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September 2006
CEA Electronic Communications are in English and Spanish. Para leer este boletín en español, favor de haga clic aquí. |
Sustainability Workshop at CEA in November
CEA and Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, invite you to join us in a workshop on Sustainability and the Environment: Alternative Technologies for the Production of Energy, the Treatment of Wastewater, and the Disposal of Solid Waste. The workshop will take place at CEA, in Spanish, from November 6 to November 12, 2006 and costs $200 US.
The goal is to build regional capacity in the use of alternative technologies, in support of sustainable development along the Mesoamerican Reef (Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and México). The target audience is engineers, architects, technicians, educators, NGO staff, and others interested in “green” technologies.
For registration and further information, please contact Edith Sosa Bravo, Tel/Fax: 52 (984) 875-9095, or click here to see the workshop poster in Spanish.
Turtle Report
Last month we received two reports of hurt turtles at Akumal bays. One of them was seen by swimmers in Akumal Bay, with a hook in its mouth. This happened on August 20; however, we were unable to locate the turtle.
Two days later, on August 22, we received another phone call, but in this case someone was reporting a dead turtle on Jade Beach. We went with PROFEPA (the federal Environmental Protection agency) and found that this turtle (male) died because a boat hit his head and shell.
Because of these two incidents, reminding us of human activities that may kill turtles, we are asking the fishers to be more careful during the nesting season, and to drive their boats slowly to prevent these kinds of accidents.
Click here for an updated chart of turtle nests and hatchings.
New Informative Exhibits at CEA
If you visit CEA you will see our new information exhibits. They were designed by most of the staff members. Through eight panels, in English and Spanish, you will find information about CEA and our work, mangroves, turtles, corals, cenotes, sea grass, and reefs. This is only one part of the work that CEA is doing to reach our goals of educating locals and tourists about the conservation of our environment. This project was funded in part by The Lighthouse Foundation.
Mr. and Mrs. Fish Visit CEA
During August CEA welcomed the Mr. and Mrs. Fish Marine Education Program from Southern Maine Technical College with their play, “The Turtle and the Jellyfish.” The play took place at Lol-Ha Snack Bar, with children, locals and tourists present. Through humor and acting, Jeff Sandler and Deb Hall Sandler (Mr. and Mrs. Fish) left the audience with a great ecological and social message. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Fish! For more information about their program, click here.
Environmental Education
On September 7 CEA started its environmental education activities with the schools in Akumal. This year, we started working with the preschool children, using environmental stories, and drawing and painting activities. We also taught them the importance of recycling, and caring for turtles, plants and animals.
Social Service
We currently have four students from the Colegio de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos del Estado de Quintana Roo, Plantel Tulum, doing their social service with us. They live here in Akumal and are helping in our Education and Water Quality Programs. If you visit Akumal you will probably meet them at our new Information Palapa on the beach.
LocoGringo Forum Members' Campaign
With the help of a group of members of a LocoGringo.com forum, CEA is working on a major education campaign to explain to visitors and locals why they should not touch or harass the turtles, as well as why they should not stand on or touch the reef corals. We are placing signs on the beach, and giving flyers to tourists with some tips for eco-snorkeling, as well as providing information magnets to put in local condos.
We have a link on our Web site from which you will be able to download and print our Eco-friendly Snorkeling Guide, and most of the educational information we are providing in the area. For more information, please contact us.
Thank you all for helping us to protect our turtles and reefs.
Welcome Mirna Gonzáles
We want to welcome Mirna Gonzáles who is helping our Education Program. She is from Chunhuhub, Quintana Roo, has studied tourism and now is studying tourism business administration.
Patricia Beddows Visits Akumal
From August 26 to September 9, CEA was pleased to welcome Dr. Patricia Beddows from Canada. She came with a team of researchers to study microorganisms in cenote sediment. They used CEA’s lab as a field station.
Species of the Month
At the south of México, in the jungles of Tabasco, Chiapas and Yucatán, lives a kind of monkey known as the Howler Monkey (Alouatta pigra).
This monkey is threatened by both excessive harvesting and loss of habitat. It is one of the largest of this family, weighing 6 kg and about 140 cm. in length. Males have a larger hioideo bone than the females and this acts like a resonance box, amplifying the sounds that it emits; that is why it is known as the Howler Monkey. When this area of the country was colonized by the Europeans they were afraid of the howls of these animals because they thought they could be jaguars.
The Howler Monkey is protected by law (NOM-059-Semarnat-2001) and their hunting, capture, sale and possession are prohibited. However, the Howler, as well as the Spider monkey, is captured to be sold as pets. One of the most common ways to capture them is by killing the mothers, but the majority die because of stress, sadness or because they do not receive the correct care. The ones that are captured are considered as “dead” species because it's very difficult for them to be able to reproduce and be functioning adults. Most of the Howler Monkeys captured are later killed or abandoned because they become aggressive.
Reminder - Save the Sea
Mark your calendars for February 21 and 22 for the CEA Festival 2007. This coming event will include CEA's Second Annual Silent Action and Gala Dinner.
Last year we raised $2,700 and we look forward to doubling that this year. We know we can do it by increasing our Silent Auction items and by adding a few new surprises. We expect to have more auction items that appeal to tourists and locals alike, and hope that you will contribute to our Silent Auction. Look for more details in the near future, and if you would like to learn more about helping, please contact us.
Please continue to tell your friends about CEA! Many CEA Members join after being referred to CEA by people like you. If you have questions about how you can become more involved, please contact us. The Yucatan Environmental Foundation is the U.S. 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor for CEA. All donations made through YEF for CEA are tax-deductible in the U.S.
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or simply need to contact CEA, please click here.
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