To promote sustainability and incentivize adoption of restoration practices, the project aligned its interventions with Guatemala’s national forestry incentive schemes—PINPEP (targeting smallholders) and PROBOSQUE (supporting forest management and agroforestry). This approach answered “what” (financial support available for conservation), “why” (incentives reduce the cost barrier for farmers), and “how” (linking project actions with formal application support). Farmers engaged in agroforestry, reforestation, or conservation activities were guided through the process of registering for these programs, ensuring long-term continuity and co-financing. This institutional alignment also ensured that restoration efforts complied with national environmental priorities.

To understand how different land uses affect ecosystem functions, the project applied InVEST modelling tools to map and quantify carbon storage, sediment retention, and habitat quality in three micro-watersheds. This allowed the project team and local stakeholders to see the “what” (the ecological state of the landscape), “why” (which land uses provided more benefits), and “how” (where interventions were needed). For instance, forest and shrubland areas were found to store significantly more carbon and reduce erosion compared to basic grain croplands. This modelling helped prioritize areas for restoration and agroforestry. The visual outputs and metrics supported evidence-based discussions with communities and decision-makers, integrating ecological science into watershed-level planning.

The SIREN app is a mobile tool developed by AMMCO to collect data on marine wildlife sightings, strandings, and bycatch, while simultaneously serving as an educational and engagement platform for coastal communities. Beyond data collection, SIREN helps raise awareness among fishers and youth by delivering marine conservation messages directly through mobile technology.

What makes this approach unique is the dual function: it informs and empowers users to act as citizen scientists, while also fostering a sense of community through shared environmental responsibility. Users, mainly small-scale fishers and local conservation volunteers are connected through common reporting goals and periodic in-person exchanges (e.g. during trainings or events like the Street Whale Symposium), enhancing trust and collaboration across regions.
The app is introduced through outreach sessions in coastal villages.
 

To implement SIREN, we apply the following steps:

• Users receive basic training on species identification and reporting procedures.
• Each report (sighting reported through the app) is reviewed by AMMCO staff, who provide feedback and clarification.
• Educational content (Virtual Reality, posters, storybooks, videos) is developed based on the reports, and delivered through schools or fisher meetings.
• Shared results and feedback loops build trust and stimulate user engagement and connections.

The campaigns need to be specifically tailored for the respective target group to make the content more relevant and engaging. It is important to use multimedia and varied communication formats such as videos, comics, and radio shows, posters, comic books, wall murals, and competitions. These formats help presenting information in an easily understandable and appealing way.

Additionally, training in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture needs to include both practical skills and theoretical knowledge, with a strong emphasis on flexible teaching methods and hands-on learning. Practical training often takes place on demo farms or participants’ own farms, where group mentoring and on-site technical input from trainers and experts occur. This hands-on training covers essential topics such as site selection, pond excavation, stocking, feed and pond management, fish health monitoring, water quality management, and fish processing. By engaging in real-life situations, participants gain the skills needed to independently apply the training content in their own operations. This experiential learning enhances their ability to manage pond aquaculture and fishing throughout the season. While field demonstrations offer practical, hands-on learning, classroom-based training provides theoretical knowledge.

The Training of Trainers (ToT) method is a widely used approach in capacity-building programmes to ensure the effective dissemination and anchoring of knowledge and skills in communities. Trainers are selected based on criteria such as experience, communication skills, and community engagement. They undergo a structured qualification programme that includes classroom sessions and hands-on learning to prepare them to conduct sessions aligned with adult learning principles and discovery-based approaches.
A Master Trainer model, as used in the Aquaculture Business School in Malawi and the Community Resource Person model in India, plays a crucial role in ensuring consistent quality and calibration of training standards. Master Trainers not only lead the initial ToT programmes, but also support ongoing quality assurance by mentoring the trainers and monitoring the effectiveness of training delivery. The trainers act as intermediaries, translating technical concepts into practical solutions for farmers. 

Incorporating the local context – like environmental and cultural conditions in the regions and local languages – is essential when designing training manuals. This ensures accessibility and relevance of training content and alignment with the realities of the target audience’s environment. To ensure the sustainability and widespread adoption of the training materials, they need to be closely aligned with the needs and priorities of local institutions. 

 

The Cooperative provides loans among members to support new income-generating ideas and emergency needs. This internal support system fosters solidarity and economic innovation within the community.

With the added income, many farmers have invested in other small businesses, such as dairy and poultry. This economic resilience reduces reliance on unsustainable practices and improves overall wellbeing.

Support from USAID’s PERFORM project helped scale up the partnership between KHP and the Cooperative. The funding strengthened the business model and increased long-term sustainability and impact.

The informal farmer group was formally registered as the Lucheche Cooperative and trained to manage its operations. This empowered the community to organize effectively and take charge of their development.