By Mike Lu and Bayani Barcenas
April 10 – Kapihan raptor group study part 2
By popular demand, a raptor group study was conducted on the March 27 Kapihan. The exchange of information was so rich, and the discussion so detailed and engaging those two hours had passed and only two-thirds of the raptors listed in the Desmond’s bird book were covered. Hence, a Part Two was scheduled on April 10. The talk was full of identification tips and clarifications. Many contributed valuable bits of information. Special mention goes to power couple Adrian and Trinket Constantino for the bulk of the teachings. Those who attended (IF they still remember everything they heard and saw) gained a lot of confidence and can be more certain in their attempt to put a name on that distant flying raptor.
April 24 – Kapihan illegal wildlife trade
On April 24, herpetologist and advocate for Philippine wildlife and conservation, Emerson Sy joined the club’s Saturday Kapihan to share with us the lowdown on the poaching situation in the Philippines, both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. The situation seems dire and hopeless, especially the revelation that bird species that were normally not hunted or poached are now being captured and bartered! When asked how he manages to keep on fighting wildlife traders, Emerson says you can’t give up. Even if you feel like you are barely making a dent you plod on because you do what you have to do.
