Once the areas with the greatest need for urban reforestation had been identified, schools with the potential to develop school reforestation interventions were selected. Subsequently, the project was shared with the corresponding Ministry of Education to verify the viability of the chosen schools. Thus, the Alfonso Arroyo Flores elementary school, located in the municipality of Boca del Río, was selected for this activity. A visit was made to the institute to present and socialize the initiative before the school authorities, ensuring their collaboration and support in the implementation of the reforestation activities.

The next step was the preparation of a diagnostic study of the intervention area to analyze soil fertility, complemented by a drone flight to generate the design of the interventions. This design, validated by the school community, was based on the Miyawaki Method, a high diversity and density afforestation approach that accelerates the development of vegetation and other ecological processes.

The implementation of the reforestation activities was divided into two stages. The first stage focused on environmental awareness and education. An explanation was given to the student community, including children, youth and teachers, about the importance of trees in urban environments and the principles of Miyawaki forests, as well as the critical points in the reforestation process. The language used was accessible and appropriate for the age group, promoting active participation to facilitate meaningful learning. In the second stage, the knowledge acquired during the previous stage was put into practice and the school reforestation was carried out together with the children.

This experience not only allowed for the tangible improvement of the green infrastructure, but also provided the opportunity to raise awareness among the students and allow them to experience the reforestation process in a sensory way.

The objective of this phase was to generate a compendium of tools to guide informed decision making on urban reforestation needs in five Mexican coastal cities (Boca del Rio, Veracruz; Merida, Yucatan; San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca; Tepic, Nayarit; Tijuana, Baja California).

1. A compendium of landscape-scale tools was prepared with the products:

• Economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by urban trees.
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) map.
• Green View Index Map (GVI)
• Fixed Pollution Sources Map (FFC)
• Children's Access to Nature Equity Index Map.
• Urban Heat Islands (UHI) Map.

2. The baseline for the efficient management of urban trees was elaborated through the street-by-street detail component of a high-resolution digital inventory, representative of the axes and road islands of each city. This inventory not only recorded the existing trees and their maintenance needs, but also identified plantable spaces, identified and catalogued the available plantable spaces, specifying the appropriate characteristics of each area, as well as the type of tree that can be planted in each site. This integrated approach ensures more accurate and sustainable planning, optimizing species selection and improving the health and biodiversity of the urban tree stock.

3. In addition, educational and design tools were prepared. A practical guide for urban reforestation and two plant palettes for climate-smart reforestation were developed.

Beyond facilitating access to hard-to-reach locations, sailboats also provide useful modes of transport for deploying scientific instrumentation. The boats can carry scientific equipment, both for deployment in the ocean, but also for continual measurement by sensors that are permanently onboard. The race boats’ speed means that data from different locations can be captured across short timespans, something which is not achievable by most research vessels. Yachts can also be used to pilot and test new research technology and techniques, such as technology that allows results to be shared in real-time, and the OceanPack – a device which records essential ocean data from aboard the yachts. 

In a racing context, carrying devices that take meteorological measurements is not only beneficial for science partners, but also for the race participants themselves, as it helps to inform and improve weather forecasts that will impact their own decision-making and performances throughout the race. 

Using racing yachts for data collection paves the way for the installation and deployment of measuring devices on other vessels such as fishing or commercial boats, as well as other sailing boats. 

This building block empowers local communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to implement and sustain effective mangrove restoration initiatives. Through strategic engagement and capacity-building efforts, stakeholders are equipped with the technical expertise and resources required for Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR). These efforts include identifying and training CBEMR champions to act as catalysts for knowledge dissemination and practical restoration activities within their communities and institutions.

Wetlands International initiated capacity-building activities by engaging local communities in Lamu and Tana through CBOs, CFAs, and key government agencies, including KFS, KEFRI, KMFRI, the Lamu County Government, as well as CSOs such as WWF and the Northern Rangelands Trust. Women comprised 50% of the participants, taking a leading role in hands-on mangrove restoration efforts. Training sessions included sound restoration techniques based on the CBEMR approach, conducted in English and translated into Swahili for greater accessibility. These sessions integrated practical, relatable mangrove science with indigenous knowledge, fostering inclusivity and community ownership.

