Special guests at The Blue-fronted Amazon Project!
Category: Field Work, Pantanal, Partners, Support, Team | Date: Oct 21 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
In July, the Blue-fronted Amazon Project received the professor MSc. Elaine A. Carvalho dos Anjos, actual coordinator of the Biologic Sciences course of the Dom Bosco Catholic University (UCDB) (http://www.bducdb.ucdb.br), at Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. In August 2008, the Neotropica Foundation of Brazil (http://www.fundacaoneotropica.org.br) established a partnership with the UCDB, allowing their students to participate on the Blue-fronted Amazon Project. Since then, the Project has received many UCDB students and volunteers, and in that field trip, Elaine and I created new goals for this promising partnership.
Image: Glaucia Seixas
Elaine taking notes and watching parrots with Vandir.
In September, the Project received two special guests that, in addition to Joao and Vandir, contributed a lot to our field activities. One of them was the biologist Lucia Maria Monteiro, the project manager of the the Neotropica Foundation of Brazil. Lucia works at the headquarters of the Neotropica Foundation of Brazil, at Bonito, and currently coordinates the Guia ECOnsciente Project, financed by the CITI Foundation. Her 5-day visit to our Project had the goal to increase the exchange of expertise between the different projects of the Neotropica Foundation of Brazil. We believe that this manner we can amplify the nature conservation actions at Mato Grosso do Sul state.
Image: Glaucia Seixas
Lucia holding a nestling.
Image: João Augusto
Image: Beatriz Caminha
Lucia and the rest of the team, measuring the nestlings and preparing the rapel.
Our second guest was Beatriz Caminha, who has being a great collaborator of our Project. For three days, Beatriz assisted in our field activities, with the monitoring of nests, eggs, and nestlings of Blue-fronted Amazon in Pantanal.
Image: Lucia Monteiro
Beatriz and I measuring a nestling.
Image: Lucia Monteiro
The team monitoring a nest.
Image: Glaucia Seixas
Vandir and Beatriz are counting parrots at a roosting site at Aquidauana river.
Image: Glaucia Seixas
Beatriz and Lucia, watching the parrots.
Image: Glaucia Seixas
Beatriz and João opening the field gate.
Image: Lucia Monteiro
Vandir monitoring a nest, while Beatriz and I are taking biometry measurements of a nestling.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for their help, pictures, opening fieldgate, annotations, and also for ’sharing in’ mosquitoes and ticks with us! We hope they have enjoyed the experience and that they keep helping the Project, more and more each time! Hope to have you again in the field with us sometime soon!
Hugs,
Glaucia Seixas
A lot of work and not enough funding…
Category: Donation, Field Work, Pantanal, Support | Date: Jul 18 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
The reproductive season is coming, and that is when we have to double our work load to monitor 200+ tree cavities and check the eggs and nestlings. But it’s not only the work load that increases this time of the year… our costs doubles as well. And I am very worried on how to continue the Project’s activities, particularly this year, due the low financial support and donations. Yes, I do apply for grants, but I get almost always the same answer… “We understand the importance of your Project; however, we need to give priority to endangered species”. Ok, we do need to protect endangered species. But we also need to avoid threatened species to become endangered!! Otherwise, we are always trying to mediate the problem, rather than preventing it from the beginning.
A couple of weeks ago, in our last field trip, our jeep broke again… We had to stop the data collection and go back to the city to have it fixed. It is a 1994 Vitara, Suzuki, which I bought used on 2004. Needless to say that I bought it from my own pocket – I don’t even know how much money I’ve invested on the Project to keep it running. Maybe putting our own money in our project is something that every researcher does at some point – but now I’ll no longer be able to financially support the Project.
I understand that the financial crisis is affecting everyone, but I also believe that actions to preserve the nature are fundamental to maintain our life quality in the present and for the future. Maybe we should realize that each of us can do a little bit, and that all together we can do a lot more.
We are in depth grateful for every single donation. But we need more help and support to continue the Project. I work for the parrots’ conservation with all my heart and I’ll keep doing it until I no longer can. And I won’t allow the negative answers of funding requests to put me down. Give a deep breath, and keep thinking other ways to find funding sources – that’s what I am going to do.
If you can help us, either by donations, of by helping marketing the Project (or in any other way you might think it could help), please do so.
I want to express here my sincere thanks for those who have been heping us during all these years, either by financial and logistic support, partnership, and volunteering. Muito Obrigada! Thank you very much!
