Voices of the Punta Banda Estuary: Workshop #1

On Saturday, December 6, the first Voices of Punta Banda Estuary workshop was held in the Pabloff Salon at Campo La Joya, thanks to La Sociedad de Amigos, who kindly provided the room for this event. The workshop was open to anyone interested in the estuary, and brought together residents and community allies together to discuss and reflect on the past and present of this wetland.

Laura Ibarra, doctoral student at UABC and Punta Banda Conservation Alliance member, giving instructions on the workshop exercise.

This was the first of two workshops planned by Laura Ibarra, a member of the Punta Banda Conservation Alliance steering committee and PhD student at UABC. This project is part of Laura’s doctoral research, the central theme of which is the conservation and protection of shorebird habitat in the face of sea level rise at the Punta Banda Estuary.

Laura used a methodology referred to as Rivers of Life to help participants document changes to the estuary and its surrounding area over time. This methodology is a visual, metaphor-based tool using a river to identify key events, their influences (tributaries), challenges (rapids/rocks), and goals (future flow), to foster reflection and shared understanding in community research. Participants revisited their memories to identify actions, changes, and events that have impacted (for better or worse) the estuary over time. At each work table, participant shared memories, experiences, and reflections on the past and present, and there was even a little time to talk about the future people wanted for the estuary, recognizing it as a living territory that connects nature with the community. This space allowed for the strengthening of community ties and the addition of diverse voices to local conservation efforts.

Places

Participants identifying key areas of interest

Timeflow

Participants creating their “river of life” representation

The second workshop is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m. in the Pabloff Salon. In that session, the results of the first workshop will be presented, and there will be a discussion about the future vision for the estuary and the actions we can take to make the area resilient and sustainable in the face of future environmental conditions. It is not necessary to have attended the first workshop to participate in the second.

Participants at Workshop #1. We hope to see you at Workshop #2 on January 10!