Fundaeco's+Response

//This is an email that Leslie (Mrs. Sermos' daughter-in-law who lives in Guatemala) sent to Mrs. Sermos regarding our trip and the binoculars we donated two years ago.//

"Dear Ms. Henry,

We would like to thank you for the support that the group you represent has been able to provide us with and can provide us in the future. Your help has contributed to the management of the “Protection Reserve” at the waterfalls in the Cerro San Gil. Also I would like you to know that the binoculars donated two years ago have been of great help, since they have been used at the Ecological Trail of the Las Escobas River, in bird-observation training of young local guides in order to promote bird watching tourism which has generated eco-friendly income to the community located in that area.

In other news, our reserve has been chosen as host of a couple of bird-watching gatherings for both local and foreign enthusiast and scientists, which has motivated us to promote this type of activity not only for the income that it generates for the local community, but also because it gives us an educational outreach for the area’s conservation.

The donated equipment is also used by the biological investigation team, which has been working in this area for 16 years, monitoring resident and migrating birds, and has helped us become one of the reserves with the most complete database and with information registering the current tendencies of some of the populations within the protected area.

I have attached some pictures of the work we are doing at the reserve so you can hopefully share them with the group that helped us two years ago.

As far as any help that your group can provide in the future, we would like to manifest our interest in extending an invitation to work in one of our projects, either sponsoring or in any other way you can help, specially since last year we had to cut back on many projects due to the lack of finance. Among our most important lines of work, and in which we would appreciate all the help, whether technical or financial, we can get are: environmental education, community ecoturism, sustainable production projects (Xate, Black Pepper, handcrafts), land protection, control, order, forest management, among others.

We would like to know how we can work with you and if you are interested on sponsoring or cooperating with one of our projects, thank you and your group very much already for your interest and we hope to hear from you soon.”