January 2006

Oakland Zoo technician

Michelle Burt, our veterinary technician from Oakland Zoo in California, spent a short time with us again - ensuring that all fecals and wormers were kept up to date. She brought her a friend who is a photographer with her. We sent him into the great green flight and one of the shots he took was particularly spectacular!

NEW RELEASE SITE

Dale Forbes visited our newly proposed release site this month. This was an initial visit to the area and to the property. Dale found the site to be very suitable for a new release and for the macaws.

He provided us with detailed information on feed availability for that time of year, although obviously, further lengthy studies need to be carried out and extensive enquiries about the area made. However, we are very pleased with progress so far, and Ilona Thewissen will continue the intensive research that needs to be completed.

So fingers crossed and watch this space!

March 2006

Dr. Otto offers practical advise

This March saw a fleeting visit by Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Adrienne Otto. Adrienne has been a supporter of our project for many years now and helps with kind donations of baby food via Kaytee and her generous time, as and when she can.

A "gourmet diet" for Macaws in Punta Banco

Entitled "Eating out: a practical guide to Punta Banco's best menu options" this stunning 55 page book has been produced by Kate Faulkner from Oregon State University and our own Dale Forbes.

It includes full feature covers of the species being shown - but also flowering time, fruiting time and parts eaten by the macaws.

Many, many hours of hard work went into the making of this book - and most of them in the rain! Making this even more a labour of love - thank you.

Craig Seyler an intern also from Oregon State University spent three months in Tiskita - and deceided that he would design some educational stickers and posters that would be useful at the local schools - and this is what he came up with.

  

April 2006

Going, Going ……

It is with much sadness that Fiona Dear now heads back to the UK to study for her Masters degree. She will be gone for a year, but will always be advising from afar. We wish her well in her studies and feel sure that the lure of Costa Rica will bring her back again.

Her subject will be entitled "Reasons behind Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) poaching in two areas of Costa Rica and measures for reducing the threat" She hopes to use this paper in practical terms in Corcovado with Chris Vaughn.

Gone……

It is with great sadness that Dale Forbes leaves us to join a Marine Conservation project in Honduras. (Whale Shark Conservation)

Dale has been with us for 2 years and has been a pivitol member of our small group. He has walked, tracked, educated, taught, listened, spoken up, …… and has provided us with invaluable data and information. He has gone beyond the call of duty and back again for our birds, for which we are eternally grateful. Dale has cemented relationships with people, we would never have know existed without him. He has given Amigos de las Aves credibility amongst his profession and has raised our profile considerably. We cannot express how much gratitude we owe Dale, and we shall miss him greatly. Having said that, he will always be at the end of an email, and will continue to stay with Amigos de las Aves in an advisory capacity and representing us at conferences. We hope he will be producing lots more articles for us - and watching over us from afar.

So although tinged with sadness, we wish Dale well in his new adventure, and trust him safe and happy.

May 2006

New School for Indian Reservation near Tiskita

Before he left, Dale accompanied Georgina Butler, the British Ambassador to the Indian Reservation bordering on Tiskita. The Purpose was to open a new school built by funds raised at the "queens garden party" the year before. The school was built by Raleigh International, and was opened this year, 2006 by Georgina Butler and Raleigh International

Georgina presented the school with several Amigos posters and Amigos coloring books - which we hope will help towards educating the school children about our program and the importance of their own environment. Dale thoroughly enjoyed the event, and was delighted to be part of the proceedings, which included a very long trip, over land and water, and an extreemly hairy horse back ride there and back!

International Congress of Zoo Keepers

2nd International Congress of Zoo Keepers took place on 7-11 May 2006 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Chris Castles zookeeper from Wellington Zoo in New Zealand and Lindell Andrews zookeeper from Adelaide Zoo in Australia presented a paper entitled: "Australiasian keepers assisting Parrot conservation in Latin America"

The two gave a presentation represented two projects, Amigos de las Aves in Costa Rica, given by Lindell and the Fuertes Parrot project in Columbia given by Chris.

Both have had the unique experience of working in the field with these special birds and were able to pass on their experiences to a wider audience.

Chris spent many months with us two years ago and three months in Columbia on the Fuertes Parrot project. Both projects were subject to discussion and the keepers own designed poster says it all!

and Hello……

We now welcome our new wildlife and conservation biologist to our midst. Ilona Thewissen BSc from Holland.

Ilona has a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Management and Conservation and a Doctoral in Archeozoology from Leiden University. She has strong aviculturalist ties having spent time as a zookeeper, so is perfectly well equipped for hands on experience and also understanding of how macaws act and behave.

She has previous experience and knowledge in identifying our scarlet macaws first hand from her time spent here over the past few years. Ilona will be based at our new release site, and is currently situated in Tiskita collating data for a scientific database - to be used in a comparison study.

Ilona has excellent people skills and has already also enjoys educational work and working with children.

We are delighted that she has been able to join us and hope that she will enjoy her time with us, especially supervising the new release.

Sponsorship from Philadelphia!
zoo recognition

We are delighted to be able to wave the flag of Philadelphia Zoo in the US who have so kindly sponsored our field research program.

We are so pleased that our work is coming to the fore of the professionals and most especially the zoo keepers.

We are most grateful for their support and hope our partnership will continue for many years to come.

Working with ECAG again

Again this year we are very pleased to assist the students from Escuela CentroAmericana de Ganaderia with their training.

This year the students are working on a new and shortened "Ranger" course. This encompasses all aspects of conservation work in the field, from veterinary skills, to forestry skills to animal skills

June 2006

Waving the flag in Australia

Lindell Andrews has been waving the Amigos banner in Australia again. She made a powerpoint presentation to the Avicultural Society of South Australia in Melbourne.

