEP is subject to regular evaluations. The Santa Monica Bay Estuary Program staff shared their experiences on interesting programs like the creation of wetlands and sewer identification art works. See the pictures above!