From the 15-16 of March, at the Hotel Miranda in Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela, WHSRN’s Conservation Specialist Diego Luna Quevedo led a new workshop: Alliances and Actions for Shorebird Conservation and Habitat Management in Los Olivitos. Earlier in March, Salina Solar Los Olivitos had been designated WHSRN’s 102nd site, and the workshop worked to build a foundation for conservation efforts in the area. 27 people participated in the workshop, representing the municipality of Miranda, Audubon Society of Venezuela, IVIC – Zulia, the non-profit organizations Mamá Tierra and MANGLE, the Ministry of Ecosocialism and Water, the salt-production company PRODUSAL, the University of Zulia, Simón Bolívar University, Sociedad Venezolana de Ecología (Venezuelan Ecology Society), and Fundación para la Defensa de la Naturaleza (Foundation for the Defense of Nature). The workshop was organized by Dr. Sandra Giner of the University of Venezuela.
The workshop presented and discussed a conceptual framework that could be applied to wetland conservation at Los Olivitos – including topics such as site assessments, involving the local community, managing habitat for shorebirds, social-environmental conflicts, and good governance.
Workshop participants. Photo: Diego Luna Quevedo.
At the core of the workshop were breakout sessions in two groups: one focused on the new WHSRN site Salina Solar Los Olivitos, and the other on the adjacent Fish and Wildlife Refuge Ciénaga de Los Olivitos. Through group discussions, collaborative exercises, and coming to consensus, participants developed ideas to initiate conservation projects in the area. They applied the tools they learned to determine threats and management needs, identify key local stakeholders, and propose conservation actions and best management practices. The groups presented their proposals for partnerships and collaborations to integrate the management of the WHSRN site and the Wildlife Refuge.
The workshop also served as an opportunity to present the official WHSRN site certificate to the local partners that nominated Salina Solar Los Olivitos to the Network. Participants were also presented with binoculars and spotting scopes to enable regular shorebird surveys at the site – optical equipment that was generously donated by Guy Kirwan, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Mike Dowason.
This workshop was made possible thanks to the support of the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Bobolink Foundation.
The group from the recent workshop in Venezuela: “Alliances and Actions for Shorebird Conservation and Habitat Management in Los Olivitos.” Photo: Diego Luna Quevedo.