The presentation described the work we do at Amigos and also her large contribution to the program - having been a major contributor to the last two releases in Tiskita, Lindell shared her first hand experiences with her audience.

Welcome

Welcome to Christine and Franck Dziubak - reknowned French photographers, who have taken the plunge and moved from France to Costa Rica.

The stunning wildlife and scenery finally pulled them here - and we wish them well in their new life here.

They are opening their own lodge "Tenorio Lodge" in Bijagua de Upala, in the north of the Country. There are several cabins available for rent in the most stunning surroundings, alongside a beautiful lake. A chance to improve your wildlife photography and pick the brains of some of best photographers in the country.

If you are interested, contact Franck or Christine on www.tenoriolodge.com or phone: (506) 466 8282

No doubt the pictures will be even more spectacular as there are now no time limits! Franck will be visiting here again, for our next release, so more spectular photos will be on view.

July 2006

And again...

Michelle Burt, from Oakland Zoo offered us her time and skills again this month. We are indebted to her for keeping our flock of birds bug free!

Michelle is also going to be starting her own business here in Costa Rica. She will be offering animal and house sitting services. She is licensed, has years of experience and has plenty of certificates to prove it. So if you live in Costa Rica and need a holiday, but your pets looked after in their own home …….. look no further! . I have a feeling that her services will be greeted with the utmost enthusiasm. Please get in direct touch with Michelle on www.furandfeatherpetcare.com

More sponsorship…
Oakland Zoo

We were delighted to be presented with a certificate and cheque from Oakland Zoo as they sponsored our re-introduction program this year. Michelle Burt, their representative, kindly gave Richard and Margot the cheque, along with the Oakland Zoo certificate - supporting Amigos de las Aves.

We thank their conservation program, which is doing some outstanding work, we and hope this will be a long association between us.

It is very gratifying

August 2006

New Crayon Poster

Ilona is visiting all the schools in the Guaymi Indian reservations, even the most remote, and distributing the new coloring poster, which has information about the Amigos project.

She will be talking to as many children and school classes as is possible, to tell them all about their heritage of Scarlet Macaws.

Imperial College, London.
Interns take a long study period?

Joining us for 10 months, students from Imperial College in London have opted to work in the field with Amigos de las Aves as part of their study curriculum - "biology with a year in industry/research" to gain a Biology BSc. Sophie Fauset and Helen Williams head to the outback of Tiskita to join Ilona's team, studying behavioural and nesting aspects.

We like to throw them into the deep end, so they will start their life in Tiskita "with the birds" in the treehouse!

Acting in part with Cegep La Pocatiere, Canada

Janie Martel joins us for six months as part of her third year Ecology program in Quebec. Having already worked in Guatemala, Greece and Africa, Janie enjoys a different experience in the field at Tiskita.

She will also spend time at the Breeding Centre and at the new release site, assisting Ilona in research prior to the birds arriving on site.

This program will be part of a new and exciting step to assist youngsters in their final training and we hope to be able to assist further students in the future.

October 2006

X Congresso de la Sociedad Mesoamericana
para la Biologia y la Conservacion.
Guatamala

The 10th Anniversary Congress of Congreso de la Sociedad Mesoamerican para la Biologia y Conservacion. 30-31st November 2006. was held in Antigua, Guatemala this year and we were again extremely proud to be able to present a paper amongst some distinguished company.

Dale Forbes represented us in Guatemala, presenting a paper written by our biologist Ilona Thewissen MSc, entitled "Management of a population of reintroduced Scarlet macaws in Costa Rica and the study of their post-release behaviour.

Dale very kindly presented a Powerpoint presentation detailing our latest facts and figures collated by Ilona Thewissen. We were delighted to be able to attend the Congress again this year, not only to present our own program but to listen and learn from others.

Our compliments to Olivier and Guiselle of the Great Green Society for their exceptional organisational skills yet again.

Details can be found in the new acts of the simposium and will be available from the Great Green Society.

 

November 2006

Published

We have been extreemly lucky this past year and have been featured in a number of magazines, articles and books.

One spectacular article, written by Christine & Franck Dzuibak, featured Amigos de las Aves and displayed a large amount of brilliant photographs taken by these esteemed photographers. The article was in Oiseaux Exotiques, France, and published in September 2006.

We were also featured in a large article in the new Dutch magazine, Wildlife Magazine written by Ilona Thewissen and also in Linda Kenyons new book Rainforest Bird Rescue. (see publications section)

December 2006

Down under zookeeper!

No she's not upside down - Michelle Eglinton arrives from Wellington Zoo in New Zealand for three months - and we hope to pursuade her to stay with us for the breeding year.

Michelle comes as a hand rearing specialist, having worked with a large collection of native birds, hand rearing, since the age of 7 years old. She left college and joined the team at Wellington Zoo until "itchy feet" prompted a round the world trip, culminating with Michelle's desire to learn more about the hand rearing of Scarlet and Great Green Macaws.

It is with this in mind that Michelle will gain an all round "education" of Amigos de las Aves. She will be accompanying the latest release of Scarlet Macaws in Tiskita and will then return to the Breeding Centre to gain more hands on experience of handrearing! The task of endless hours!

We hope that she will enjoy her time with us, and we hope that her fiance, Chris, will return to keep her company!

Amigos de las Aves and the official Release Programs of Amigos de las Aves in Costa Rica, www.amigosdelasavescostarica.org and www.hatchedtoflyfree.org are not affiliated or associated with any other company, organisation or association, by name or in any other country.