From 30 May to 5 June, Conservation International (CI) had 20 certified naturalist guides from
Machalilla and Manglares Churute protected areas undergo an intensive training on bird‐watching
guiding under the expert direction of one of the better‐known bird‐watchers of Ecuador, William
Perez.

Guides and their instructor localized indigenous birds along the Ayampe trail on the southern outskirts of Machalilla National Park.  The Machalilla‐based training included information on bird anatomy, history, evolution, botany and Ecuador’s bio‐diversity. Practical teachings focused on basic guiding and cordiality‐focused skills to further improve the experience of visitors, including the use of reference books offering more details on and drawings of identified birds, as well as the use of their names in English to cater to an audience that mostly comes from North American and Europe.

Daily on‐site excursions inside Machalilla national park and in Ayampe (south of the park) helped participants put these new skills to practice, not only through bird‐watching but tourist‐guide role playing exercises. While participants were all certified guides already, most with preexisting and extensive knowledge of local birds, the training was designed to help them tangibly enhance the experience of their customers and not just learn to more readily identify birds themselves.

In short, the event is expected to: 

• help local community members to specialize in a more‐highly skilled and better remunerated economic activity;
• provide greater expertise that will help attract more tourists interested in one of the Ecuador’s most unique ecological asset;
• develop a tourism‐related activity that mandates further conservation to remain viable;
• improve the quality of a high‐end tourism activity which would help Ecuador develop a niche on the world market;
• actively monitor the condition of bird colonies and their wider natural environment. 

The Machalilla ‐ Manglares Churute costal area is home to some 280 identified bird species (49 of which are unique to this area), in fact offering a richer array of birds than the Amazon area.  Based on the positive feedback of participants and park manager requests for additional such trainings, CI is currently considering offering this course to further naturalist guides as well as providing more advanced training to a select group of individuals showing greatest potential in this area.