by Ian Hartzler

Many of the warblers, vireos and thrushes known in Texas, when winter comes, feed on tropical insects and berries among tangled vines and large, colorful epiphytes. Some winter in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, two hours south of Cancun on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Thanks to the partnership of Houston Audubon and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO) with Amigos de Sian Ka'an, conservation at the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is being furthered.

 The ongoing partnership between Houston Audubon and the GCBO was born with the establishment of the latter in 1992 as a joint initiative of Houston Audubon and The Nature Conservancy of Texas. The GCBO was formed to address the threat of destructive coastal development and to protect stopover habitat for migratory birds in Southeast Texas. After initial conservation successes at High Island, its mission was expanded to include birds and habitats of the entire Gulf of Mexico region.

With its central position between the Americas, the Gulf of Mexico is a natural obstacle faced by millions of migratory birds that must either cross or go around it each spring and fall as they travel between their breeding and wintering gounds. The habitats surrounding the Gulf are used by over 800 bird species, about 300 of which are nearctic-neotropical migrants that rely on these habitats to rest and refuel enroute.

The Gulf region is shared by the United States, Mexico and Cuba. The GCBO's network currently includes 34 partners throughout this area, responsible for over 5.7 million acres of coastal habitat. The "Gulf Crossings" project was designed to assist these partners in conservation efforts and to encourage cooperation among them. Accomplishments so far include restoration of a coastal prairie in Texas, private lands conservation efforts in Yucatan and compilation of site data. A new way in which "Gulf Crossings" is encouraging cooperation is through a Sister-site Partnership Program. Sister-site partnerships are mutually beneficial relationships between two sites with commonly shared features. Each sister-site benefits from the other's experiences and resources.

 During the spring of 2000, the HAS Board decided to partner with Amigos de Sian Ka'an at the suggestion of the GCBO. To kick off the partnership, Houston Audubon decided to provide funding for conservation projects at Sian Ka'an with money designated for protection of neotropical migrants. These funds are being used to carry out guide training workshops in local communities and to construct a modest visitor center. So far this year, nine training workshops have taken place in the Sian Ka'an associated communities of Chunyaxche, Punta Allen and Xcalak. Workshops train community members in bird identification and appreciation, the use of binoculars and field guides and the skills and responsibilities of an ecotour guide. Participants learn how to care for binoculars, avoid negatively impacting birds and habitats, pronouce names of birds in English and identify species that are endemic or most sought after by visiting birders. The workshops have been such a success that some participants have begun birdwatching for pleasure. The visitor center is being built along a nature trail in the Maya archeological area near the indigenous forest community of Chunyaxche. It will be a simple and practical structure to serve as an environmental education facility, as well as a station for staff and scientists at Sian Ka'an.