“Crea y Cuenta tu Cuento”: Conservation as a Wing of Women Empowerment in Venezuela

September 17 – December 15, 2023 | Venezuela

Women and girls pose confidently in front of the camera with their binoculars on Balcon de Viento, Barinas, Venezuela in 2023 per Mujeres Observadoras de Aves de Venezuela

Across Venezuela, a women-led movement is transforming communities through birdwatching. Mujeres Observadoras de Aves de Venezuela (Atheneas) is not just an environmental education and ecosystem and bird conservation project – it is a project that empowers girls and women from vulnerable communities while protecting the country’s winged heritage. In 2023, Atheneas developed a participatory science program that reached the most diverse corners of Venezuela. With more than 11 mini-programs adapted to the needs of each community, and incorporating aspects of culture, mental health, and community, the project reached between 110 and 165 women and girls of all ages, specifically from vulnerable and low-income communities. The program was a mosaic of events that included birdwatching, art workshops, contests, and even a spectacular festival dedicated to the parrot.

An important part of this project is the use of art to incorporate bird conservation into our culture, demonstrated by activities such as “No More Cages, Free Birds.” In the state of Falcón, this initiative involved 28 people from nearby communities; they also participated in a drawing and painting workshop, which was full of color and a love for birds. Generally, art is a means of expression that can bring us together and our differences together. In the context of birds, art can amplify the urgency of bird conservation in an emotional and personal way by depicting native birds as family, meaningful to the ecosystem and culture. This beautiful initiative was held at the Casa del Sol Museum for public viewing.

In addition to public visits, another form of meaningful engagement is the use of social media to educate the public about the importance of birds and female equity in natural spaces. In Portuguesa state, a group of approximately ten girls from the La Enriquera neighborhood in Guanare, along with local naturalist Rusmeri, created an environmental campaign on social media. With their creativity and commitment, they became ambassadors of nature, sharing information about birds in a fun and informative way. This event included a practical birdwatching workshop, in addition to an educational video recording session in parks and on trails. This event also incorporated the importance of art in environmental education with a drawing and painting workshop in collaboration with the IAm.Nature group and the Akehe professional network, where the girls learned about the anatomical parts of birds. At the end of the event, naturalist Rusmeri commented,

“Each child was in charge of designing and preparing their own parrot. Once they were ready, we went to the soccer field to launch the flight of those beautiful parrots. The look of happiness on each of their faces is priceless.” This group of girls has continued to gather and develop activities under the banner of “Crea y Cuenta tu Cuento.” They held an activity called “A Campfire Picnic,” where they watched birds at night. One girl said, “We are truly fascinated by nature, and we decided to make that contact with nature, along with the immense night sky, the songs of crickets, owls, and, of course, the mosquito bites.”

Similarly, in August, Atheneas and Avezona, the organization that created Celebrate Urban Birds Venezuela with us, celebrated the Hummingbird Festival in Guama, Yaracuy, Lara, with some children. On this occasion, the children were able to color and learn about the importance of hummingbirds, small but powerful birds, in El Dorado Recreational Park.

For Atheneas and its group of female environmental leaders, it is important to introduce girls to bird and nature conservation in the hopes of inspiring the next generation of female leaders to pursue a passion for the environment. This idea is represented in events such as the birdwatching event at Balcon de Viento in Barinas, hosted by organizers with girl participants and their mothers, and other events in the park in eastern Caracas and on Margarita Island. In Margarita, organizers Yohana and Ana discovered that girls needed materials such as shoes, flip-flops, and clothing before they could participate in birdwatching activities. They obtained these because every girl has the right to explore nature and form connections with birds. It is important to mention that the economic reality of many girls and boys around the world, and especially in Venezuela, prevents them from exploring. There are many things we need to do for them, especially starting discussions about the systematic changes they need to initiate.

On the left: A mother with her daughter birdwatching on the beach of Margarita Island per Atheneas

Furthermore, Atheneas also wants to offer adult women the opportunity to reinforce their work in bird conservation and equitable environmental education and create a supportive community. For this reason, Bárbara Rojas organized a hiking activity with ten women working in various environmental fields in the state of Yaracuy. That day, the women worked together at the San Felipe El Fuerte Historical and Archaeological Park to conduct numerous workshops and other activities. For example, they conducted a theoretical and practical birdwatching workshop. They also participated in Global Big Day, an activity to strengthen the learning and use of eBird and Merlin, platforms for recording and reporting bird observations. A workshop called “Environmental Education Workshop on the Importance of Birds for the Conservation of Diversity” was also held for the children who were in the park, as well as another on sustainable birdwatching called “Los Manantiales.”

Finally, the Atheneas events in 2023 demonstrated the importance of providing spaces for environmental education, sustainable art, and birdwatching to advance bird conservation and opportunities for women and girls in vulnerable communities. The efforts of female environmental leaders in Venezuela have amplified the inclusion of birds in children’s culture and education and have also created a tremendous community for our current and future female environmental leaders. Atheneas continues to be an inspiring example of how environmental engagement can empower women, unite communities, and create positive and sustainable change during these times of global turmoil.

Written by Lani Lin-Kissick of CUBs — lkl34@cornell.edu