When it was announced that the Galo tract would be developed into a residential area it concerned parties from multiple sectors. Conservationists and bat scientists saw this plan as creating a human-wildlife conflict where there was not one previously, presenting threats to the health and wellbeing of both nature and the human populations. Local government, in particular City Council member Ron Nirenberg, had expressed concerns about the plan mainly focused on the nearby aquifer and the region’s drinking water. To fully assess the major trade-offs of the residential development plan, local government took the step of unifying diverse partners and their cross-cutting interests. By finding common ground in the end goal of preserving the area surrounding the Bracken Bat Cave, stakeholders from diverse sectors were able to transform their individual concerns into a large-scale mutual interest.

Co-created transdisciplinary approaches using methods such as interviews, storytelling, participatory mapping, theatre, playful activities and music can contribute to air pollution awareness and solutions to improved air quality. This approach accounts for local knowledge, cultural practices and priorities of the intended recipients of interventions, thereby making these interventions and respective air pollution abatement policies more effective and inclusive.  

Approaches to better air quality through reduction of emissions  contributing to increased human health, a healthier environment, food security (through better crop yields) and climate protection need to actively include the participation of the wider public in order to appropriately address the needs of those affected and to increase their knowledge and awareness of this environmental threat. This can only be achieved through the development and implementation of approaches that account for local knowledge, cultural practices and priorities of the intended recipients of interventions. 

Secure an additional 10,000 ha of critical habitat to protect Warburgia salutaris populations in the western Soutpansberg through expanding the Protected Area created in the first project, adding additional critical habitat, and creating a buffer around properties with W. salutaris present. Rehabilitate 20 hectares, and maintain 20 hectares, of prime W. salutaris habitat through invasive tree eradication along riparian areas within the protected area and neighbouring properties. Engage with key stakeholders (Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs), market operators and communities) to significantly increase cultivation of W. salutaris and reduce harvesting pressures on wild populations.

Captive reared birds tend to use the same type of nest in which they were raised. Based on this theory, nest boxes were installed along cliffs and a working quarry adjacent to the release site. Ronez, the quarry owners, paid for a UK expert to visit Jersey to help plan, design, and install the boxes.

The first nests, in 2015, were inside quarry buildings, not the boxes. Boxes began to be used as competition for nest sites increased. When two nests failed due to being built on dangerous machinery, staff installed boxes and successfully encouraged the pairs to nest in them, allowing quarry staff to continue operations.

Nesting activity is closely monitored allowing staff to estimate incubation, hatch, and fledge dates based on pair behavior at the supplemental feed and/or from direct nest observations. Chicks are ringed and DNA sexed in the nest where feasible. Alternatively, fledged chicks that visit the supplemental feed site can be trapped in the aviary when called for food, ringed, and immediately released. This option was used in 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 prevented access to the quarry.

The recently revised Jersey wildlife law gives full protection to chough nests. Staff are now working to increase public awareness and offer nest boxes as mitigation when choughs nest on private property.

Paradise Park loaned two pairs of choughs to Jersey Zoo in 2010 to begin a captive breeding program. To establish a wild population, it was estimated 30 to 50 juveniles needed to be released over a 5 to 7-year period. Any shortfalls in numbers would be supplemented by importing juveniles from Paradise Park.

Jersey Zoo transformed two aviaries into dedicated breeding aviaries and created a display aviary to house the flock over winter mimicking natural behavior. Nest boxes were fitted with cameras for remote monitoring. Nestlings are susceptible to aspergillosis and nematode infections in captivity. Cameras allow staff to monitor for clinical signs and intervene as soon as possible to ensure survival.

Paradise Park, with decades of experience breeding choughs, provided guidance, training, and financial support. Jersey staff spent time behind the scenes at Paradise Park to learn about chough husbandry reciprocating once the release was underway with staff from the UK visiting Jersey.

Despite releases ending in 2018, Jersey Zoo continues to breed chough in captivity providing a backup in case there is a renewed need to release. It also allows a conservation message to be communicated to the public through educational talks at the display aviary. Surplus juveniles are returned to Paradise Park’s breeding program.

Jersey farmland bird transects have been conducted by Durrell staff, partners and volunteers since 2005. This data combined with other datasets highlighted declining population trends leading to the publication of The Conservation Status of Jersey’s Birds.

In 2010, a partnership between Durrell, the National Trust for Jersey, and the Government of Jersey established Birds On The Edge, a conservation initiative to restore depleted coastal farmland bird populations. The reintroduction of chough acting as a driving force to implement change.

Feasibility studies supported the need to reintroduce chough; natural colonization was not a feasible option. They also identified a release site at Le Don Paton on the north coast. The National Trust for Jersey introduced a free-ranging flock of Manx loaghtan sheep to graze the site ensuring the birds had natural foraging habitat once released. The National Trust also purchased adjacent agricultural fields to avoid any land management conflicts and to sow conservation crops (another component of the initiative).

A reintroduction plan was created following IUCN Guidelines for reintroductions and other conservation translocations. This document assisted in securing licensing for the release, initial funding, and provided a way of clearly communicating intentions to stakeholders.

The Ecopark will be the source of new incomes for all of the participants of the community surrounding the watershed, coming from all activities in the ecopark and sustainable projects like nursery gardens, conservation centres, among others.

Our proposal to generate a Community Ecopark with walking trails in the sector Olga, mainly seeks to link the community, being these the main protagonists in the development of day-to-day activities of the Ecopark.  as tourist guides, vendors of handicrafts, sellers of agricultural products, patio grown goods and multiple activities more. Thus, generating sustainable development over time, bringing important resources to a community that today lives in poverty and its members do not enjoy state, local or private support.

This project is considered a pilot or seed project whose success will allow multiplying its methodology and actions in other water basins in Colombia and the world where conditions are similar to that of the La Olga sector are visualized. In addition, the success of this project will allow meeting 2 fundamental needs:

a). Improve the quality of life of the community.

b). Increase per capita income of families involved in the project

c). Ensure that sustainable and sustainable activities are carried out in the area that benefits the environment.

The national fleet of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) highly depends on imported fuels and is therefore a significant source of GHG-emissions. The bilateral program “Transitioning to Low Carbon Sea Transport (LCST)” implemented by RMI and the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) aims at supporting the RMI Government´s planning and decision-making processes with respect to its low carbon future and the reduction of GHG-emissions from domestic sea transport, through consultancy, research, training, coordination of policy support to RMI and supporting in delivering RMI’s commitments under UNFCCC to achieve reduced GHG emissions from domestic shipping 40% below 2010 levels by 2030 and full decarbonization by 2050.

The Marshallese Government founded and is an active member of the High Ambition Coaltion for Shipping (SHAC) at IMO and UNFCCC and due to their ambition, the group of supporters of an ambitious contribution of sea transport to the climate goals is growing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international meetings and high-level conferences are taking place remotely to a high extend.