Community Project
**Trills of Colorful Birds** was a two-part community project. On one hand, a bird recognition and drawing workshop was developed with high school students from COBAO in Río Grande. The students were invited to reflect on the birds native to the region and their importance within the coastal ecosystem of Oaxaca. Through several drawing sessions and wanderings through the gardens of Casa Wabi, the teenagers were encouraged to explore the grounds with the expectation of engaging in birdwatching sessions, accompanied by two professionals in the field. They were then asked to translate their observations into visual representations based on what they perceived during the morning walks.
On the other hand, I sought out a local ornithologist and spent time with a group of specialists in the field to gain a more accurate understanding of the local fauna. With the support of Lalo Escamilla, a resident of Manialtepec and a federally certified bird guide, I conducted two birdwatching sessions—one at the Las Negras Mixtepec Lagoon and another in the beach area—as well as multiple visits to the gardens within and surrounding the Wabi property. As a result of these birdwatching and listening sessions, an index of resident bird species in the area was created, listing not only the scientific names of each bird but also the onomatopoeic transcription of their calls for easier identification.
On the other hand, I sought out a local ornithologist and spent time with a group of specialists in the field to gain a more accurate understanding of the local fauna. With the support of Lalo Escamilla, a resident of Manialtepec and a federally certified bird guide, I conducted two birdwatching sessions—one at the Las Negras Mixtepec Lagoon and another in the beach area—as well as multiple visits to the gardens within and surrounding the Wabi property. As a result of these birdwatching and listening sessions, an index of resident bird species in the area was created, listing not only the scientific names of each bird but also the onomatopoeic transcription of their calls for easier identification.
