Willamette-Laja Twinning Partnership

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Aves Compartidas Program: Youth Migratory Bird Education and Cultural Exchange

Our pilot program for shared youth migratory bird education began in 2018-2019 school year with 4 participating elementary schools. In 2019-2020 our school numbers have over doubled to 9. We currently base our work on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdSleuth International curriculum and integrate additional local migratory bird curriculums in the Laja and Willamette with a special focus on Audubon de Mexico’s curriculum. In year 2 we are directly engaging over 600 youth focusing on grades 3rd-5th, and over 20 teachers. In June 2019, 4 Willamette elementary teachers participated in a learning and outreach exchange in the Laja. More on the exchange can be found in this blog post.

Our youth program is experiencing great demand for expansion into additional schools, but growth will require support from our communities. Please see here for a local highlight of our youth program. Learn more about the Aves Compartidas Program.

Restoration Practitioner Exchange

The Willamette-Laja Twinning Partnership is built on the original foundation of peer-to-peer learning and relationship building at the restoration practitioner level. Our first major exchange of Willamette practitioners visiting the Laja occurred in 2016 and included strategic planning and relationship building that is necessary to maintain long-term commitment to the partnership. Our second exchange in 2017 with several Laja practitioners and educators built upon the 2016 exchange in that we dove into specific program alignment, namely shared migratory bird species and our urgency for youth environmental education and cultural connections between communities. Our bi-national team of watershed restoration experts continue to communicate and host exchanges. Several exchanges have been held at regional and international conferences, and individual practitioners visit twinning basins for continued learning and mentorship. We invite you to review this insightful story from Kelly House, Willamette River Initiative, related to our 2017 restoration practitioner exchange.

University Exchange

In spring 2018 the twinning partners implemented the first ever Laja university student exchange with Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Irapuato, or ITESI. The ITESI students were funded by the Mexican government for their individual flights to the US, and Willamette partners hosted them a 3 month period at workshops, project sites, and in schools working with youth. The 2018 exchange was largely made possible by a private donor who contributed lodging and food extensive partner engagement, resources and volunteer capacity across the Willamette and in the Laja. We are in conversation with ITESI University and partners to evaluate the potential for 2020 cross-border university student exchanges. For more, please check out this Nature Resource Conservation Service feature here.

Birding Community Exchange

Our first ever “birder exchange” occurred in January 2019 with dedicated, self-funded participants from the Willamette visiting our partners in the Laja for bird observation, field tours, and networking within the community with groups like the Audubon Society of Mexico. This is a unique program the Twinning Partnership wishes to grow into the future with our Audubon partners and bird enthusiasts in the Laja and the Willamette. We are seeking champions to help us grow this effort and help organize mutual exchanges.