Donors pledge $100M for Rainforest Conservation

Donors meeting this week in Washington D.C. pledged more than $100 million to the World Bank's new initiative for conserving tropical forests.

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New Biological Gem Found in Costa Rica's Central Valley

New Study Serves as Call to Action to Protect Ecologically Diverse Regions of Costa Rica.

The National Museum has just conducted the study of a small tropical rainforest called the Capintero, which is currently only registered under the status of “Protected Zone”, the lowest conservation level in the country. Read more about Costa Rica's amazing biodiversity...

Lights Out Boston: Energy and Birds

Boston recently joined several other cities in North America in an ambitious effort to reduce energy and avian mortality by turning off skyscraper lights at almost three dozen large downtown buildings during migration.

Toronto originally took the lead with their Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), and other cities, such as Chicago, have gradually followed suit.

Starting early last month, Boston started having some of its tallest office buildings shut off their lights from 11pm to 5am through the end of this month. The two-month effort is intended to set an example as to how to reduce carbon emissions associated with production of electricity, while at the same time helping to save migratory birds from striking the buildings at night as a result of disorientation created by bright lights and reflective glass at tall buildings.

Boston's Mayor, Thomas Menino, some of the city's largest property owners, and Mass Audubon representatives unveiled the Lights Out Boston effort last month, and a number of other cities are carefully watching the results of Boston's efforts to save energy and reduce avian mortality.

Bird advocates are actively promoting these joint conservation efforts and have increasingly been pushing the concept of "air space as habitat."

RBG Website Renovated!

After long last, the RBG website has undergone a complete renovation and is looking better than ever! Check out the new site at www.rainforestbiodiversity.org! Special thanks to Jennifer Davis, the web designer, for doing such an outstanding job!

Almendro is protected!

This week the Costa Rican legislation made it officially illegal to cut any Almendro trees in the whole country! The main reason is because of the Great Green Macaw and its need of the Almendro. This could change however if the Great Green Macaw responds and is no longer endangered.

Congrats to all the Amigos de la Lapa Verde for all the work to support the conservation and education of and about the Great Green Macaw!

Mountain Lion Caught on Camera

Finca Pangola, one of the sites of the Costa Rican Bird Route, has a trail camera set up which has been capturing great photos of the jungle's inhabitants. We would love to be able to set up trail cameras at all of our sites for a variety of reasons. They are useful tools for wildlife surveys, as well as education and interpretation. In the meantime, we will enjoy the pictures from Finca Pangola!

It's All Good

Here is an excerpt from Paul Baicich's monthly Birding Community E-Bulletin. It's a nice reminder that when it comes to nature...it's all good!

"Invariably, when birders are in the field, they are asked by curious passers-by and novice birders alike if there has been "anything good" seen.

No matter that you might have only seen a chickadee and a junco so far in the day's birding, the correct response remains the same: "It's all good!"

Let the curious know the wonders of the chickadee and the reliability of the junco as well as your effervescent expectations to find those flocks of wonderful birds just beyond the edge of the trees on the path ahead. Make it interesting; make it wondrous, and realize that every birder in the field is a potential ambassador for our pastime. Remember: It's all good!"