Story by Adriana Hernández Alvarez
This spring, to celebrate Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado’s 25th anniversary as a WHSRN site, its tenth research season, and the spring arrival of Red Knots (Calidris canutus roselaari) and other shorebirds to the Golfo Santa Clara (part of the site), partners Pronatura Noroeste and the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) set up an interactive educational tent on the beach. The display was designed to teach visitors about the site’s shorebirds, and their relationship with the fish on whose eggs they depend: the Gulf Grunion (Leuresthes sardina), or pejerrey as it is known locally. This effort was possible thanks to the support of the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
The Golfo de Santa Clara is a critical stop for migratory shorebirds that stop there to rest and feed. This site in northwestern Mexico provides the conditions these birds need to recuperate and continue their migration all the way to Alaska and Wrangel Island (in Russia).
To reach beachgoers more organically and directly, this season Pronatura Noroeste and UABCS trained local women to be beach stewards – as a key conservation tool and an opportunity for the women to educate their peers in the community. To accomplish this, before the start of the migration season, the group of 11 stewards (now known as the “Pejerreinas,” a play on the name of the fish (pejerrey) and the Spanish word for queen (reina), were trained in shorebird and grunion biology and ecology so they would have the tools and confidence to communicate with visitors one-on-one. They were given the skills to teach beach visitors about the importance of this place for pejerrey, and the energy and nutrition their eggs provide for shorebirds that rely on the site to rest and feed.
Left: Infographics printed on large vinyl signs, and fabric Red Knots and pejerrey welcome visitors to the education tent. Foto: Carolina Rodríguez. Right: Sori Gonzáles explains the migratory path of the roselaari Red Knot to a group of children in the exhibit. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
What motivates the “Pejerrey Queens” to participate in this stewardship program? What have they learned, what has worked well, and where do they need more support?
“I like to support nature and the community. It’s good to look out for our town, and I like learning from other people.” – Sori Gonzáles
“[The whole project] is really interesting to me, because I’m learning how to recognize Red Knots, Sanderlings (Calidris alba), Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri), Willets (Tringa semipalmata), which before I thought all looked the same. I think we’re doing a great service – we’re educating ourselves about the birds and cultivating a respect for them, getting to know their life cycle and spreading the word about what they come to this site to do.” – Teresita Félix
“Sometimes there are people that are rebellious and rude, but there are others that are very understanding – like one visitor who commented that they’d been coming to the Golfo Santa Clara on vacation for ten years, and were finally able to see the pejerrey spawning. They were really happy.” – Alejandra Ramos
Young visitors learn to identify shorebirds using a field guide with María and Adriana (Left; Photo: Carolina Rodríguez), followed by a chance to practice drawing a roselaari Red Knot in the education tent (Right; Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez).
The project has not only raised awareness, but has also helped change behavior.
“Before, people would drive along the shoreline, running over the fish and scaring the shorebirds. Or people would dig holes in the sand that fish would get stuck in and die. But now people come to watch the fish and the birds, take pictures, and then go.” – Ciri Aldama
“Before leaving, some visitors have said to us, ‘thank you for all the work you are doing – what we just saw [the pejerrey spawning] is such a wonderful phenomenon!” – Martha Eunice Reyes
Gulf Grunion, known locally as pejerrey (Leuresthes sardina) spawning at the Golfo de Santa Clara. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
We asked the Pejerrey Queens what parts of the program they thought were working well.
“I really like having the infographics printed on large vinyl signs, because you don’t have to feel so pressured not to make any mistakes – we can always refer to the infographics out of the corner of our eye and then know how to keep going. The fish and birds made of fabric also make it easier to help people who have never heard of Red Knots or pejerrey understand. We can say, ‘here they are, this is what they look like, take a look.” – Alejandra Ramos
Beach visitors learn how to identify Red Knots during different seasons of the year. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
Finally, reflecting on where they could use more support, Martha Eunice Reyes said that “we are always going to need a lot of information, as so many people arrive to the beach. I think that signs are good, and it would be great if the media could come while we are doing this field work to also broadcast the project on the radio and on Facebook.”
