Going the Distance, Pt. 2
Posted on in In the Field by Adam Carter, Educator
My trip to Veracruz, Mexico to collaborate with Pro Natura, developing Distance Education materials, is one I will not forget.
Ever since 2012 when I was a Hawk Mountain Conservation Science Trainee I heard so much about Veracruz and its amazing migration. Finally getting to go in-person as a Hawk Mountain staff member and witness first-hand was like a dream come true.
A significant portion of my visit was spent at the Chichicaxtle Bird Observatory located just outside of Cardel, Mexico. Surrounded largely by sugar cane fields, this is one of the locations where the passage of migrating raptors and other species like anhingas, wood storks, and other water birds can number in the tens of thousands in a single day. During heavy flights there can be easily more than 100,000 migrants in a single day.
At the observatory is where the Pro Natura staff and I had multiple discussions sharing our successes and challenges in conservation education. One of the specific topics we discussed was about a Distance Education trunk and its materials to stay in Mexico for use at the observatory and in surrounding classrooms. I was able to visit one of the local schools where such materials would be used. The students lit up when the Pro Natura staff entered their classroom, getting to handle a replica owl and hawk skull to compare and contrast. Hopefully in the near future, our collaboration can enhance these experiences with additional materials and activities.
One morning I was able to spend several hours at the Pro Natura raptor banding stations along the coast. Although we didn’t catch any birds, during the entire period I was there, a torrent of eastern kingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds, dickcissels, scissor-tailed flycatchers, and barn swallows poured through in a continuous stream as clusters of broad-winged hawks, Mississippi kites, black and turkey vultures passed over head.
It was here I felt the true enormity of migration and experienced the realization of how critical this corridor is for migrating birds. For me, it reinforced why we need awareness, education, and conservation of these species undertaking such incredible journeys across the hemispheres.
You can help in supporting Distance Education efforts in Mexico, please donate at gofundme.com/raptor-trunk. Your donation will contribute to our final push to our campaign goal! Thank you so much for your support.