This story was written by Franco Villalobos and Sharon Montecino, and originally published on January 16th, 2020 in the newsletter of the Network of Bird and Wildlife Observers of Chile (Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile, ROC by its Spanish acronym). ROC is an environmental organization whose mission is to protect the birds and nature of Chile. Thank you to ROC for allowing WHSRN to share this story. Check out their great work at https://www.redobservadores.cl/.
Last week, we received a visit from Shiloh Schulte, Manomet’s American Oystercatcher Recovery Program coordinator. We shared several days with him, filled with a wide range of activities.
Left: Shiloh presents to the second meeting of the Network for the Protection of Shorebirds about his experience coordinating the American Oystercatcher Recovery Program in North America. Photo: Diego Luna Quevedo. Right: Shiloh with Sharon Montecino and Franco Villalobos, visiting the American Oystercatcher nesting site at the mouth of the Aconcagua River. Photo: Esteban Araya.
First, he accompanied us for the second meeting of the Network for the Protection of Shorebirds, which brought together members of the network from the regions of Antofagasta, Coquimbo, and Valparaíso, Chile. During the meeting, which was held on Friday, January 10th at Santo Tomás University in Santiago, we explained the origins of the Network, the main milestones its members have achieved so far, and we presented the methodology that has been developed for monitoring American Oystercatcher and Snowy Plover. Later, Shiloh presented the work Manomet has been doing since 2003 to recover the population of the American Oystercatcher in North America. Then, members of the Network and other attendees of the meeting worked together to identify the main threats facing shorebirds in Chile and prioritize them according to their urgency and feasibility to resolve. We met in groups for in-depth discussions of what actions can be taken to reduce these threats, and how, when, and by whom they should be implemented. Shiloh provided feedback on each proposal based on his experience in North America.
Left: Shiloh presenting about his experience in shorebird protection to ROC partners and friends. Photo: Sharon Montecino. Right: Shiloh and workshop participants from different organizations visit the field to learn about measures that have been taken to protect American Oystercatcher nesting sites at the mouth of the Maipo River. Photo: ROC.
The next day, we went to the mouth of the Maipo River, a WHSRN Site of Regional Importance, to learn about the work of our board member Sharon Montencino, as part of her project as a Coastal Solutions Fellow (the Coastal Solutions Fellows Program is a partnership between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Packard Foundation). Sharon gave a presentation about the progress and challenges of her project “Nuestras manos, sus alas” (“Our hands, your wings”), which is focused on reducing threats to American Oystercatcher and other shorebirds at the mouth of the Maipo River. The workshop was held with a group of specialists and invited guests, including members of the Wildlife Ecology Lab at the University of Chile, board members from the Cosmos Foundation, administrators and park rangers from the Maipo River Wetland Park, fellows from the Coastal Solutions program, members of Chile’s ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG by its Spanish acronym), as well as professors and academics from the local city of San Antonio. After Sharon’s presentation, we went into the field to see firsthand the measures that have been implemented to protect shorebird roosting and nesting areas at the site, such as signs, temporary fencing around the perimeter of the dune area, and other actions. The day ended with a conversation between Shiloh and participants to generate technical proposals for next steps. Shiloh shared interesting perspectives about his observations at the site, some considerations regarding the actions that have been implemented, and projections for the future.
Left: Oystercatchers face many challenges during the nesting season from dogs off leash in their nesting areas to recreational horseback riders who can crush nests and damage vegetation. Right: An American Oystercatcher at the mouth of the Aconcagua River watches from the dunes where her chicks are hiding. Photos: Shiloh Schulte.
On Monday January 13th, a team from ROC, along with Shiloh and Diego Luna Quevedo, held a meeting at the Chilean Ministry of the Environment with Sandra Díaz, national director of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Threatened Species Conservation initiative, Charif Tala, head of the Species Conservation Department, and the head of the Natural Resources and Biodiversity Division, Juan José Donoso. During this meeting, a collaboration between ROC and the Ministry was proposed, because both organizations lead projects around the protection of shorebirds and wetlands, such as the Coastal Wetlands work with GEF and the National Wetlands Protection Plan on the part of Chile’s Ministry of the Environment. An agreement was made to move forward with concrete actions in the medium term, which will also include key actors such as the SAG and the Chilean Navy.
Left: Shiloh with Ivo Tejeda (Director of ROC), Sharon Montecino, WHSRN’s Diego Luna Quevedo, and officials from Chile’s Ministry of the Environment. Right: Group photo with Shiloh and attendees of the second meeting of the Network for the Protection of Shorebirds. Photos: ROC.
That same afternoon, another meeting took place with members of the Wildlife Ecology Lab, who shared their experience working with American Oystercatchers and banding in southern Chile. Shiloh shared his experience with this monitoring method in the United States, and was open to collaborating with ROC to develop a similar program in Chile.
This Oystercatcher family has beaten the odds and successfully hatched chicks. Now the parents have to remain vigilant for threats and feed the chicks for the next two months until they are ready to care for themselves. Photos: Shiloh Schulte.
After a few very intense days in Chile, Shiloh’s visit officially ended that night at the first meeting of 2020 for ROC members and friends. After presentations by Sharon Montecino and WHSRN’s Diego Luna Quevedo, Shiloh gave a very detailed presentation on the efforts, strategies, and measures that have been implemented in North America by the American Oystercatcher Recovery Program – not only passing on his experiences, but inspiring and delighting the audience with his photos.
Thank you, Shiloh, for such a rewarding visit!
