My name is Daniela Ventura, I am a budding Cuban ornithologist and conservationist, working in the Bird Ecology Group at the University of Havana.

This is my first fundraising campaign ever, and I am thrilled that I am doing so (and learning in the process) to help BirdsCaribbean's mission. This organization has shaped my life beyond the merely professional, it has contributed with values, mentorships, and long-life friendships.

My passion for bird conservation has grown alongside my relationship with BirdsCaribbean, going back to when I was just a sophomore student at the University. The 2017 BirdsCaribbean International Conference was not only the first scientific event in my career but the one that cemented my vocation. There, I found that bird research and educational outreach are the tipping points of my life.

I have been extremely fortunate to attend three international workshops this 2022, and I couldn't have done so without BirdCaribbean's support covering my travel/attendance fees. Two of them were centered on the topic of bird banding, my life's leading passion back since that conference in 2017.

These workshops were fundamental in shaping my banding skills ranging from banding ethics to station administration. Thanks to the training, I fulfilled my dream of becoming an NABC Bander, which allows me to set new stepping points in my career. 

My upcoming endeavors are to: run my own banding station in Cuba and contributing to the training of the next generation of Cuban and Caribbean banders and ornithologists.

The Caribbean region is home to more than 700 species of birds, but most of them remain understudied. Bird banding can close some of those gaps, as well as connect people with nature in the way that only holding a bird in your hand can do. But in order to achieve that we must train and build a network of Caribbean nationals that will accomplish these goals. We will end parachute science and empower locals to transform their own realities. That's why we need your donations, big or small, so BirdsCaribbean can continue changing the lives of Caribbean nationals like me, who want to build a better future for our birds and our people here, in one of the most biologically and culturally diverse regions of the world.

Thank you so much for your help!!! Together we are #ChangingLivesSavingBirds

Warmly,

Daniela.

P.S. I also wrote a blog post about my experiences at the Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop I attended earlier this year, thanks to BirdsCaribbean support. You can read it here Landbird Monitoring in the Dominican Republic!