Save the Golden Eagle and Protect its Habitat!

[Spanish below]

Dear friends,

We hope you are doing well during these summer months.

We are happy to announce that our GlobalGiving Save the Golden Eagle project is very close to its fundraising goal and will no longer be in need of further GlobalGiving donations, thanks to your steady support and to the ongoing dedication of our partners in the field, both of which have allowed the project to operate efficiently these past years.

Although this is our last report and the project is closing on GlobalGiving, we encourage you to continue your support by following our partner organization, Espacios Naturales y Desarrollo Sustentable, A.C., or ENDESU, and to reach out to them directly if you are interested in supporting their work in conserving the golden eagle moving forward.

This project would not have been able to boost golden eagle conservation activities in Mexico—including monitoring, local education, rehabilitation center maintenance, and habitat restoration—without your trust and support these past years. Once again, we warmly thank you!

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Estimados amigos,

Esperamos que se encuentran muy bien en estos meses de verano.

Estamos felices de anunciar que el proyecto GlobalGiving de Conservación del Águila Real está muy cerca de alcanzar su meta de recaudación, por lo que ya no necesitará más donativos en esta plataforma. Esto es gracias al apoyo continuo de ustedes y la dedicación de nuestros socios en campo, ambos siendo fuentes de asistencia que han permitido la operación eficiente del proyecto en los últimos años.

A pesar de ser éste nuestro último reporte previo al cierre del proyecto en GlobalGiving, los invitamos a continuar su apoyo siguiendo a nuestra organización socia, Espacios Naturales y Desarrollo Sustentable, A.C., (ENDESU), quienes están implementando el proyecto actualmente, y contactarlos directamente si les interesa seguir apoyando a la conservación del águila real.

Este proyecto no hubiera podido impulsar las actividades de conservación del águila real en México (incluyendo monitoreo, educación y capacitación local, mantenimiento de un centro de rehabilitación de rapaces, y restauración de hábitat) sin su confianza y apoyo. De nuevo, ¡gracias!

Links:

• Contact ENDESU to continue your support!

(Español abajo)

Dear friends,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these past months have been slow for in-the-field conservation actions, but we are happy to share that we’ve partnered up with another organization called Espacios Naturales y Desarrollo Sustentable, A.C., or ENDESU, to keep strengthening golden eagle conservation activities in 2021 and beyond. Check them out and see all of their inspiring initiatives in Mexico, addressing endangered species, ecosystem restoration, and sustainability. 

We’re preparing some exciting news for our next update, so stay tuned!

_______

Estimados amigos,

Debido a la pandemia por COVID-19, los pasados meses han sido lentos para las acciones de conservación en campo, sin embargo estamos felices de compartir con ustedes que estamos colabroando con otra organización, Espacios Naturales y Desarrollo Sustentable, A.C., para continuar el fortalecimiento de la actividades de conservación del águila real en 2021 y más al futuro. Conoce todas sus iniciativas inspiradoras, abarcando a las especies amenazadas, la restauración de ecosystemas, y la sustentabilidad.

Estamos preparando unas noticias emocionantes for nuestra próxima actualización, ¡así que estén atentos!

(Español abajo)

Dear Friends,

We thank you for your continued support in conserving the golden eagle, Mexico’s patriotic symbol.

In these past months, despite the limitations presented by the pandemic, we have managed to continue working with our partners in the field. Community brigades are monitoring nesting sites to make sure that the fledglings are flying and learning from their parents before taking on the grand adventure of surviving on their own. In addition, the brigades have visited landowners to raise awareness and motivate them to support conservations efforts. Group meetings have unfortunately been suspended due to COVID-19 security measures, but we are working to ensure that residents know how important their collaboration is for this project. 

In our last report, we shared that we placed a GPS device on an eaglet that was born in Chihuahua State in northern Mexico, and we are happy to report that it is doing well and is currently localized more than 100 kilometers from its nest, indicating that it is commencing its independent life. We wish it luck and hope that it will continue to provide data that is essential in conserving the species. 

