BirdsCaribbean Hurricane Relief Fund
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
BirdscaribbeanProvide emergency funds to people working to restore habitat and help birds on hardest hit islands.
$86,155
raised by 435 people
$100,000 goal
Thanks to you, we did this!!!
"We did this! It was so hard, AND we did it! And, I have the birds at my feeders today because of it!"
This happy comment was made by one of our partners in the US Virgin Islands in response to our recent blog post—a report back on our "Operation Feeder Rescue" project undertaken in the weeks and months following the Fall 2017 hurricanes. Thanks to YOUR donations, this effort was a tremendous success!
As described in the post, we shipped 4,201 nectar feeders, 5 TONS of bird seed, 1,850 bottles of nectar concentrate; and 100 tube feeders. These supplies were delivered to no less than 18 islands or countries impacted by one or both hurricanes.
We estimate that over 60 species of birds were helped, including Bananaquits, hummingbirds, pigeons, doves, parrots, thrashers, grassquits, warblers, and bullfinches—many found only on one or a few Caribbean islands. 😀
As you might imagine, the logistics of organizing all these shipments were complex and time-consuming as we had to deal with multiple sea freight shippers, and endless customs forms and shipping bills of lading. It was all worthwhile though—the response to the feeder giveaway events organized by partners and volunteers on each island was heart-warming.
Antillean Crested Hummingbirds swarm a feeder in St. Martin. (photo by Mark Yokoyama)Many island residents realized for the first time how important their birds were, and learned to love them. Despite struggling with their own post-hurricane problems (no roof, for example, or lack of utilities such as electricity and water), the islanders were delighted to help their hungry birds, who flocked to the feeders and quickly emptied them. Some comments from our partners and island residents:
“I was so excited to set up the hummingbird feeder. We had hummingbirds visiting our backyard before the hurricane but had hardly seen any after. But my mom and I put our feeder up and we’ve already had six hummingbirds flying around it and feeding from it!” (student in Anguilla)
“People love them!! They’re so excited to be able to do something immediately helpful for the birds. Thank you and the group again so much for…bringing a little happiness and hope.” (partners in St. John, US Virgin Islands)
Bird Feeder giveaway in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. (photo by R. Platenberg)
“These feeders were not only beneficial to the birds but also the people that could find a little solace in the beauty of nature. In these trying times we can always turn to nature to know that everything shall pass and that we can look forward for a better future." (President, Sociedad Ornitologica Puertoriquena)
"From the ocean to the sky, the natural world was struggling to cope in the aftermath of the storms. Our pigeons and doves were largely unable to find any food and were collapsing where they stood. The bird seed was important in sustaining these birds, which are so critical to seed dispersal and thus the revival of our forests.” (Renata Platenberg, Univ. of the Virgin Islands)
Zenaida Dove, one of the many resident doves and pigeons that benefitted from the 10 tons of birds seed. (photo by Ted Eubanks)
There is no doubt that the feeders and seed provided a boost to many native birds. The supplies helped them to survive a serious food shortage. The birds, in turn, lifted people's spirits and brought them closer to nature.
A HUGE thank you to all of you who supported this effort; it would not have been possible without your generous donations. 😊
The work is NOT over, however. From habitat restoration to post-hurricane bird surveys, we have been funding a variety of exciting recovery projects across the region, such as:
In Search of the Piping Plover: A Post-Hurricane Story from the Turks and Caicos Islands
Hurricane Impacts on Bridled Quail-doves in St. Eustatius
Barbuda After Irma: A Devastated Landscape, A Proud People—and A Resilient Bird
Battered Caribbean Islands Come Together to Welcome Birds Back
We do not had enough funding to support all requests. Our Hurricane Relief Fund is still active and your donations can still fund important work. Please continue to support our work! Thanks again!!! (read the full article and see more photos at this link)
Primary school students in Barbuda prepare bird seed and nectar for the local birds (photo by John Mussington)
Volunteers in Puerto Rico ready to distribute Bird Feeders & Seed (Ponce-Puerto Rico)
Forest Ranger Eugene demonstrating to the students of the Morne Prosper Primary School how to arrange and use the bird feeders in Dominica.
Feeder giveaway event in St. Maarten.
Bamboo feeder made by the Forestry Dept in Dominica and installed at Cabarets National Park - Many hungry seed-eating birds were satisfied!
A teacher show students how to use the bird feeders donated to Roseau Primary School, Dominica.
Green Mango hummingbird at one of our donated feeders in Puerto Rico at feeder (photo by Manuel Torres)
Please help our colleagues working to protect birds and restore habitat on the islands that suffered the devastation of Irma’s catastrophic force. They desperately need your support as Hurricane Maria heads towards them.
Irma's carnage is heartbreaking. Photos and video from Cuba’s northern Cays shows thousands of flamingos that were killed outright by this intense storm. Dead fish lay amongst dead and dying flamingos whose graceful wings, legs and necks were damaged beyond repair.
In Barbuda, where almost every building was left uninhabitable, the human population has since been evacuated. Aerial footage reveals complete environmental disaster. Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon, a RAMSAR site that hosted the region’s largest colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds (approx. 2,500 pairs), was breached. We don’t know the colony’s status.
On Barbuda, satellite imagery shows us that Irma destroyed almost all the vegetation that small birds need to escape the winds. We do not know if the endemic Barbuda Warbler, a Near Threatened species has survived. Our colleagues have already returned to conduct assessments on the island but their first surveys have found no warblers nor any West Indian Whistling-Ducks!
Across the islands that took the brunt of the storm the damage is earth-shattering. Trees were uprooted or left denuded of all fruit and leaves. Riverbanks were scoured and neighborhoods left in flood-stricken shambles. Inland there are threats of landslides. Damage to mangroves, reefs, seagrass beds and beaches mean birds will lose their nesting habitat, shelter and food.
But the Caribbean people and birds are resilient and are striving to recover from Irma. You can help right now as we work to protect the birds, habitats, and island communities. We are supporting our partner organizations, stabilizing their lives and operations so people can return to the critical post-Irma conservation work. Your donation is crucial as Hurricane Maria roars through these islands.
In St Martin, the museum of our partner organization, Les Fruits de Mer has been destroyed but Board members, Jean Yerkes and Mark Yokoyama, are digging out of the rubble, feeding the birds, and already planning repairs. This, despite the fact they have lost their house and car and are collecting rainwater in a catchment system while cooking what little food they can get on an open fire pit.
Our Cuban colleagues are working to assess the status of special species of the northern Cays like the Zapata Sparrow sub-species and regionally important populations of American Flamingos and West Indian Whistling-Ducks.
We need to help these hard-working and committed partners carry on their work and replace everything lost in the hurricane— from notepads and binoculars to offices and infrastructure. We need to be financially and physically ready to support their needs as they develop their post-Irma conservation actions.
These islands have been altered for years to come, but you and I can help restore the birds, their habitats and the local communities. By acting today you can help ensure immediate needs will be met and conservation and science will guide the recovery efforts.
Please be as generous as you can and donate today.
Thank you!!!
p.s. If you would like to send a donation via check , please make it out to BirdsCaribbean and mail to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA, 01760-2076.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org