Dear Supporter,
We are already over six months into the deadliest crisis in recent history. And as lucky as some of us are to be healthy and doing things we love, the current health affairs and natural disasters have certainly had a significant impact on our daily routines, our relationships, and any plans we had for 2020.
But, even among all turmoil going on, our conservation efforts and your great support continue strong. It’s our hope that this September’s newsletter finds you well and safe! And that reading some of the good news and stories of successes from your support can provide you with a colorful and positive lift!
It is very true that Covid has taken a heavy toll on conservation organizations around the globe; we’re living it every day, with Costa Rican borders and our Wild Macaw Reserve closed for tourists, as well as country-wide travel restrictions that limit our fieldwork. But this situation has also forced us all to adapt, to fight hard for what we love, and prove ourselves that our resilience will keep us focused and working on our mission.
We’re all so very proud of the great team we have and how they have pushed through a very tough year and the most successful breeding season in our history. We are also grateful for the amazing support from you, our conservation community, to safeguard a future for the charismatic Scarlet and Great Green Macaws.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Sam Williams
Executive Director
Macaw Recovery Network
P.S. To fully understand our motivations behind the work at the Captive Breeding Center, consider reading this recent article by Brittany, MRN’s Program Manager.
Macaw News
Despite all the bad, this year brought great things too! You’ve probably heard about our record-breaking numbers at the Punta Islita Captive Breeding Center, with 17 surviving chicks, as well as great breeding season news from the field in northern Costa Rica. It was still an ambitious year for Macaw Recovery Network, as we introduced notable changes and additions to our programs and repertoire of tools and methods.
For the first time, the team at the Captive Breeding Center tried their hands at artificial incubation and egg fostering, to positively impact the number of fertile eggs resulting in chicks hatching. And it has paid off!
Chicks Mickey, Frida, and Honey all hatched from artificially incubated eggs, a program which is made possible by the amazing support of our friends at Tracy Aviary. All three have fledged and are currently in the social aviaries, playing around, learning to fly, forage and interact with other chicks hatched this year. Once ready, they will be released into the wild, to further strengthen the vulnerable populations that remain.
Learn more about this new program in our three videos “From Egg to Hatching” on Parrot TV!!
Every Friday, we introduce all chicks from the 2020 breeding season, on our Social Media channels, so make sure to look for them on Facebook or Instagram!
Please consider adopting Nyala to support our efforts to rescue Macaws and give them a second chance to contribute to Macaw Conservation!
In the field
Out in the field, we have also introduced new techniques this year, as our Great Green Macaw Field Team took on the enormous task of monitoring all identified nests from as close as possible, for as long as conditions allowed.
For the first time, MRN received permission to climb active nests and monitor wild Great Green Macaw chicks up close. This way we could also collect much better data on this year’s breeding season. Most chicks had fledged by the time COVID-19 started, so luckily, we have been able to close the season with lots of valuable scientific data. Proudly, we can celebrate this great effort!
For collecting even more data on the nests’ activity, we used a variety of camera traps to monitor the nests.
Watch our “Observations of a wild Great Green Macaw Nest” video on YouTube to find out how the team conducts these observations.
~ Unfortunately, we had to pause all work in Sarapiqui around mid-May, when it turned out too dangerous for our team to remain active there. Travel restrictions and increased cases following migrations from Nicaragua into Costa Rica made it too unsafe, thus we decided for our field team to strengthen the remaining team at the captive breeding center. ~
Site updates
17 more chicks surely make up for even more noise on-site and plenty of work, but it certainly also makes for a successful season, a merrier site, and a growing, and stronger team here at the Macaw Recovery Network.
Currently, all volunteers have returned home and with none having come in return, we are facing a situation we have not seen since the very early days of The Ara Project. Luckily, our remaining team is very capable and flexible to jump in where needed, and together, they are able to continue to provide the highest level of care for the 100+ Macaws at the breeding center! With borders slowly reopening, we hope that new volunteers will arrive soon and we’re super excited about a new class of Apprentices beginning their course through our specialized eight-month program!
It’s been a challenging year thus far, but at the end of the day, it is the Macaws, their communities, and the habitat they share that we put our hearts out for.
Our shared vision, to see thriving populations is what makes all these conservationists and supporters like you, spearhead great conservation efforts.
Enjoy our Parrot TV videos!
As a way to be there for you during this pandemic, we launched Parrot TV back in March. Although we have reduced the creation of videos, you can still enjoy Sunday’s “Breakfast with Macaws”, or the “Docuseries with Dr. Sam”. We hope that seeing these beautiful parrots and the conservation work your support makes possible, gives you a warm distraction from these challenging times.
Thank you for your continued support and for being part of the Macaw Conservation Community!
Stay safe!