CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The critically endangered Ridgway?s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is one of the most endangered raptors in the world with a global population of around 400-500 individuals. Itis endemic to Hispaniola, but is currently restricted to Los Haitises National Park(LHNP), its only known breeding stronghold, and, more recently, Punta Cana ? the site of our current restoration efforts. The hawk faces many natural and anthropogenic threats, including human persecution of adult birds, mainly from fear that hawks will predate on domestic fowl, and capture of raptors and other birds (i.e. endemic parrots and crows) to be kept in cages as personal ?pets? or to be sold. In fact, we know one community member living near Los Haitises National Park who claims to have killed more than 100 Ridgway?s Hawks in his lifetime. We began working with this species in 2002 and began our reintroduction effort in Punta Cana in 2009. However, after several reintroduced hawks were found shot in communities around the Punta Cana release site, we began an intensive education program in 2013 in 12 communities. Since that time, we have reached more than 7,500 individuals and have already seen a positive change in people?s attitudes and actions toward the hawks. Through our work, we have shown that environmental education, local capacity development, and community engagement have all helped mitigate anthropogenic threats. In fact, the individual who had killed so many hawks in the past worked on our project for a number of years and then went on to work as a tourism guide ? helping to protect the very hawks and other wildlife he once played a hand in destroying.A successful education program involves more than simply giving presentations and passing out posters. In order to change behavior, it is necessary to understand why that behavior is occurring, to provide information to allow individuals to make informed decisions, and to provide communities with the resources to act on those decisions. Through formal and informal surveys, we understand that people shoot and/or capture Ridgway?s Hawks and other raptors 1) because raptors will predate on domestic fowl, 2) out of ignorance, 3) to hold in captivity for personal ?enjoyment? or to sell, 4) out of curiosity and, more rarely, 5) for human consumption. This information has enabled us to target specific concerns and to address issues in a way that is effective and culturally appropriate. Specifically, we have utilized these results to design our activities and educational materials (posters, booklets, brochures, etc.) that focus on the ecology of raptors, their importance to a balanced ecosystem, and how they benefit the human community. Specific actions include teacher and youth training workshops, celebration of Ridgway?s Hawk Day, Community/school presentations, the hiring and training of local community members and the building and free distribution of chicken coop to mitigate human/raptor conflicts.