“I would like the pejerrey to stand out as unique to this place, just as every town has something that identifies it – and of course the roselaari Red Knot too,” added Sori Gonzáles.
The Pejerrey Queens’ education tent was open from the end of February to early May, the time of year when as many as 9,000 Red Knots have been observed at the site (in March 2018). Especially during holy week (in April), the beach receives so many visitors that this time of initiative becomes critical – to invite visitors to enjoy their time on the beach in a responsible way, sharing the space with shorebirds. Human recreational activities are the biggest source of disturbance in the area.
Large flock of Red Knots at the Golfo de Santa Clara. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
When visitors entered the education tent (many kids as well as adults!), they were walked through each of the nine infographics that visually illustrated the information the Pejerreinas were teaching. For adults, there was special emphasis on the threat posed by vehicles in the spawning zone – for both the fish and the shorebirds. After hearing this talk, everyone was invited to participate in the exhibit’s activities and take their photo with the famous #WeAreAllShorebirds wings. Time slots were also scheduled to take small groups out to watch shorebirds, after they visited all the displays in the education tent. Additionally, during the spawning period the Pejerreinas protected the pejerrey’s reproduction area by cordoning off about 500 meters of the beach, to prevent vehicles and people from running over recently laid eggs.
Left: A young boy poses with the #WeAreAllShorebirds wings after swimming in the ocean. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez. Right: A member of the Pejerrey Queens marks the temporary boundary to protect the pejerrey spawning zone from vehicles and people that could crush their eggs. Photo: Deisy Arredondo.
Site partners conducted two surveys to evaluate beach visitors’ level of knowledge about the pejerrey spawning event and its connection to the migration of the roselaari Red Knot.
Visitors that did not go through the education tent were asked, “what types of birds have you noticed on the beach?” Between 2015 and 2019, there was a slight increase – from 5% to 18% – in beach users that mentioned the “playeritos,” or “little shorebirds.” This suggests that outreach activities on the beach – even without visiting the educational tent – are helping raise awareness of shorebirds little by little.
Left: A roselaari Red Knot in breeding plumage forages for the eggs of pejerrey. Right: A roselaari Red Knot in non-breeding plumage, with the yellow flag number 455. This individual has been resighted in the Golfo de Santa Clara for ten consecutive springs! Photos: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
For visitors that did listen to the presentation and participate in the interactive displays, the survey found that after experiencing the exhibit, 62% of visitors said that they personally hadn’t seen Red Knots before, but from now on felt they would be able to recognize them. In addition to “don’t pollute,” visitors to the exhibit said that while on the beach, they now knew they should take actions such as “don’t step in the spawning zone,” “respect the spawning season and area,” “enjoy just by observing the birds and fish,” and “always stay 15 meters away from the animals.”
Although the project achieved its objective of communicating with beach users about pejerrey and shorebirds, the organizers know that in order to reach their larger goal of conserving these populations, this type of effort must be complemented by outreach work throughout the entire year, and communications strategies have to be designed differently to effectively reach the two groups of beach users, the local community and tourists. For other sites interested in starting outreach programs, perhaps the most important lesson is this: invest in training local people, as they can become the most dedicated stewards, and the most effective messengers.
The Pejerrey Queens and Pronatura Noroeste and UABCS teams in front of the education tent, inviting visitors to come learn about the beach, pejerrey, and shorebirds. Photo: Carolina Rodríguez.
For more photos of the Pejerreinas in action, check out this blog post from Pronatura Noroeste or this Facebook album – where you can also find many of the infographics that were enlarged for display in the education tent.
Cover Photo: A large flock of Roselaari Red Knots take flight over the Golfo de Santa Clara. Photo: Adriana Hernández Alvarez.