Tags: Car, Donantion, Field Work
The 2009 arrival…
Category: Pantanal, Partners, Support, Team | Date: Jan 02 2009 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
Many days have passed since my last post, and, sadly, many other blue fronted nestlings have arrived at the CRAS (Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center/Environmental Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul state)… A total of 788 seized nestlings were brought to the CRAS on 2008. Certainly hundreds of other nestlings died on the action of the smugglers.
But we also had a lot of good news. We have been very busy and active in the field, checking the growth of the blue fronted nestlings, as well as other psittacines species. Many people got involved and helped us with the conservation of this parrot, either by volunteering at the field, or supporting our work (partnerships and material/financial support).
We ended 2008 with the certainty that we still have a lot of work to do for the conservation… However, we also have the conviction that we are not alone, and that more and more people are getting involved with the nature conservation. This manner, we would like to express our deep and sincere thanks to everyone, and wish you all a wonderful 2009!
A huge hug,
Glaucia Seixas and Team
The 15th Anniversary of Fundacao Neotropica do Brasil
Category: Education, Partners, Support, Team | Date: Aug 12 2008 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
On 1993, a group of friends, concerned about the conservation of natural resources, gathered to create a non-governmental organization called Fundacao Netropica do Brasil. During these 15 year of work, Neotropica promoted and practiced nature conservation at Mato Grosso do Sul state through countless projects. There were many challenges, conquests and results (http://www.fundacaoneotropica.org.br/). The Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot Project is among the many ongoing projects. We are glad to be part of this story! Our sincere thanks to the team members, council, partners, collaborators, patrons, and encouragers for the success thus far!!!
Approved Donation of Equipments by Idea Wild
Category: Field Work, Pantanal, Support | Date: Jul 23 2008 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
We are glad to inform that our proposal submitted to Idea Wild (http://www.ideawild.org/) was approved! Soon we will receive the donation of the following equipments: a digital scale to weight the nestlings (to replace the one we lost last year), a binocular 10×42 (to replace our old one!) and a equipment to measure the temperature and humidity in the nest cavities (will allow us to collect data from the nests). These equipments are important to the Project and the collaboration of Idea Wild is essential for the conservation of the blue-fronted amazon parrot and other psittacine species in Pantanal, Brazil. Our field team and the parrots deeply appreciate it!!! Thank you very much IDEA WILD!!!
Collaboration from a PhD in Applied Ecology
Category: Field Work, Partners, Support | Date: May 30 2008 | By: Blue-fronted Amazon
During May, Glaucia, Vandir, and Thayane received Dr. Vivian Ribeiro Baptista-Maria, a biologist and PhD in Applied Ecology from ESALQ/Universidade de São Paulo, accompanied by Daniela Masumoto, a BS in Tourism. During the field trip, Dr. Vivian helped us to identify the plant species consumed by the parrots or used as nest cavity. Dr. Vivian is consultant of Fundação Neotrópica do Brasil and is responsible for the environmental consulting Bíon – Consultoria Ambiental (vrbmaria@gmail.com). Two days (and nights!) of hard work, rain, sun, mosquitoes, and ticks. Dr. Vivian’s voluntary collaboration was fundamental for this part of the project, when the data of 11 years of project are being analyzed for results compilation and publishing.
Vivian and Daniela identifying plant species.
Vandir, Glaucia and Vivian checking the trees.
Vivian checking the books.We deeply appreciate her collaboration, as well as Daniela’s help on the field work. We are also thankful to the superintendent of Fundação Neotrópica do Brasil, Eleri Rafael Muniz Paulino, who supported the trip by making funds for gas and a vehicle available.Some more pictures of this field trip for you!
Vivian and the ticks! :0)
Vivian and Glaucia at riparian forest.
Vandir and Daniela in a haze.
Glaucia, Daniela, Vivian, and Vandir in the riparian forest.
The guides at Estancia Caiman taking a look at out work.
Vandir and Vivian appreciating the trees.
Vandir, Vivian, Daniela, and Thayane.
Vivian and Daniela registering the data.
Vivian and Glaucia double checking the data.
