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Capacity building and community outreach

Capacity building for bird research in Guatemala
Research team in a cloud forest in the highlands of Guatemala.

We involve local farmers in most ornithological field studies in Guatemala. To prepare the assistants for field research, which is different from their every-day lives as farmers working in their corn, bean, or potato fields, on coffee and cardamom plantations, or in sheep and cattle ranging, we teach them new skills. They learn how to identify birds by sight and by sound, how to study behaviors in the field, and how to write down observations.

Team participating in our studies on Azure-rumped Tanager.
Part of the team participating in our studies on Azure-rumped Tanager.

Teaching local farmers skills for studying birds and employing them during in our research, does not just create income for them during our research, which is timely limited. The new skills enable them also to obtain other jobs. Several of the farmers who have learned their skills with us have obtained jobs in private and government institutions working for nature conservation and rural development, and as local birding guides for visiting tourists. By making observing and studying birds a part of the farmer's lives, we help to raise the environmental awareness among the Guatemalan society. Many of them pass the joy of observing nature on to their children.

Capacity building for bird research in Guatemala
University student from Germany and local specialist teaming up for studying the Azure-rumped Tanager.

We publish the results of our research on three levels: (1) in scientific journals, (2) in popular-scientific journals and magazines, (3) in situ through presentations, posters, local bird checklists, and workshops. We help to promote birding sites by producing local bird checklists, brochures, and posters.

Local bird checklists
We compile local bird checklists.

Photographs from our community outreach

Census takers in the cloud forest of the Sacranix mountain range.
Census takers in the cloud forest of the Sacranix mountain range.
Listening to local bird recording to improve knowledge of bird vocalization.
Listening to local bird recording to improve knowledge of bird vocalization.
Guide training at Siete Orejas volcano in Quetzaltenango.
Guide training at Siete Orejas volcano in Quetzaltenango.
Guide training at Tacaná volcano in Sibinal, San Marcos.
Guide training at Tacaná volcano in Sibinal, San Marcos.
Slide show about birds of Montaña Sacranix.
Slide show about birds, bird monitoring, and birding tourism in the community of Samac, Sierra Sacranix, in August 2006. More than 140 persons assisted, 90 of them were women.
Slide show about birds of Parque Nacional Laguna Lachuá
Slide show about bird conservation, given to forest rangers of the Laguna Lachua National Park, March 2007.
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