In addition, stakeholders were provided with simple tools such as refractometers and pH strips to conduct salinity and acidity tests, along with resources to support monitoring and adaptive management. 

CBEMR champions, nominated from CFAs, BMUs, youth groups, women groups, and government agencies, further amplified these efforts. These champions assist in mobilising communities, raising awareness, conducting restoration activities, monitoring progress, and performing ecological and social assessments. Government agency champions also serve as Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) to ensure continuous capacity building within their institutions and communities.

Based on the success of the initial trainings in Lamu and other sites, Lamu KFS officials together with Wetlands International identified the need to spread this knowledge mainly at the policy and management levels within KFS among other key stakeholders. In partnership with KFS and MAP, we organised a CBEMR managerial training for the senior managers and coastal forest managers at KFS, Directors of Environment Department from the Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River, and Lamu counties, academia from Kenya School of Forestry and Kenyatta University, partner organisations in Global Mangrove Alliance namely IUCN, WWF and TNC, and representatives from the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network and local journalists with specialisation in environmental issues. 

Collaboration with CSOs, the Global Mangrove Alliance, and other partners enhanced the initiative’s reach and impact, enabling regular training and knowledge-sharing activities across the mangrove regions.

The Ocean Race Teams Sustainability Charter and Code of Conduct was co-created with the teams to express a fleet-wide commitment to sustainable operations and supporting a healthy ocean. The charter includes themes of Advocacy, Science, Learning and Operations. It seeks to get all teams, staff, and sailors to stand up for the ocean through sustainable sailing, team, and personal actions. 

On the science front, teams must pledge to agree to:

• Supporting science-based decision making.
• Participating in increasing knowledge and understanding of our ocean.
• Hosting scientific equipment onboard.
• Participating in sailor and citizen science programmes.
• Contributing to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science in collaboration with The Ocean Race.

Including science within a charter and requiring stakeholders to undertake various science-related activities whilst competing in a sailing race embeds science, as a core value, into race practices. This is unique in the sporting world as it requires teams and athletes to take on environmental responsibilities as well as their existing sporting responsibilities.

The underlying premise for The Ocean Race – racing to circumnavigate the world – means that the race naturally takes competitors to some of the most remote areas in the world. This makes it a unique platform for undertaking scientific research as it gives scientists access to remote areas, such as the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, that would otherwise rarely be accessible. Ships sailing outside of regular shipping routes play an essential role in the ability to deploy scientific instrumentation, such as the drifter buoys and Argo floats that are deployed during the race, across under-sampled locations. This affords rare opportunities for gathering data from parts of the planet where little information has been recorded, making the Race a crucial platform for collecting data that is otherwise unattainable and filling data gaps, contributing to furthering our understanding of our oceans. 

Much support was given to improve fisher capacity to manage their access to and use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). The programme recognised that the establishment of marine managed and protected areas as a method of marine management has resulted in increased reliance on Fish Aggregating Devices installed outside the marine managed and protected areas, for sustenance of the fishery sector.  Fishers within the Carriacou Fisher Folks Inc also recognised this and the need for attention to be paid to the monitoring and management of this resource.  This beckoned the implementation of FAD Data Management training for fishers of Carriacou and Petit Martinique.  The training was facilitated through the Fisheries Department of the Government of Grenada, and included information sharing on, but not limited to data on marine conservation, history of FADs in the region, the importance of data collection, legislation, its challenges, development of informal protocols and rules, identifying fish species as well as data collection methodology and post data collection analysis.  The workshop also realised the commitment of fishers to establish GrenFAD, which will take the leading role in the management of the FADs.  The fishers agreed and signed off on the soft rules for FAD Fishing, membership and FAD fees, data collection, data collection templates and protocols for data collection and management.  Actors in the fishery sector and marine management/protection were also trained in the use of underwater drones for remote sensing. The Programme provided support for construction of at least 6 FADS for the St. Marks fishers in Dominica. In the case of Saint Lucia, the provision of navigational tools to assist in accessing the FAD locations, which are often many miles offshore, and generally speaking to assist with safety at sea.

