Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) invites the public to join a bird watching walk this coming Saturday May 18th, at Happy Bay to celebrate the 12th annual regional Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. The walk will be led by knowledgeable guides Ronald Pieters and Mark Yokoyama, author of The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin. Participants will meet in the parking lot of the post office in Grand Case at 9 a.m.
The 2013 Caribbean Endemic Bird festival CEBF theme is "Life Cycles of Birds" and focuses on increasing awareness of the diversity of birds and their life cycles, as well as the urgent need for conservation. Natalia Collier, President of EPIC explained "It is important that we protect not just nesting areas, but also feeding and resting areas as well as flight paths, covering all bird life cycles."
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival runs annually from Earth Day 22 April through to International Biodiversity Day on 22 May. The festival is sponsored by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation within the Caribbean. The festival is the largest and oldest established grass-roots wildlife education program in the Caribbean. More than 100,000 Caribbean students and teachers are expected to participate in this year's festivities through-out the Caribbean.
Every year it gets harder and harder for birds to survive. For birds that use more than one habitat type or geographical area, the loss or disturbance of even one step in the chain of habitats that they use during their life cycle can lead to death or nesting failure.
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival promotes a wide range of activities to bring people to birds and their habitats and increase support for conservation.
Students and teachers interested in developing activities for CEBF should contact EPIC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.facebook.com/epicislands for more information, materials and suggestions.
