Reintroducing the Scarlet Macaw to Pico Bonito National Park using Ecological Engineering Practices

1
Reintroducing the Scarlet Macaw to Pico Bonito
National Park using Ecological Engineering
Practices ERE 496 Ecological Engineering in the
Tropics Maggie Saia and Dr. Ted Endreny State
University of New York College of Environmental
Science Forestry
Figure 1 Honduran Flag
Figure 2 Fito Steiner dreaming of one day seeing
wild scarlet macaws flying in Pico Bonito again.
The Scarlet Macaw and Honduras The scarlet macaw
(Ara macao) is the national bird of Honduras.
Unfortunately, this majestic bird is endangered,
and quickly on its way to completely disappearing
from this Central American country. The macaw
played an important role in Honduran history,
being a bird that was much respected by the Mayan
Pico Bonito National Park Pico Bonito National
park is located on the north coast of Honduras,
and is a part of the Nombre de Dios mountain
range. It consists of a large area made up of
tropical, cloud, and mangrove forests. The park
is managed by the Pico Bonito National Park
Foundation (FUPNAPIB) whose goal is to guard the
park for the protection, conservation, and
appropriate use of natural resources. At one time
the scarlet macaw could be seeing flying among
these forests, but that is no longer the case.
civilization. Hundreds of years ago macaws could
be spotted flying in many parts of Honduras, but
today there are a variety of threats posed to
this species. Scarlet macaws are captured from
the wild, and are then sold in the black market,
often for up to 650, as a part of a fast growing
pet trade industry. Another concern is the vast
amount of habitat destruction. Local farmers
often start fires to clear the land to use for
agriculture. Scarlet macaws need a large
territory, and by burning the forests there is no
longer any place for the macaws to return to.
Figure 5 Children feeding the scarlet macaws at
the Mayan Ruins in Copan, Honduras
Figure 6 A view of Pico Bonito National Park
taken from the mangrove forests of the Cuero y
Salado Wildlife Refuge
Figure 3 a statue of a macaw head found in the
Mayan Ruins in Copan, Honduras.

• Ecological Engineering and Scarlet Macaws
• Ecological engineering is the practice of
  sustainable ecosystem design that emphasizes
  interconnecting human society and the natural
  environment in a manner that is most beneficial
  to both. In order to achieve this, the following
  principles are kept in mind
• Biodiversity should be championed to maintain an
  ecosystems self-design capacity.
• Ecosystems and species are most vulnerable at
  their geographic edges.
• Using these principles for guidance, and the help
  of FUPNAPIB, a bird sanctuary would be created in
  Pico Bonito National Park (PBNP). This sanctuary,
  a replica of the Macaw Mountain Bird Nature
  Park of Copan, Honduras, would serve as an
  education and macaw rehabilitation center.
  Modeling studies in Peru that have successfully
  hand raised and released scarlet macaws to the
  wild, they would once again be restored to this
  region. The education center would be vital to
  the survival of the macaws as the local people
  would need to play a role in protecting their
  habitat, as well as, preventing capture for the
  pet trade along the edges of PBNP. Ideally,
  educating and engaging the public in the
  involvement of the scarlet macaw rehabilitation
  will provide incentive to protect this species.
  Additionally, the sanctuary will provide another
  source of ecotourism, and therefore income for
  the area.

Figure 7 Scarlet Macaw at the Mayan Ruins in
Copan, Honduras
References Brightsmith, Donald. Macaw
Reproduction and Management in Tambopata, Peru
III Survival and Reproduction of Hand Raised
Macaws. Rainforest Expeditions and Duke
University. Nov. 2000. 6 May 2007
lthttp//www.duke.edu/djb4/Chico20report20TRC20
III.htmgt. Mitsch, W.J. and S.E. Jorgensen.
Ecological Engineering Ecosystem Restoration,
Wiley Publishing. 2004. Scarlet Macaw Project.
Macaw Mountain. 2004. 4 May 2007
lthttp//www.macawmountain.com/scarlet_macaw.htmgt.
The Park. Pico Bonitio National Park. 2005.
FUPNAPIB. 5 May 2007 lthttp//www.picobonito.org/in
dex.php?id178gt. Trivedi, Bijal P. Poachers and
Fires Menace Endangered Parrots. National
Geographic News. 9 Jun. 2003. Nationalgeographic.c
om. 5 May 2007lthttp//news.nationalgeographi
c.com/news/2003/06/0609_030609_tvmacaw.htmlgt.
Figure 4 A design flow diagram illustrating the
relationship between the local people, the
tropical rainforest of Pico Bonito National Park,
the Pico Bonito National Park Foundation
(FUPNAPIB), and scarlet macaws.