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The Rainforest Restoration Foundation had a fundraiser this weekend at the Tulsa Zoo to help out with the monitoring of the Scarlet Macaws, which is an ongoing project here in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Roni Martinez is the main Belizean contact. Thanks, Roni!
"The Rainforest Restoration Foundation, a Tulsa-based conservation NGO, is supporting a local initiative to monitor Scarlet Macaw nesting sites in Belize and deter poachers from stealing macaw chicks. The monitoring program was led by Ronaldi 'Roni' Martinez. Roni lives in the nearest village, San Antonio. He works as the Conservation Officer for Blancaneaux Lodge, the premier ecotourism resort in the Maya Mountains of Belize. His son shares his love of birds and Roni wants to make sure that scarlet macaws are around for his children’s children to admire. Roni hired men from his village and trained them with help from Charles Britt, a wildlife biologist from New Mexico who studies scarlet macaws in the area. These trained field workers paddle inflatable kayaks up the Chalillo Dam reservoir and into the Macal and Raspaculo rivers which flow into it. They record Scarlet Macaws sightings and look for nesting trees. They also search for camps used by wildlife poachers and report those to law enforcement authorities. They have digital cameras, GPS receivers and a satellite telephone so they can report precise information immediately."
