How do you create a comprehensive bird guide for the Pacto-Amagusa-Mashpi ecoregion?
With a team of motivated individuals working together to make a difference!
Building on Past Success
Last year, Sergio learned firsthand that crowdfunding works. Birders from around the world donated to help him and his wife, Doris, conserve the land they had long-stewarded but never owned. Donors helped raise $40,000 in a few short months.
That campaign led to an additional $40,000 donation from Conserva Aves and the American Bird Conservancy, organizations that rely on donations from individuals like you and me.
Small dollar donations have made a huge difference in the lives of Sergio and Doris.
Sergio’s Dream: A Comprehensive Bird Guide for Mashpi-Amagusa
Today, Sergio is solving a new problem. On top of protecting land, he wants to create a field guide for bird identification.
Ecuador is home to over 1,600 species of birds. Therefore, regional field guides are very helpful. For Mashpi-Amagusa and the surrounding area, a regional guide is a daunting project since it would need to include approximately 400 species of birds.
Sergio knows that a physical guide book would encourage residents to learn more about the biodiversity of their home in the Chocó-Andino Biosphere, the Pacto-Amagusa-Mashpi corridor. It would also be a great tool for birdwatchers visiting the region. But Sergio is not a photographer or an artist. He is a dreamer.
Fortunately, Sergio isn’t in this alone in making this dream come true.
Antonio Jaramillo: The Visionary Photographer
Let me introduce you to Antonio Jaramillo, a professional photographer and birding guide. His work over the past decade is a testament to his love for nature and the wild scenery of his home, Ecuador. With his camera, Antonio brings Ecuador’s amazing variety of birds to life. That’s why when Sergio came up with the idea for a book, he approached his good friend, “Tony” with the idea that they work together.
Antonio’s passion is essential for this kind of work. It is about more than creating a useful field guild that will become an invaluable resource. He must balance bird identification with the artistic flair wildlife photographers love bringing to their work. Also, he has the patience to edit hundreds of photos and design the book itself. This is truly a labor of love. While the fundraiser helps defray costs, Antonio has volunteered much time to this project.
Designing a Field Guide for Bird Identification
Creating the Pacto-Amagusa-Mashpi Bird Guide involves a detailed and organized schedule. The process begins with extensive fieldwork, where experts like Sergio and other professional birdwatching guides document bird species throughout the Pacto-Amagusa-Mashpi corridor.
Once the team knows where the birds are, Antonio schedules his visits to photograph the birds, planning for optimal light, while taking into account the species’ behaviors. This phase is meticulous, often requiring early mornings and late evenings to capture birds in their natural habitats.
Under normal circumstances, compiling all the photography and working with an editor and graphic artist for book publication is standard. However, in Ecuador, where publishing can be costly, reducing expenses is crucial. The more tasks the photographer can handle independently, the lower the final costs of the book. This approach helps manage the budget more effectively, making the publication process more affordable. This also means Antonio has started to edit and design while still having some fieldwork to complete.
Once the guide is finalized, it will move into the production stage, where it will be printed and prepared for distribution. The final step involves sharing the guide to local communities and offering some books for sale at birdwatching hotspots in the region.
Enter the Extranjeros
While Sergio, Doris and Antonio have done most of the hard work, they found themselves short on cash. You cannot publish a book in Ecuador without paying the publisher upfront. This is a true labor of love.
This identification guide is a gift for local children and young adults ready to learn more about protecting the incredible diversity of bird species in their area. It may encourage some of them to become birdwatchers. It may even inspire the next generation of birdwatching guides and eco-tourism operators. This book is an investment in the economic future of the region.
Can you tell that I am more than a little passionate about this?
When Sergio called to ask if I would advise on this crowdfunding campaign, I jumped at the chance. My payment for working on this project is not cash. My business logo and name will appear on the final product with a description of what we do at Not Your Average American, LLC – connect North and South Americans through storytelling and tourism. We will become proud sponsors of the Pacto-Mashpi-Amagusa Bird Guide.
This left us needing one more essential person – someone to host the GoFundMe campaign. Let me introduce you to Chauncey.
Chauncey Willburn: The Dedicated Volunteer
Chauncey fell in love with Mashpi Amagusa while volunteering for several weeks teaching English to a small group of guides and the Basantes-Villalba family. He was blown away by the native flora and fauna:
When I volunteered to teach English here in Mashpi Amagusa, I did not know what to expect. The immensity of the landscape, the foliage with its seemingly infinite shades of green, the orchestra of animals whistling and chanting their complex melodies day and night—this place is like nothing else. And did I mention the birds of every color, shape, and size? There are so many different species that if you saw only one a day, you would be here for over a year! Fortunately though for the guests of Mashpi, in a couple hour stroll you can easily see over a hundred distinct types of hummingbirds, tanagers, woodpeckers, toucans, parrots, etc. The scale of biodiversity in this region is almost inconceivable.
During this time, he experienced firsthand the renowned Mashpi-Amagusa experience, including Sergio and Doris’ warm hospitality and their dedication to protecting this biodiversity for future generations.
When Chauncey heard that Sergio needed a host for a GoFundMe campaign, he didn’t think twice. In his words:
Birdwatching, and ecotourism in general, is an amazing opportunity for humans from across the world to appreciate all that this amazing planet has to offer. And who better to guide these travelers than the people who have grown up and lived here all their lives? That is why this guidebook will prove to be such an invaluable resource for all the young, aspiring guides that I have come to know.
Join the Team
Would you like to join our team? We have official and unofficial roles to offer.
Officially, you can become a sponsor. If you own a birdwatching business, a travel business, a hotel or an eco-lodge in the region, this could be an excellent way to show your support for the circular economy of the Choco-Andino.
Officially, you can become a fundraiser. GoFundMe allows us to add team members. While the amount you fundraise on this campaign is private, you can track the donations you bring to the campaign and thank your friends and family for their contributions. This is also another way that birdwatching business might like to be involved.
Unofficially, you can blog about this campaign, you can write about it in Facebook groups, and share it on WhatsApp. Make a reel for Instagram and tag us in it! Whatever it is you like to do, do it! That is often the best way to help.
Without volunteers like you spreading the word, crowdfunding fails. The best way forward is word of mouth from the people who believe in the campaign. Are you a believer? Then join us!
