Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - There is no a better time than the present to set the bar for the next level in raising global public awareness about the conservation of, and research about, shorebirds. About half of the world’s shorebird populations are in decline, and the rate of habitat loss is worse than ever before.

Healthy populations of shorebirds mean healthy wetlands, something that thousands of human lives depend on. Action on a global scale needs to be organized to encourage people to be connected with shorebirds, their spectacular life and their habitats.

With this in mind, World Shorebirds Day was created, and will be held every year on September 6th. It is envisaged that a related Global Shorebird Counting shall be held each year on the closest weekend to the 6th of September (preferably on Saturday) to further the research and science behind these species. As a popular bird-watching destination, Mexico's Riviera Nayarit will be an active participant in the first global counting.

There are five hundred and ten destinations across the five continents that have voluntarily registered to be a part of this movement, which is made up of different organizations that specialize in these species. There are 11 destinations registered in Mexico, three of which are in the Riviera Nayarit: San Blas and two more in Las Marismas Nacionales (The National Marshes) located in Tecuala.

This first global counting will be part entertainment, part scientific in nature, as it will give researchers the opportunity to monitor and create a registry of the species in order to observe their behavior, the quantity, variety and tendencies of the birds, all very necessary to the legal protection of any species and their habitat.

Tour guide, photographer, professional birder and Nayarit Birdwatchers' Club member, Mark Stackhouse, registered the port in order to support the investigation, but also to promote the area, since the results will be available to birders around the world.

"San Blas already has a great reputation as a bird watching site and there are plenty of tourists who come to see them," explained Stackhouse. "Whatever we can do to promote birding tourism is a good thing. The potential of this type of tourism is one of the most important things San Blas can offer."

"As its reputation grows, so does the tourism to the area. This is big business on a global level. San Blas has a unique resource within North America: this is the best spot for birdwatching but it's still unknown to the majority of birders. The results of this counting will bring it to the forefront for birders around the world," he added.

The town gas station will be the meeting place in San Blas on Saturday, September 6th at 7 am. The group will depart from there to tour the main beaches — everyone is invited. For more information, contact Mark Stackhouse by calling 323-285-1243 or emailing mark(at)westwings.com.

To learn more about this global event, please visit the World Shorebirds Day official website. To learn more about birding in San Blas, click HERE.