For our June Lunch & Learn, we are excited to welcome Kenneth Acuña Vargas and Randall A. Montoya Solano who will be speaking about the Ecovida Hawkwatch in Costa Rica.
The Ecovida Hawkwatch, located in the lowlands of the tropical rainforest in northern Costa Rica at Refugio Lapa Verde, has been studying raptor migration since 2022. Join us to learn how we carry out the monitoring from our stunning observation tower, as well as the seasonality, species, and numbers of raptors we record each season. We’ll also explore how a local community turned raptor migration into a celebration—focused on education, conservation, and culture around birds —and created Costa Rica’s first international raptor festival, with the support of partner organizations beyond our borders.
Kenneth Acuña Vargas is a Tropical Biologist with a focus on ecology and sustainable development. He currently has 8 years of experience studying birds and 3 years working with raptors. In 2023, he began his journey as a volunteer at Ecovida Hawkwatch, and in 2024, he became the project’s field coordinator.
Randall A. Montoya Solano is a Conservation Biologist working through community engagement and participatory science. He was part of the founding team of Ecovida Hawkwatch as the volunteer coordinator. Currently he serves as the Festival Coordinator of Alas Viajeras, Costa Rica’s International Migratory Raptor Festival.
This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website,
hawkmigration.org, following the event.
We hope to see you there!
