Helping environmental sustainability in Peru

In any way we can, we support efforts to protect, sustain, and improve the environments in which we work. In 2015, a dedicated Hatch team brought their families to take action to help preserve the Pantanos de Villa (Villa's Swamp) wildlife refuge located just south of Lima, Peru. The group joined wetland rangers to clean up an important nesting area where birds are in danger of ingesting plastic and other waste. Pantanos de Villa is recognized as one of the most important nesting areas for migrating birds in Peru and is protected under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty. The refuge is home to over 208 bird species that are increasingly restricted by population growth in nearby cities and a mounting accumulation of domestic waste. We are going a step further, providing support for environmental education in Peru. We have partnered with the Museum of Natural History in Lima to produce an educational book on the local birds that reside in El Olivar, a public park, filling an informational void on the flora and fauna of Lima. Titled Birds of El Olivar and other parks of Lima, the book is sold locally to raise funds that help pay for environmental science workshops at the museum for expectant mothers, families, and children in the city.