Inside this edition of updates:
> EPI's newest professional development course is up and running in one of the West's most iconic landscapes.
> Hear from two local Costa Rican students about their experience in Pacuare Reserve.
> Where can you spot adorable sea lion pups this time of year? What iconic bird is settling
down to nest this month? Find out below in the wildlife updates!
PROGRAM UPDATES:
Two new educator programs underway
This month, educators will join EPI instructors in our newest NGSS Educator Training site: Colorado's picturesque Rocky Mountains. The course will be held at the historical Colorado Mountain Research Station, one of the highest-elevation ecological research stations in the world. While on course, participants will study pika, wolves, and aspen forests to better understand the impact humans are having on our environment.
EPI's first-ever professional development program in Belize just wrapped up its debut course! Some highlights of this brand new program include:
Partnerships with researchers at the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S.), where educators participate in the science and research of tropical ecosystems, including neotropical bat surveys and herpetology studies.
A drive down the Hummingbird Highway, one of the country's most scenic and beautiful roadways.
Snorkeling in the second largest barrier reef on the planet.
A triumphant return to the field
Over in Costa Rica, EPI staff were overjoyed to welcome local students back to Pacuare Reserve for the first time since the pandemic began. Check out the video below to hear from students Mia and Esteban about their experience.
WILDLIFE UPDATES:
From towering bison in Yellowstone to tiny turtle hatchlings in the Galapagos, wildlife is at the heart of our program sites across North, Central, and South America. Here’s a look at what the wildlife are up to this month around our sites:
Things are getting downright adorable in La Paz, Mexico! The end of sea lion breeding season means the area is welcoming many newborn pups into the world. During this time, females give birth to a single pup and shortly after are gathered by a dominant male into a harem, a group of females and pups that the male protects during this season. In about another month the pups will learn to swim and hunt, while also blossoming into the playful, charismatic creatures we know and love.
August in the Galapagos is like springtime in the United States – it's baby season! Adorable California sea lion and fur seal pups are born, giant tortoises lay eggs on Santa Cruz Island, and the always popular blue-footed boobies are settling down to nest.
In Costa Rica, August is the height of rainy season, a time when the rainforest truly comes to life. Much of the country’s diverse wildlife is out and about enjoying the cooler temperatures and abundance of food. By now, leatherback nesting season is coming to an end in Pacuare Reserve but green sea turtles and hawksbills will continue arriving to nest until the fall season.