Posterior al análisis rápido se dio el paso de analizar las acciones que los actores locales (Municipios, ONG, Universidades) realizan en favor de la gestión de los humedales urbanos costeros. Para esto, se generó un panorama de respuestas por medio de entrevistas y talleres. 

Se evidencio un amplio panorama de respuestas, pero la mayoría con desafíos por la factibilidad legal (por ejemplo,  la presencia de asentamientos irregulares dificulta el acceso a servicios públicos, como limpia pública y drenaje de aguas residuales), desafíos financieras (por ejemplo, el Estero de los Cabos se contamina por el servicio deficiente de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales, pero para corregirlo, se requiere inversiones grandes), desafíos técnico-ambientales (por ejemplo, retirar el lirio acuático sin atender la contaminación por materia orgánica y fertilizantes, pues esto estimula el crecimiento excesivo y la factibilidad ambiental es baja) etc., origina dificultad y complejidad para poder dilucidar y encontrar respuestas adecuadas para cada humedal. 

Además de depender de dichos factores, también influye la voluntad y el interés político y técnico de asumir el reto de iniciar procesos complejos relacionados con los humedales. 

Finalmente se planificaron acciones vinculado a: 

• Fortalecimiento de capacidades para la gestión mancomunado de humedales urbanos costeros
• Gestión participativa de acciones de limpieza y protección de bordes de los humedales
• Concientización ambiental sobre humedales urbanos costeros
• Integración de humedales urbanos costeros en políticas publicas

Posterior al análisis rápido se dio el paso de analizar las acciones que los actores locales (Municipios, ONG, Universidades) realizan en favor de la gestión de los humedales urbanos costeros. Para esto, se generó un panorama de respuestas por medio de entrevistas y talleres. 

Se evidencio un amplio panorama de respuestas, pero la mayoría con desafíos por la factibilidad legal (por ejemplo,  la presencia de asentamientos irregulares dificulta el acceso a servicios públicos, como limpia pública y drenaje de aguas residuales), desafíos financieras (por ejemplo, el Estero de los Cabos se contamina por el servicio deficiente de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales, pero para corregirlo, se requiere inversiones grandes), desafíos técnico-ambientales (por ejemplo, retirar el lirio acuático sin atender la contaminación por materia orgánica y fertilizantes, pues esto estimula el crecimiento excesivo y la factibilidad ambiental es baja) etc., origina dificultad y complejidad para poder dilucidar y encontrar respuestas adecuadas para cada humedal. 

Además de depender de dichos factores, también influye la voluntad y el interés político y técnico de asumir el reto de iniciar procesos complejos relacionados con los humedales. 

Finalmente se planificaron acciones vinculado a: 

• Fortalecimiento de capacidades para la gestión mancomunado de humedales urbanos costeros
• Gestión participativa de acciones de limpieza y protección de bordes de los humedales
• Concientización ambiental sobre humedales urbanos costeros

Integración de humedales urbanos costeros en políticas publicas

Building resilience of the agricultural sector against the effects of meteorological variations includes building the resilience of small businesses along the value chains which use the produce from agricultural production.  Through the Business Capacity Development measure, two women-only local agro-processing groups which process local produce for the local and national market, benefitted from theoretical lectures and hands-on exercises on crucial business aspects (costs, revenues, new product ideas, design, marketing and the management of their business) so they could apply the knowledge gained to improve the quality of their decision making.  The core topics addressed during the training were:  Entrepreneurship Essentials, Introduction to Marketing; Basic Book-Keeping Principles; Essential Costing Practices; Office Administration, financial education, business management and investment-driven market expansion and borrowing.