News Archive
11 July 2008:
The Biggest Twitch visit REGUA
British birders Alan Davies and Ruth Miller (on the right of this picture) are mid way through an attempt to beat the record for the highest number of bird species seen in a year (currently 3,662). As they go they are also raising awareness of the importance of conserving the habitats birds live in, and raising money for conservation. They write:
"Since arriving here, we've birded a few of the trails at REGUA with Adilei and a Dutch couple, Anja and Roy, who have a lifelist of over 5,000 species, so we've been in very good company. On just one day walking the trails here, we saw 106 species which is testament to the fantastic habitat at REGUA, not just the pristine forest but also the incredibly wildlife-rich restored wetland area. Some of the key species that we added to our list are Black-cheeked Gnateater, Blue Manakin, Shrike-like Cotinga, Spot-billed Toucanet and Masked Duck to name just a few. In only two birding days, we've added 61 new species for the year, an incredible result putting our total year list at 2,726. This is such a great place to be based - very comfortable accommodation, plenty of delicious home-made food, very friendly and welcoming staff, excellent trails, and of course, such a great welcome from Nicholas and Raquel who really make you feel at home here. In fact, it´ll be hard to leave."
To follow their progress visit www.thebiggesttwitch.com.
3 July 2008:
Take a virtual tour of REGUA
Four virtual tours of REGUA have been added to the Wildlife Focus website - the multimedia site of the World Land Trust. Each tour is a 360 degree panorama that you can use your mouse to look around as if you were standing on the spot. The tours include the REGUA wetland, the view from the hide, the Serra dos Orgãos mountains and the land of our project partner Carlos Lemgruber. To check them out visit http://www.wildlifefocus.org/tours/regua/index.htm.
14 June 2008:
REGUA guides rediscover locally extinct woodpecker
On Friday 13th June, while on an excursion to Serra dos Orgãos National Park with guests staying at our Guapi Assu Bird Lodge, guides Adilei and Leonardo rediscovered a species of woodpecker considered extinct for the Park - Robust Woodpecker Campephilus robustus. Leonardo writes "Its last register was in 1894 and only six skins are known in museums from the region. All members of our group: Dave, Margaret, Phil and Sue were lucky in seeing this fantastic bird".
Networking in Belize
Nicholas Locke, our project manager, has just returned from a workshop organized by the World Land Trust and funded by IUCN Netherlands that was held at the La Milpa Field Station, Rio Bravo in Belize. REGUA was one of 18 WLT project partners attending. The title of the workshop was ‘Financial Sustainability of Private Protected Areas’ and the objective was to discuss some of the main issues highlighted by partners at the previous meeting held in Amsterdam in September 2006. Topics covered during the meeting included: Payment for Ecological Services (P.E.S.), Carbon Sequestration, Ecological Restoration/Avoided Deforestation, Tourism, Volunteers & Education, Trust/Endowment Funds, Corporate Funding and Social Sustainability/Community Involvement.
Outside the formal sessions there were also many opportunities to discuss issues and plans with other project leaders. Nicholas reports: "it was a real pleasure to participate with all the partners and share experiences at developing strategies on the front line of conservation". The symposium was closed with a press conference held at the Fort George Hotel in Belize City, and press coverage was given through radio, national television and an article in the ‘Reporter’ newspaper.
17 May 2008:
New land purchases
The World Land Trust has raised £200,000 for REGUA to purchase 12 small plots of land totalling 326 hectares above the village of Matumbo to create a safe corridor between existing REGUA land and land owned by REGUA partner Carlos Lemgruber (the 'Matumbo Gap'). So far the sale of eight of these plots has been completed, and it is hoped that the remaining four will be finalised over the next few weeks. Determining the boundaries and the land ownership for each of the plots has been extremely difficult and time consuming, and many of the plots have multiple family members which make negotiations lengthy and complex. However this is a critical block of land in an area that is facing increased urbanisation and hunting pressure.
10 May 2008:
New bird for Rio State sighted at REGUA
When our local bird guides are not busy guiding guests they are out in the forest looking for birds and other wildlife. Last week our guide Adilei took several photos of a mystery bird he found near our Guapi Assu Bird Lodge. Unsure of its identity, several leading ornithologists were consulted and the bird has now been positively identified as a Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata. Ricardo Gagliardi, who keeps the Rio State list, confirms that this is not only a new bird for REGUA, but also the first ever sighting of this species for the state! Well done Adilei for finding and photographing this exciting bird.
8 May 2008:
38,000 trees now planted at REGUA
Our tree planting season runs from December to March and is timed to coincide with our wet season (which occurs in our summer months). Planting for the 2007/08 season has just come to an end, and with generous funding from the World Land Trust we have been able to plant an amazing 20,000 trees. This brings the total number of trees that have now been planted at REGUA to 38,000! As with previous years, many of the trees have been planted around the wetland but this year we have planted much of the large grassy hill opposite the lodge. Not only will this greatly enhance the already spectacular view from the lodge, but it is hoped that the trees will slowly attract more forest birds to the area. Watering on this scale is never an easy task and thankfully the recent wet weather has helped to get the trees off to a good start. More on this will follow in the next REGUA newsletter.
8 December 2007:
REGUA in the Telegraph
In August 2007, Peter Hughes from the British newspaper the Telegraph visited REGUA to find out more about the project and to see for himself all the hard work we are doing. To read the article Reassembling Eden click here.
18 October 2007:
REGUA in the Times
Simon Barnes from the Times and John Burton from the World Land Trust visited REGUA to report on something positive happening to rainforest. To read the article Good news from the forest by Simon Barnes click here.