Dear Supporter ,
Time flies, can you believe it’s August already! For most of you it will be summer at the moment and I hope it’s been a good one so far. Here in Costa Rica we’re actually in winter and it’s been a rainy one so far. That’s why they like to call it “the green season”, as forests transform into a deep, dark and almost luminescent green. Absolutely gorgeous! With temperatures not dropping below 75 degrees and no higher than 90s it’s actually a great time of year to visit!
Many good things are happening here which I’d love to share with you. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about all the breeding successes at The Ara Project and learn how you can help the conservation of the magnificent macaws.
Best wishes,
Sarah Williams
Communications Director
The Ara Project
Macaw Chicks are Fledging!
The 2017 breeding season has been a fantastic one for the Great- green Macaws of Costa Rica. As a result of all our conservation effort, a total of 15 individuals are to strengthen the wild population in their native rain forests.
Seven of which have been bred in artificial nests in our aviaries (all are offspring from rescued macaws who unfortunately can never be released again). These young fledglings will hopefully be released in 2018
, as soon as they can live independently from their parents.
The other eight have hatched high up in the tree tops at our Great- green Macaw release site in Manzanillo. All parents have chosen the artificial nests that The Ara Project’s team have installed over the past two years, and they are doing a fantastic parenting job. Closely monitored by the team, these new additions are now fledging. We are excited to share the positive results of this project that is unique in the conservation of these species!
Mary Anne Survived a Terrifying Crash
This year three of the oldest pairs of released Scarlet Macaws have intended to breed. And although many of the younger released birds have started to show interest in the artificial nests, these older pairs have shunned them and chosen natural cavities instead. Two of which are in dead hollow palm trees, which had both fallen over due to some heavy rain and winds in May this year. One palm tree took down two eggs and the other a six-week-old chick!
Mary Anne, who our team had been monitoring intensively, luckily survived the 20 feet fall. Soon after, we got notified by the owners of the farm where the nest had fallen and the team sped to rescue poor Mary Anne. She suffered a wing injury, but because of the generous donations from our important monthly donors, she is now starting to fly around within her spacious aviary along with the other soon-to-be-released Scarlets. Slowly, she is becoming stronger and more confident around the other birds. In fact, she’s already befriended her fellow aviary inhabitant, Rose, and can occasionally be seen shyly scooting towards her friend’s perch when in need of company. When she is strong enough, she will be released along with her group of new friends to be reunited with her parents!
Apprenticeship Program a Success!
We are wrapping up the first season of our new Apprenticeship Program in Punta Islita. All four apprentices have 
followed an intensive training period of six months. Not only does this program include training on the care for breeding macaws and their offspring, it also teaches the apprentice all aspects around what it takes to run a site and a conservation organization. We believe that it’s because of the excellent care by these trained bird specialists, that we have had such major successes at the breeding center this year!
This program was also set up for and has proven to be a helpful stepping stone for post-graduates. Since he ‘graduated’ in May, Elliott has already been hired to work for the World Parrot Trust back in England. We would like to thank Katie, Elliott, Jodie and Ana for all their incredible efforts and for being such an amazing first group of Apprentices! We are now getting ready for the second season and look forward to seeing more talented conservationists grow like they did.
Your Help for More Loving Macaw Families!
Historic tree felling to clear land for pasture has left the macaws in Costa Rica without the ancient trees they need to repopulate their species.
Few remaining trees are big enough to have cavities deep enough to host these birds’ families. Although the forest is slowly recovering, providing artificial nest boxes is absolutely essential to enable short term reproduction success.
Other nest issues the team have to address are improving drainage, removing squatting bees, repairing bird ladders so the birds don’t get trapped inside the nests, making modifications to prevent Toucans from poaching Great Green Macaw eggs, and developing a unique alternative for the falling dead palm trees that our Scarlet Macaws are frequently challenged with.
As the breeding season will be starting off again in December, this critical work must be started soon.
To help fund these important projects, we are running a fundraiser to be able to do all this work and our goal is to raise $6,500.
Will you help ensure the growth of a beautiful, vital species to Costa Rica? We cannot do it without you, so please consider donating today!