For those of us working on the Ridgway's Hawk Conservation Project in Dominican Republic, 25 May is a very important date. On this day, in 2013, the first wild Ridgway's Hawk chick hatched in the area of Punta Cana - where we have been conducting releases of this species since 2009. This also marked the first time a Ridgway's Hawk had hatched outside of Los Haitises National Park - the last known stronghold for the species - in nobody really knows how long. For us it was a huge milestone and gave us great hope for the success of our project.
As a result, we declared 25 May as Ridgway's Hawk Day in Dominican Republic. While we are waiting for it to be made official by the Dominican government, we continue to celebrate this day with fun activities around the country. This year, we held three celebrations. The first one we held in conjunction with the National Zoo (ZOODOM) and Fundacion Propagas - two of our local partners. School children from Santo Domingo were treated to a close-up view of a live Ridgway's Hawk at the zoo. They also participated in an art project, and received a raptor mask at the end of their visit.
The following week, with the help of Fundacion Grupo Puntacana - another important partner, we hosted two more celebrations on 1 and 2 June. Around 86 children, over two days, visited the Ridgway's Hawk release site in Punta Cana. They got to see young hawks fairly close up and Brian, one of our volunteers, helped explain about the release process and the importance of protecting the species and its habitat. Participants learned how to use binoculars and did some birding in forests and lagoons. They also created beautiful art focused on Ridgway's Hawks, nature, and other wildlife seen during their visit. We then headed down to a nearby beach where students played games to learn about the importance of a balanced ecosystem - both on land and in the sea. They were also treated to a wonderful dance performance by our volunteer, Greg, who was in full Ridgway's Hawk costume!
These activities were made possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers and staff, and a generous grant from Birds Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and Ademi Bank.
