Strategic conservation of the Endangered Pepper-bark Tree (Warburgia salutaris) in South Africa.

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.

 

Helathy working relationships between different stakeholders, such as the protected areas and Traditional Health Practitioners.

This project is still at the planning phase.

Management and protection of the wild breeding population

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.

  • Bringing in outside expertise
  • Developing a strong stakeholder relationship - Ronez appointed a liaison officer who works with Durrell to access, monitor, and protect nest sites.
  • An enthusiastic team willing to go above and beyond for the species.
  • Accessible nest sites with an alternative option for ringing juveniles/adults, i.e. the aviary at the supplemental feed site.
  • A supportive public equipped with species knowledge, the means to report sightings, and are respectful of the wildlife laws.
  • Public awareness and support have resulted in additional invaluable data about dispersal, roost and nest-site selection, and habitat use. In 2021, a new roost site was discovered at an equestrian yard when the owner contacted the project officer questioning the presence of an ‘unusual crow’. A single female chough was identified roosting in the stables with a visiting pair attempting to nest nearby. Despite this, an evaluation of the reintroduction in 2019 identified an overall lack of public awareness. As the reintroduced population grows and new territories form away from the protected release site it will become increasingly important to have an informed and engaged public supporting the conservation management.

 

  • Staffing has been very limited and restrictive. There is no dedicated marketing or educational outreach team. During the breeding season, monitoring multiple sites is only possible if there is a student placement assisting the project officer.
Establish a captive breeding program for release

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.

  • A support network of skilled and experienced conservationists enabling efficient planning with the ability to adaptively manage.
  • Strong partnerships with a commitment to succeed.
  • An enthusiastic team willing to go above and beyond for the species.
  • Initial breeding success was limited for various reasons one being incompatibility and/or inexperience of breeding pairs. Inexperience was initially a problem with the keepers as well. Not with techniques, but with nuances of the species which was why learning from others and a willingness to try different things is crucial.

 

  • Double-clutching is not documented in wild choughs but is possible in captivity and could be an effective tool for increasing productivity.

 

  • Choughs are intelligent and quick to learn. This can be problematic for management, e.g. learning to avoid entering catch-up enclosures. On the other hand, it can be beneficial if exploited, e.g. crate trained.
Assess feasibility and develop a strategic plan

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.

  • Accessible baseline data to make informed decisions.
  • Visionary and experienced project leaders.
  • Existing guidelines for a reintroduction.
  • Land ownership by a project partner makes it easier to determine and carry out management decisions.
  • Jersey is a small island with relatively less bureaucracy than other countries and a smaller network of players.

There is a lack of baseline data for habitat quality pre-grazing and pre-reintroduction particularly habitat mapping and invertebrate biodiversity. This is evident when evaluating the success of Birds On The Edge and assessing the long-term needs of the reintroduced chough population. With hindsight, more could have been done.

 

More formality between the Birds On The Edge partnerships would help with strategic planning, clarity for donors, and improve communication and outreach. There is no contracted position to oversee the management of Birds On The Edge. There is no team specifically dealing with marketing and education which has limited the effectiveness of our outreach, especially with social media an increasingly important tool for engagement and funding resources.

Sustainable livelihoods

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.

The people of the community will have the opportunity to work directly in activities related to the Ecopark such as tourist transport, lodging, guide in ecological activities, bird watching, trekking activities. It will also include the creation of a database, conservation and reforestation program in the La Olga sector, monitoring and control of water quality and flow at points defined as critical to record expected improvements, creation and maintenance of sites.

This project needs to create a strong value of belonging in the community since people will directly establish the correct operation and coordination of the activities the Ecopark offers. As a matter of fact, the biggest lesson learned was to establish strong relationships with the community leaders to enhance the communication and motivation for the correct development of the project. 

Ecopark

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.

Economical resources: With the proper financing we can start gathering the people and promote the construction of walking trails. Also, we can start reforesting the zone between the watersheds and building our first community house where all the pedagogical and educational lessons will start its development.

Community is one of the most important enabling factors since local communities are the ones that will be trained to operate successfully the Ecopark.

 

People from the community need to have strong support from the ADSEI Project Director. Otherwise, they will start doubting about the project implementation and execution. This is why ADSEI requires also support from the private sector and the government in the creation of a solid working group. 

Policy Frameworks in the Scope of Transitioning to Low Carbon Sea Transport in the Marshall Islands

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.

The development and facilitation of capacity development under the LCST project has the aim to enhance knowledge of IMO structures and ways to contribute to high-level forums and negotiations such as UNFCCC for different ministries in RMI. RMI plays a key role in securing ambitious goals and climate leadership continously develops with the support of partners to RMI. Through workshops, support on negotiation techniques and media outreach, visibility and recognition is increased and RMI's voice heard on the international stage. 

Together with Independent Diplomat, the project supports the RMI Government in actively participating at high-level policy negotiations and conferences such as the High Ambition Coalition and the IMO.

Developing distance learning resources, presentations and briefs on climate mitigation in shipping to provide an overview of air emissions and climate change issues in maritime transport are highly important

Developing international responses and frameworks to climate change by the shipping sector and delivering web-based information sessions on climate mitigation in shipping and maritime transport help to facilitate workshops in the region and other SIDS.

