Urban Bird Studies Flies to Puerto Rico

ASPIRA de Puerto Rico has been instrumental in disseminating Urban Bird Studies projects throughout Puerto Rico. ASPIRA is a national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. ASPIRA takes its name from the Spanish verb aspirar, “to aspire.”

Noemí Deliz, who traveled to the Lab for several invigorating days of birding and training, has taught dozens of teachers and youth leaders, from San Juan to Lares, how to include bird study in their regular programming. Beginning last spring, “Aspirantes”—the youth who will become educated, committed leaders for the community?s future benefit—became citizen scientists by participating in Urban Bird Studies projects and related activities.

Students in Puerto Rico measure out transects to conduct Birds in the City. Photo by Noemí Deliz

“Aspirantes” have participated in the projects in schools, camps, and churches to learn about birds, urban habitats, and scientific methods. During two or three days of intensive study, they conducted Birds in the City transects and incorporated lessons on endemic birds (especially the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot), and got a hands-on look at a Tórtola Rabilarga (Mourning Dove). They also learned about neighborhood action (involving, learning from, and educating neighbors), geography (locating the different cardinal points based on the location of the sun), bird identification, and bird biology. Many of the groups used computers to navigate the Urban Bird Studies web site, learn about endemic birds, and participate in a chat room during “Celebrate Urban Birds!” (see BirdScope, Autumn 2004).

As of November, teachers across Puerto Rico have adopted Urban Bird Studies projects for use in their science classrooms and after-school activities.

—Melinda LaBranche, project leader, and Karen Purcell, project assistant, Urban Bird Studies

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu