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Singing for Julián Chiví
Celebrating a bird that’s a symbol for Puerto Rico
© Greg Schechter
In the 1980s, mining companies made plans for huge open-pit mines in the mountains of Puerto Rico. An organization called Casa Pueblo successfully campaigned to make open-pit mining illegal in Puerto Rico. Since then, Casa Pueblo has continued to hold cultural events in the town of Adjuntas, including a festival for Julián Chiví — a beloved songbird that lives in the region’s forests. Casa Pueblo’s radio station even has a theme song that’s a tribute to the Julián Chiví.
BirdNote®
Singing for Julián Chiví
Adapted from the Threatened podcast
This is BirdNote.
[Julián Chiví (Black-whiskered Vireo) song]
In the 1980s, mining companies made plans for huge open-pit mines in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Thousands of homes and large tracts of forest were in danger. An organization called Casa Pueblo, or the People’s House, organized resistance to the mines in the town of Adjuntas. After 15 years of protesting, they succeeded in making open-pit mining illegal in Puerto Rico.
[Music: Julián Chiví radio theme]
But that wasn’t the end for Casa Pueblo. They continue to run a community center in Adjuntas that offers educational and cultural programs, including a yearly festival for the region’s most beloved bird, the Julián Chiví.
[Julián Chiví (Black-whiskered Vireo) song]
Also known as the Black-whiskered Vireo, the Julián Chiví is a small songbird that lives in the forests around Adjuntas. Casa Pueblo’s radio station even has a theme song that’s a tribute to the Julián Chiví. People celebrate this bird as a symbol of Puerto Rico and the forests they’ve worked so hard to protect.
[Music: Julián Chiví radio theme]
Learn more about how Puerto Ricans have worked to save their homes and natural spaces on the Threatened podcast. Listen in your podcast app or at BirdNote dot org. I’m Ari Daniel.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Julián Chiví/Black-whiskered Vireo ML188090 recorded by Bob McGuire.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote January 2023
Narrator: Ari Daniel
ID# BWVI-01-2023-01-31 BWVI-01