Highlighting past and on-going IMO activities and the wider industry equip partners with knowledge of relevant debates leading to the adoption and implementation of positions, strategies and declarations in international high-level forums. 

 

Sustainable Sea Transport inside the lagoon and between atolls of the Marshall Islands

Ri Majol, the people of the Marshall Islands were known for their superior boat building and sailing skills for centuries. They traveled frequently between their atolls (for trade and war) on big offshore canoes called Walap (some of them 100ft long). The lagoons of their low-lying coral atolls where crested by sails of smaller outrigger canoe designs for rapid inside lagoon transportation, food gathering and fishing. Together with Waan Aelõñ in Majel, we are reviving the traditional knowlege combined with modern technology. The ambitious goals of the Marshall Islands in the sea transport sector have become the main driver and motivation for us to pursue and to transition towards a low carbon fleet for the Marshall Islands for transport inside the lagoons and between atolls. Currently, a 150 ft. Training Vessel is about to be constructed and delivered to RMI by the 2nd half of 2022. After the agreement of the design, the market survey process started with the objection to identify shipyards that are interested and capable of building the new built as drafted in the tender design. The Maritime Training Approach in the Marshall Islands sets a clear focus on Low Emission Sea Transport Education and will train future sailors as part of the national fleet operators.

 

Today, the traditional outrigger canoe designs are not in use for inter-atoll voyages in RMI anymore. The traditional inter atoll voyages stopped and none of the traditional inter-atoll canoes (Walap) survived till today. Nowadays, offshore transport tasks are mainly carried out by the government owned Marshall Island Shipping Corporation (MISC) and private contractors with conventional monohull freighters with motorized engines causing emissions and impact on climate change.

The charter of SV Kwai - a sailing cargo vessel - in the time period from September to end of December 2020 showed how essential training is in the revitalization of sailing rigged ships that make the way open for a low emission transportation set up in RMI in the future. Sailing trainings took place on SV Kwai for the first time with participants already enlisted by MISC. The training was held with the intention of sailing within the lagoon of Majuro. The aim was to educate on Kwai operations under sail and to train the MISC crew hands on alongside the SV Kwai crew from Kiribati, USA and Australia. An assessment meeting took place after the training to capture the positive outcomes and summarize improvements for upcoming trainings in the future. The trainings already provided a first indication of training needs for the maritime sector in RMI.

Ecotourism service provider contracts

An inclusive, fair and transparent participation process and tourism benefit sharing mechanisms are key to building and maintaining trust within local communities.

In order to spread the tourism benefits fairly in the village, it is important to set clear and fair regulations for the ecotourism service provider selection. In case of NEPL NP ecotourism program, the key elements are:

  • 1 person per household. Only one member from each household is allowed to have membership in only one service group,
  • Poor and disadvantaged families are prioritized in the selection process,
  • No NEPL NP regulation violation for min. of the 2 years.

To ensure transparent and equitable ecotourism service provider selection process, a multi stakeholder committee votes for the voluntary candidates. The committee consists of the following members: (1) village ecotourism head, (2) existing ecotourism service providers and (3) the national park staff who work closely with the communities.

  • Ecotourism Service Provider Contracts
  • Transparent and Equitable selection process
  • Strict contract implementation
  • Participative and Transparent contract amendment process

The ecotourism service provider work and regulations must be clearly presented to the community and there must be an opportunity for questions/answers, and negotiation. Overtime amendments may occur and must be again only confirmed once approved by the community.

Ecotourism Benefit Fund

To create a wide community support for conservation, the Ecotourism Benefit Fund (EBF) was introduced by NEPL NP. Through the EBF, the NEPL NP not only delivers to the villages surrounding the ecotourism area a fixed amount of money for every tourist going on the tour, but an additional amount is provided depending on the numbers and type of wildlife encountered by the visitors on the tour. To encourage conservation efforts, greater incentives are provided for sightings of species with higher conservation importance.

 

While the NEPL NP ecotourism program provides direct tourism revenue opportunities to members from only around 40% of households in 4 village, in total 26 villages receive financial benefits annually from the NEPL NP tourism program based on their conservation efforts.

  • Ecotourism Benefit Fund (EBF) Agreement,
  • Annual Ecotourism outreach meetings with all participating villages,
  • Financial incentives based on the community conservation efforts,
  • Conservation objectives linked with financial incentives for the communities.
  • The link between community conservation efforts and tourism revenue must be clear and direct, – simply improving villager incomes may not lead to improved conservation, however, reducing poverty is an essential step towards improved natural resource utilization and conservation efforts over the long-term.
  • In addition to the positive incentives for conservation in the EBF strategy design, the benefit distribution agreement should also outline disincentives for breaking the regulations. For example, if anyone from the ecotourism villages is caught violating the agreement, then the yearly EBF of the respective individual’s village is reduced.
  • To ensure equity in the EBF sharing, the EBF is calculated and distributed yearly to all ecotourism villages based on the number of households and the EBF is used to support small-scale village development activities chosen by each village by a popular vote, rather than distributing cash payments.