Help put binoculars in the hands of kids in southwestern Nicaragua through Paso Pacifico's Binoculars for Slingshots program.
Why
binoculars in exchange for slingshots you ask?
You see, one of the many amazing
things about Nicaragua is its abundant biodiversity. The diversity of bird
species is particularly rich in a small region called the Paso del Istmo in
southwestern Nicaragua. The personality-rich yellow-naped Amazon parrot and the
colorful painted bunting are two iconic species in the region. However these birds,
and many other avian species are threatened daily by slingshots. Yes, slingshots! Unfortunately, it is common for local youth in rural areas to shoot birds with slingshots for sport.
In order to try and deter this
destructive pastime, we launched a pilot program in late 2011 called Binoculars for Slingshots in which we exchanged
over 200 slingshots for shiny new binoculars as part of a larger environmental education program.
Paso Pacifico wants to educate the next generation of eco-stewards and put more binoculars in the hands of more
kids, but we need your help.
We have partnered with a
fantastic group called Optics for the Tropics who is giving us a substantial
discount on the price of the binoculars, but taking this equipment through
customs and into Nicaragua is pricey. The total cost of one pair of quality binoculars
that can withstand the somewhat harsh tropical conditions costs $100.
Any amount you can give will
contribute greatly toward our goal of purchasing 100 binoculars for the kids.
Please partner with us to get
binoculars in the hands of these kids and join us as we foster in a new
generation of bird lovers!
Paso Pacifico is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded
in 2005. Our mission is to restore and conserve the natural ecosystems of
Central America’s Pacific slope by collaborating with landowners, local
communities and involved organizations to promote ecosystem conservation.
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We'd like to thank
Optics for the Tropics for providing matching funds to enable us to buy these binoculars. Other partners and donors to our bird education and bird monitoring program include Loro Parque Fundacion, Sea World Busch Gardens, and USFS-International Institute for Tropical Forestry.
Please help us leverage these great contributions by backing this project today!