Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas

ABC and Mitsubishi have teamed up to support the conservation of one of the most important sites in the Americas for migratory shorebirds: the Bahía Santa María wetlands on the Pacific coast of Sinaloa, Mexico. Bahía Santa María is a key site within Marismas Nacionals, an area identified by the Mexico Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) as one of five top priority sites for conservation action in Mexico. One quarter of the global population of the Western Sandpiper winters there, along with thousands of Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, and Marbled Godwits. In addition, the area supports many species of wintering waterfowl, including significant numbers of the Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and Green-winged Teal. A new reserve: Reserva Aves Playeras de Mitsubishi (the Mitsubishi Shorebird Reserve) has been founded with Mitsubishi’s help that protects more than 8,000 acres of coastal wetlands.

Least Sandpiper. Photo: USFWS

Mitsubishi’s support was also matched by a grant made under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to restore a further 7,000 acres, and a proposal has also been submitted to the Mexican government to create a much larger protected area in the region, encompassing some 173,000 acres. The project is being managed by ABC’s partner group in northwest Mexico, Pronatura Noroeste. In addition to the land purchase, Pronatura have involved 3,500 local school children in a conservation education effort to help build long-term support for the reserve.