Vivian in her way to the sampling spots at riparian forest of Aquidauana river. :0)
The important support from the farms to the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot
Category: Support | Date: Oct 18 2007 | By: admin
Since 1997 the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot Project has the fundamental support of the owners’ farm, at South Pantanal – Brazil, for all the field actions, scientific research and environmental education. The first farm to give us support was Refúgio Ecológico Caiman (www.caiman.com.br), and 10 years have past of continuous research in this area, with several data available. We can always count with the special attention and support of Dr. Roberto Klabin e his team.
Vandir, Jackson and Salgadinho at Refúgio Ecológico Caiman’s entrance.
Here Glaucia is presenting the Project for Dr. Klabin and his guests.
On 2002, we began activities at Refúgio da Ilha Ecologia (www.refugiodailha.com.br) and at Fazenda San Francisco Agroecoturismo (www.fazendasanfrancisco.tur.br). Mr. Jairo e Mrs. Ivone (Refugio da Ilha Ecologia) and Mr. Roberto e Mrs. Beth (Fazenda San Francisco Agroecoturismo) have always been prompt to help us.
Mrs. Ivone, Mr. Jairo and Glaucia, at Refugio da Ilha Ecologia.
Glaucia, Luca and Beth Coelho at Fazenda San Francisco Agroecoturismo.
On 2004 we began activities at the Farms Novo Horizonte and Santo Antonio with the special help of Mr. Luciano Cury (Farm Novo Horizonte) and Mr. João Maria’s family (Farm Santo Antonio).
Glaucia at Santo Antonio Farm.
Regardless how long each farm has been supporting us, is important to highlight that their owners are aware of the importance to generate scientific knowledge that can contribute for Pantanal’s flora and fauna conservation.
Without their support it would not be able for us to carry trough our long term work with the parrots at Pantanal!
Thank you all!
Other collaborators of the Project…
Category: Partners, Support | Date: Oct 02 2007 | By: admin
Long-term projects like the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot Project are only possible with the participation of several people, professionals on the area or not. Since 1997, tens of professionals and students have collaborated with the Project. Some were working on the Project for several years, like the biologist Alessandra Firmino (5 years) and other for a few months. Some were extern students that collaborated directly on the field activities, and other collaborators have done their research based on the Project. Some became “godmother of the Project”, like the biologist Neiva Guedes, coordinator of the Hyacinth Macaw Project; and the veterinarian Anna Croukamp from “Parque das Aves Foz Tropicana” who do not measure efforts to help the Project, with incentive and different features. Other came for a brief visit and became “friends of the Project”, like the writer Susan McGrath and the veterinarian Taiana Costa, who helped with work in their areas.
Vandir and the veterinarian Anna Croukamp, from Parque das Aves Foz Tropicana, “godmother” of the Project. Anna incentivates and helps the Project since its very beginning, on 1997.
Vandir and Ragusa, from UFMS - Glaucia’s PhD Advisor
Vandir and the architect Joao - collaborate with geoprocessing for 3 years
Veterinarian Tania Raso - collaborate with the sanitary issues of the Project for 5 years
Glaucia and the boat driver Marcio - 3 years with the project
Glaucia and the journalist Susan McGrath, collaborated with equiment and journalistic services
Biologist Alessandra Firmino - 5 years with the Project
Biologist Carol - 1 year with the Project
Biologist Marja - 1 year with the Project
Biologist Enazia - 6 months with the Project
Vandir and the extern veterinary medicine student Andrea - 2 months with the Project
Extern biology student Andre - 3 months with the Project
Vandir and the extern biology student Veronica - 5 months
Glaucia and Jackson - 1 month with the Project
Extern zootechny student - 5 months with the Project
Vandir and the extern biology student Lelis - 3 months with the Project
No matter how long they were in the field or how do they collaborate, the most important is that all of them have something in common: they are in love with nature conservation, parrots and Pantanal – Brazil.
THANK YOU ALL!
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100% of your donation, minus a small bank fee, will go to your intended purpose.
Donations made here are safe.
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Donations Received
- Aug 18th Black C. USD10.00
- Jul 20th Audrey M. USD50.00
- Jul 20th Sylvia K. USD55.00
- Apr 4th Paul M. USD27.50
- Jan 18th Ludovic L. USD55.00
- Dec 2nd Joann M. USD55.00
- Oct 7th Lucia C. USD50.00
- Sep 12th Paula K. USD22.00
- Apr 20th Theresa S. USD30.00
- Apr 15th Emerentiane M. USD150.00
- Mar 6th Theresa S. USD25.00
