By: Yenifer Díaz, Project Director, Panama Audubon Society
For more than 20 years, the Parte alta de Bahía de Panamá has been a site of interest for the Panama Audubon Society (Audubon Panama). With easy access, it has always been an interesting place for its members because of the opportunity to observe thousands of migrating shorebirds that annually visit its coasts. Bryan Watts, from The Center for Conservation Biology, estimated that 1.1 million Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) use the Bay of Panama during the fall migration, representing 30% of the world’s population. He also noted that 80% of these birds were female, meaning that 50% of the world’s female population depends on the Bahía de Panamá. Watts also drew attention to the fact that many shorebirds molt and grow new flight feathers here before continuing their migration.
These large concentrations of birds awakened in our members a sense of appreciation for the Bahía de Panamá wetlands. They became concerned when they began to identify clear threats, as well as a lack of local awareness of the important ecosystem services that the area provides. Since then Audubon Panama has carried out a variety of local and international projects with the aim of creating local awareness and appreciation of the importance of conserving these wetlands, and the resident and migratory birds that depend on them.
During 2009, Audubon Panama expanded its environmental education efforts as to the importance of the Bahía de Panamá wetlands with the Aulas Verdes (Green Classrooms) project. This was designed to create awareness and appreciation among children and to train primary school teachers in the communities adjacent to the Bahía de Panamá on issues related to the wetlands, the ecosystem services they provide, and their biodiversity, including learning about the shorebirds that use them. Currently the project works with 20 schools during the 10 months of the school term, and has reached over 18,000 children.
A mixed shorebird flock at the Bahía de Panama WHSRN site. Photo: Yenifer Díaz
Aulas Verdes has iconic activities including the educational tour of the wetlands of Panama Viejo (Old Panama). On site, both teachers and students enjoy the start of the shorebird migration to Panama. Undoubtedly the most anticipated activity is the Festival de Aves (Bird Festival). Teachers at the project’s schools prepare different artistic and cultural activities to join the celebration. This enthusiasm leads some teachers and students, accompanied by their parents, to take walks around the school with posters and environmental messages to create environmental awareness in the community. The Festival de Aves also includes the inspiring bird costume competition, with costumes made from recycled material by children (with a little help from their parents!). It is very satisfying for all the organization’s staff to be able to enjoy activities such as the Festival de Aves that reach not only students, teachers and school administrators, but also allow families to be brought closer to the schools.
In 2019, Adubon Panama was the host of the 8th Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group meeting and Aulas Verdes teachers played an important role in its organization. One of the project’s teachers, Narcisa Ledezma, even designed the logo for the meeting, demonstrating with this single gesture her love for shorebirds, her commitment to the conservation of their habitats and her understanding of the importance of the role of Panama to achieving these aims. Meeting participants had the opportunity to observe how several children from the project, made shorebird costumes from recycled materials.
Left: Narcisa Ledezma, designed the logo and poster for the 8th Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group meeting held at Panama. Right: Bird costume contest at the annual bird festival. Photos: Yenifer Díaz.
2020 was full of unusual and unprecedented challenges, but Audubon Panama continued to fulfill its mission. In July 2020, Aulas Verdes managed to reinvent itself, and continued environmental education virtually, ensuring that it was still accessible to students, teachers and parents involved in the project, as well as the general public. Seventeen schools and 1,624 children accepted the challenge of studying virtually and allowed the organization to continue sharing current environmental issues with them.
These efforts will help to create more citizens aware of how important the Panama Bay wetlands are to Panama and the hemisphere. That would not have been possible without the support of donors, the board of directors, and the committed staff and members of Audubon Panama who, over time have never lost faith in the work.
Cover Photo: Huge flock of shorebirds at Panama Bay. Photo: Karl Kaufmann.
