Nicaragua's Nature Stewards: The Junior Rangers

Dear Friend,

Our Junior Rangers have been keeping busy since our last update. We’re excited to share with you how we’re putting your donations to use, and why we still need your help.

• In early December, the Junior Rangers in the communities of La Salvia and El Rosario carried out educational activities as part of their migratory bird curriculum. This included a ‘Festival of Kites’ with the motto “sing, fly and soar like birds.” The children let their kites fly across the beach to represent the migratory birds that fly across their communities.

• The following month, 5 rangers and 15 Junior Rangers in Ostional participated in the Christmas bird count by making observations in the mangroves and wooded areas. Over 70 community members participated, and by the end of the count, they had made a total of 3,155 observations with 166 species counted. Some of the species included the ruddy woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa) and the keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus). We are so glad to have participated in our 7th annual Christmas bird count. Thank you for making this possible!

• If you’ve been keeping up with us, you know that recently we welcomed cyclist and birder Koen de Geus who is journeying across Latin America to raise money for birds. The kids accompanied Koen from Mono Bayo all the way to Ostional where they showed him the beauty and importance of mangroves, and also helped him release his first sea turtle in Ostional. The Junior Rangers had a blast during this unforgettable visit and showed their appreciation by making handmade cards for Koen!

• In February, four communities celebrated the launch of new environmental workshops by releasing baby sea turtles in Ostional. The Junior Rangers also took field trips to Pochote where they participated in activities and games related to different themes of wildlife conservation! In total, 205 kids took part in celebrating the opening of these new workshops, filling kids with excitement for the new topics to come.

Because of you, our Junior Rangers have had an interactive and memorable last few months. Your support makes the Junior Ranger program possible. It makes a real difference in the lives of kids who will grow up to be kind and caring environmentalists.

In gratitude,

Sarah

Dear Friend, 

Since our last update, our Junior Rangers have participated in major global events including World Migratory Bird Day, Global Big Day and the International Coastal Cleanup! Read on to learn all about the amazing work you’re supporting.

• Our Junior Rangers took part in World Migratory Bird Day and displayed their passion for the beautiful birds of Central America. The children excitedly went out to observe the migratory birds and learned so much! They also attended educational workshops that helped spark their interest further.
• The children in the Junior Ranger program participated in a cleanup that resulted in 2.75 tons of trash being picked up along the coasts of Nicaragua. The International Coastal Cleanup had over 700 participants and took place across 22 different sites. We were blown away by the immense excitement surrounding keeping our coasts clean!
• Our Junior Rangers helped Nicaragua rise in the ranks on Global Big Day by documenting their observations on ebird. 11 Junior Rangers helped our team document 276 species ranking us #2 out of all the teams. Global Big Day was started in 2015, a year in which we documented 50 species across 3 birding routes. We've come so far!
• Our rangers helped save two baby parrots from a life in captivity by helping them return safely to an adult ranger who knew what to do. Click here to read more on this amazing story.
• The rangers attended an interactive and educational bat workshop led by Paso Pacifico and biologists from the Programa Conservación Murciélagos Nicaragua. The kids had the opportunity to learn from female wildlife biologists.
• With your help, our team was able to purchase new Junior Ranger t-shirts for the kids! The kids are excited to attend their lessons in their new shirts.
• The rangers participated in the first ever Festival Regional Loros Mesoamericanos competition which brought in a wide array of talent. There were two categories for the rangers to participate in that allowed them to express their support for the parrot. 

Thank you for your amazing support! You have allowed our Junior Rangers to participate in global events and make a difference in their community and around the world.

Sincerely,

Sarah