With your help, we will continue working to conserve the golden eagle, an emblematic symbol for Mexicans and an important indicator species for determining the health of its ecosystem. 

Above is a snippet of a cartoon strip that our partners created as an educational tool to promote respect for the golden eagle among ranchers in northern Mexico. See the whole cartoon strip on our blog: https://fmcn.org/es/blog/el-uso-de-veneno-en-la-fauna-silvestre

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Estimados amigos: 

Les damos las gracias por su apoyo para seguir avanzando en la conservación del águila real, el símbolo patrio de Mexico.

En estos últimos meses, a pesar de las limitaciones que nos ha impuesto la pandemia, hemos logrado continuar trabajando con nuestros socios de campo. Las brigadas comunitarias están realizando visitas a los sitios de anidación para constatar que los aguiluchos estén volando y en actividad con sus padres antes de iniciar la gran aventura de sobrevivir por ellos mismos. Además, han visitado a los dueños de los predios para motivarlos a que estén conscientes y apoyen las labores de conservación de esta especie. Lamentablemente, las reuniones en grupo fueron suspendidas por seguridad ante el COVID, pero estamos haciendo esfuerzos para que la gente esté enterada de la importancia de su colaboración en el desarrollo del proyecto.

Como lo comentamos en nuestro informe pasado, logramos colocar un trasmisor satelital en un aguilucho que nació en el estado de Chihuahua y actualmente está localizado a más de cien kilómetros de donde está su nido, lo que nos dice que ya está iniciando su vida independiente. Le deseamos suerte y que nos siga brindando información satelital con más datos que nos ayuden para conservar la especie. 

Con tu ayuda continuaremos trabajando para conservar esta especie tan emblemática para los mexicanos y tan importante para determinar la calidad del hábitat donde se desarrolla.

Arriba puedes ver una parte de una historieta que elaboraron nuestros socios para motivar la educación y respeto al águila real entre los ganaderos del norte de Mexico. Conoce la historieta completa en nuestro blog: https://fmcn.org/es/blog/el-uso-de-veneno-en-la-fauna-silvestre

Links:

• The complete cartoon strip can be seen here.

Dear friends,

In the first week of June, we collaborated on the successful installation of a satellite transmitter on a juvenile golden eagle in Chihuahua, Mexico. The satellite tag will provide critical scientific data that will lead to the design of better conservation strategies. This is an especially important achievement in Mexico, as scientific information on this species is scarce. In the coming weeks, we hope to install an additional tag on an adult eagle that is currently recovering in a raptor rehabilitation center after being found injured in the wild.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to cancel some of this year’s activities, like the environmental education workshops with local communities. Despite these challenges, we have been able to adapt and, with the use of technology, spread the conservation message among relevant stakeholders. For example, one of our partner organizations created a digital poster to educate ranchers on the dangers of using poison as a strategy for predator control—a widespread practice in many parts of Mexico that accounts for a high percentage of golden eagle mortality. The poster will be distributed via WhatsApp and we hope that it will slowly contribute to changing the mindset around some of these practices.

Your support is paramount for the continuation of our work. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and please consider renewing your contribution to the project. 

Sincerely,

Francisco Ehrenberg

Dear friends,

This will be a very busy year for golden eagle conservation in Mexico. We will continue our biological monitoring work in the states of Chihuahua and Guanajuato, generating critical information to assess the local and regional population trends of this iconic species. In collaboration with partners from civil society and the government, we will also create new monitoring brigades in local communities, which have proven to be one of the best ways of engaging the people that share the territory with the eagles every day. Additionally, we will strengthen our environmental education work with local communities using our new didactic materials.

Here are some photos of a recent workshop with kids in the Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato Biosphere Reserve. Working with youths across Mexico inspires us and gives us hope that the golden eagle may still have a bright future.  

Your support is paramount for the continuation of our work. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and please consider renewing your contribution to the project. 

Sincerely,

Francisco Ehrenberg