This post stretches geographic legitimacy for UV-Birders, but it
features a familiar migrant and so may be of interest. I'm wrapping up
an extended trip, first to Puerto Rico, now the Dominican Republic. On
Puerto Rico, VCE has launched islandwide surveys for Bicknell's Thrush,
attempting to clarify the species' status there. Almost 2 weeks into the
project, our local team is still awaiting its first encounter with the
bird. I had the privilege of spending 4 days with two of PR's top
birders, Jose Salguero and Julio Salgado, and while we didn't turn up
any thrushes, we had some memorable birding. For anyone interested in
details, check out two these two blog posts:
http://vtecostudies.org/blog/among-the-machetes/
http://vtecostudies.org/blog/angels-trump-bicknells/
My week in the DR has been limited to Santo Domingo, where I'm afraid I
have no exciting birds to report. My "vacation" ended abruptly upon
arrival, and I've participated in a non-stop series of meetings and
discussions, both with our staff person here, Juan Carlos
Martinez-Sanchez, and an array of local partners. Most focus has been
on Sierra de Bahoruco, a biodiversity-rich mountain range in
southwestern DR that is fast losing ground to illegal charcoal
production and commercial agriculture. I reported on this a year ago,
and the unfolding ecological crisis is more dire than ever, an extremely
complicated situation. On the positive side, we're helping spearhead a
consortium of local conservationists who are determined to turn things
around, and we have a grant from US Fish & Wildlife Service with our
main partner here, Grupo Jaragua
<http://www.grupojaragua.org.do/index_english.html>, to do just that.
It's an uphill battle to say the least, but one absolutely worth our
effort - I bounce between feeling dispirited, energized and optimistic!
VCE has worked in Sierra de Bahoruco for >20 years now, and it's a
critical region for overwintering Bicknell's Thrush. Rest assured that
no one is ready to throw in the towel, far from it. There is a
remarkable commitment among our local partners, and we now must spur
action at higher levels of decision-making. Despite daunting odds, I'm
convinced we're on the right track.
I fully expect to have more encouraging news to report in the months and
years ahead.
Chris
--
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 ext. 1
www.vtecostudies.org
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