Venezuela’s Beaches Belong to the People – and the Nesting Birds

April 9 – August 6, 2023 | El Municipio Díaz, La Isla de Margarita, Venezuela

On a sunny August day on the beautiful El Yaque beach, an event brought together the Díaz municipality to learn about birds and how to identify them, their winged neighbors. The magical sounds captured with Merlin ID and close contact with birds and their eggs have aroused people’s curiosity and wonder, leaving them proud of their beautiful town with special biodiversity. In fact, Caribbean Kidz is applying to the State Ministry of Environment for permission to make this area a sanctuary or refuge to conserve the species that inhabit it, especially the fragile eggs of their neighbors with wings.

In addition to the participants, the students, pupils, and volunteers who helped organize this event were also fed and learned how to organize these types of events, for example, that birdwatching should be done at a respectable distance, etc. After all, young people are our environmental leaders of the future. These learning experiences are nothing short of important. However, all of us are the environmental leaders of the present moment in our communities. In fact, the residents led a beach-wide cleanup to prevent birds from eating plastic or getting tangled in trash. Afterward, they created a magpie nursery to plant in the area and restore natural space, where Caribbean Kidz performed plays with messages about the importance of caring for and protecting the area.

At the end of the event, the children made puzzles with some of the birds they observed. In addition, the participants had a dance therapy host, which they thoroughly enjoyed. After all, art is an incredible way to preserve the natural environment, infusing creatures into our cultures.

Finally, the participants would like to add that their area doesn’t only have birds; there are also seahorses, starfish, three species of jellyfish, crabs, snails, many, many species of fish, and many children willing to help! The biodiversity of the area is unparalleled.

The events that inspired the successful August event were two beach walks in April and May of the same year on the same beach in Nueva Esparta State. During these beach walks, Caribbean Kidz attempted to (1) clean the sandbar of trash and (2) observe birds and count their nests, types of nests, numbers of bird species, etc.—conducting what we call “participatory science.” The first excursion was accompanied by a family from the same location and a nature tourist; the second was with a group of adults and children from the school for ecological awareness training. An important fact that community members learned during the walks is that shorebird nests are in the sand, not in trees. We conserve what we love, and we love what we know. Learning that nests are in the sand is important for protecting shorebirds, whose nests are constantly being trampled by people and invaded by invasive rodents, endangering their numbers. The summary of the lesson is that to protect the birds and their nests, many restrictions were in place, such as: they must be observed from a safe distance, they must not touch the eggs, they must not scare the birds, and finally, no single person can enter without being accompanied by one of the local residents, as they might step on the eggs.

Knowing what we need to do to avoid disturbing nesting birds and how we can protect our community beaches is what Caribbean Kidz wants to introduce to the community during their 2023 events. Because wildlife deserves to live in harmony with humans and be protected… birds are our neighbors with wings after all! Furthermore, conserving our neighbors—the birds, jellyfish, fish, and other wildlife in El Yaque is critical to protecting and advancing the enjoyment, knowledge, and well-being of our communities that the beach provides. Thus, Caribbean Kidz and community members are discussing with the municipality whether the beach can become a refuge protected area. We are all voices and stewards of our own lands.

Written by Lani Lin-Kissick | lkl34@cornell.edu

Images courtesy of Vanessa Quintero of Caribbean Kidz