 Grupo Jaragua
Childen painted a colourful mural as part of the World Bird Festival celebrations in the Dominican Republic
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Flamingoes and terns decorate walls in Dominican Republic; farmers go birdwatching in Bolivia
13-10-2006
Reports are coming in from Latin American on the success of this year's World Bird Festival. In the Dominican Republic, mangroves, pink flaminoes and terns now decorate the walls of the Amaury Villalba Community Center, following a mural-painting workshop organised by Grupo Jaragua (Birdlife in the Dominican Republic) and the Museum of Modern Art, to celebrate the World Bird Festival.
More than 40 adults and children joined the workshop from Comunidad de Oviedo and Los Tres Charcos, communities bordering the Jaragua National Park.
“Children had fun while they enjoyed the opportunity of learning more about art and nature,” said Hector Andujar, a member of the Grupo Jaragua group that co-ordinated the event.
This is the fourth successive year that Grupo Jaragua has participated in the World Bird Festival. Laura Perdomo, Grupo Jaragua’s festival co-ordinator, says that in 2005 more than 800 people and 34 organisations took part. “We have organised some fabulous activities for this year’s World Bird Festival, and we hope that even more people will join in.”
 José Antonio Balderrama
A display on threatened native birds at a World Bird Festival event in Bolivia
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“Children had fun while they enjoyed the opportunity of learning more about art and nature,” —Hector Andujar, Grupo Jaragua
Meanwhile in Bolivia, 20 volunteers from the Biodiversity and Genetics Center at the University of San Simon put on seven simultaneous events during World Birdwatch weekend (7–8 October).
They included presentations on endemic and threatened bird species, birdwatching excusions to Mariscal Santa Cruz Aquatic Park, the Botanical Garden Martin Cardenas, the Museum of Natural History Alcide D`Orbigny, and the Central Plaza 14 de Septiembre, and a activities for the Thola Pujru and Pintumayu farming communities around Parque Nacional Tunari, an Important Bird Area.
“It was hard work, but the effort was well worth it!” said Antonio Balderrama, who co-ordinated the events.