Raptors of the Caribbean Education and Conservation Resources
Introduction to raptors, their biology, and the importance they play in the ecosystem, followed by some fun, hands-on educational activities that participants can recreate in their own communities.
Facilitated by Marta Curi and Gabriela Díaz, The Peregrine Fund.
Emails: mcurti@peregrinefund.org, diaz.gabriela@peregrinefund.org
Purpose: Raptors, in general, are not very well known, even among ornithologists. This session will provide participants with an introduction to raptors, their biology, and the importance they play in the ecosystem. We will then introduce some fun, hands-on educational activities that participants can recreate in their own communities.
Overview: Birds of prey are found throughout the majority of habitats found in the Caribbean - "from mangroves to mountains". Raptors, as top predators, play key roles in maintaining the balance in the ecosystems in which they live. Since raptors are the only native, terrestrial top predators in the Caribbean, their role is of even more vital importance in maintaining balanced ecosystems in the region.
Objectives: Participants will:
Learn to distinguish a bird of prey from other bird groups
Understand and explain why raptors are important for ecosystem health
Gain the skills and knowledge and hands-on experience to carry out environmental education activities in their communities
Session Structure: Workshop will run on July 17th. Workshop leaders will give an introductory presentation on raptors, then participants will do a hands-on activity building life-sized raptors from recycled materials, and finally, they will use the accompanying education guide to design and present an activity of their own design to the rest of the group.