For the last 60 years, a great number of rightsholders in Colombia have promoted sustainable management and biodiversity conservation of their territories beyond protected areas, even though their conservation efforts have not been recognized as important elements of climate-smart land planning and have very little governmental support.
The project’s overarching goal is to strengthen and make visible the culturally rich and socially diverse conservation and sustainable production initiatives that different Colombian actors are implementing, as a contribution to sustainable development that does not impoverish the country's natural patrimony.
As their identification as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) is an opportunity to visualize those efforts, Resnatur and partners have been working for several years in adapting the OECM identification criteria to the Colombian context together with 27 initiatives, according to the international framework.
This project contributes to the implementation in Colombia of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Decision 14/8 of 2018 that “Encourages Parties and invites others, in collaboration with indigenous peoples and local communities, to apply … …advice on OECMs”; … “Identifying OECMs and their diverse options within their jurisdiction;”
The adaptation of the international framework and especially the OECM criteria of the IUCN guidelines and the Decision 14/8 of 2018 to the Colombian context.
The application of OECM criteria on a case by case basis.
The development of two methodological processes to apply the OECM criteria and to identify the elements to be strengthened.
• OECM framework allows to recognize other forms of conservation and governance.
• Capacity building is needed to apply the OECM criteria in a bigger scale.
• National authorities should be involved in the discussion on how to apply the criteria.
• More resources will be needed to identify OECMs and to monitor the biodiversity outcomes.
• OECMs must be areas maintaining high biodiversity value. There is a necessity to develop participative monitoring methodologies.
• OECMs are an oportunity to increase connectivity, effectiveness and climate change adaptation of protected areas systems.
• OECMs are key elements to Post 2020 Biodiversity framework goals.
Reforestation of mangroves in previously deforested or degraded areas helps to improve the health of mangroves and increases the services provided by mangrove ecosystems.
The area for reforestation is identified by the local community during the participatory mangrove zoning.
For the viviparous (producing seeds that germinate on the plant) mangrove species (e.g. Rhizophora spp), replanting is undertaken through propagules and for non-viviparous (e.g. Avicennia marina, Sonneratia alba) mangrove species through nursery establishment. The density should be one propagule/plant per square meter to ensure that they have enough space to grow properly.
The monitoring of the replanting takes place within three to four months after the replanting. The number of plants alive/dead within the sample plot is assessed. The number of sample plots (5mx5m) depends on the size of the area replanted but at least three replicas should be done. Community members are involved in the monitoring activities.
The reforestation area is identified by the community during the participatory zoning process and the plantation takes place when mangrove seeds/plants are available(depending on the fructification season).
The technical staff provides support to local community on mangrove reforestation (familiar with mangrove ecology and adaptation);
Propagules are harvested and selected a day before the replanting as sometimes they are not available nearby the site where the replanting takes place.
The best time for the mangrove replanting should be checked /decided with community members in advance and this must take place at the low tide during the spring tide.
Promoting voluntary mangrove reforestation is critical to ensure that it can be continued without external financial support. Motivation in kind (refreshment and biscuits) could be given to the participants when activities are completed to avoid them requesting money. The revenue from carbon payment can be a source of finance for long term reforestation.
If the propagules are not available near the place where replanting takes place, they can be collected elsewhere.
The monitoring of the reforestation is allowing evaluating the survival rate of the mangrove replanting. Community members are involved in the monitoring activities to allow them realize the impact they are having and thus keep their enthusiasm for replanting going.
The participatory monitoring aims to develop a greater understanding of natural resource health and the impacts of anthropogenic activities within local communities through a socially integrated resource assessment.
The participatory ecological monitoring process begins with an initial village meeting to inform the purpose of the activities, select indicator species, monitoring sites and a local monitor team.
The local monitoring teams are either designated or elected by community members at the village level or can be volunteers. However, they should at least be able to read/write and count. A local monitoring team consists of five people per village and contains male and female.
The monitoring method is developed by the support organization and the monitoring has a simple design and method to be accessible to anyone, irrespective of educational level (using simple count of cut stump to assess the amount of carbon loss; measuring the tree height with graduated pole wood to measure tree biomass and carbon).
Local monitors were trained by the technical staff from the support organization on the method before conducting the fieldwork.
The support organization assists the community to identify the relevant indicators, these should be the key natural resources or target species providing useful information to allow local community to perceive the effectiveness of the management in place;
The support organization provides technical assistance in the long term monitoring and builds the capacity of the local monitors.
The monitoring method developed must be an effective means of illustrating to coastal communities the benefits of natural resource management. The number of cut stumps or number of mangrove mud crab holes could be a good indicator to demonstrate clearly to the community the effectiveness of the mangrove management.
The dissemination of the results of the monitoring helps the community to understand the state of their resources and the amount of carbon stocks in their mangrove forest. The support organization must define the key messages from the monitoring results (the carbon stocks at the mangrove reserve are much higher compared to the unmanaged mangrove forest).
Local monitor team is not paid but they are given a daily food allowance when they are conducting the forest inventory and carbon monitoring. The income from the sale of the carbon credits is planned to secure the long term monitoring activities.
A participatory management plan aims to support the local community to sustainably manage mangrove forest within the LMMA.
Using a printed high resolution Google Earth map, a first draft management plan is created by each concerned (proposed project area for the mangrove carbon project) village with the boundary of the mangrove zoning (core zone, reforestation area and sustainable logging area).
When all the relevant villages within the LMMA have completed the zoning, the data from the Google Earth map are digitized and projected on a big screen for validation. Delegates from each village are invited to attend a workshop for the validation of the mangrove zoning. For the validation, at least four people from each village must attend. Ideally both men and women are elected by villagers who they feel may best reflect their opinions (elders, chef Village).
Each community determines, agrees and implements the rules and regulations governing each mangrove zone.
This is conducted through a large village meeting. The support organization facilitates the process until the local law is ratified at the court.
A local convention or law enables communities to govern the natural resource management;
Aptitude of the support organization to incorporate the mangrove management plan into the existing LMMA management plan;
Ability of the law enforcement committee to enforce the Dina and deal with the fine payment in their respective zone without support/inputs from the government;
Demarcation of the management zone enables the community to observe on the ground the boundary of the mangrove zoning.
The support organization must be familiar with the government law, as the local laws/conventions (such as Dina) should not conflict with the national law. It has proven effective to involve appropriate government actors in processing the Dina (local law) at the village level to make the ratification easy.
Make sure villages sharing mangrove forest are consulted together through village meetings/workshops for a compromise on the mangrove zoning. For the demarcation at the forest, delegates from villages at the AOI must assist the technician staff from the support organization to make sure that the marks/signs are in the right place.
Colour of the marks/signs used for the demarcation should consistently be within the LMMA (e.g colour red for the core zone boundary for both marine area and mangrove forest).
Community Partnerships and Multi-Generational Gathering
Personnel from our partnering land management agency City of Albuquerque Open Space leading Yerba Mansa Project field crew members into the restoration site
Yerba Mansa Project
Parterning with local historical museum Gutierrez Hubbell House to create an exhibit on local medicinal plant traditions (co-curated by YMP Director Dara Saville and Herbalist Dianne Rand)
Yerba Mansa Project
Patnering with local schools to bring students into the Rio Grande Bosque for field classes
Yerba Mansa Project
Yerba Mansa Project events are designed to include all-ages for multi-generational events
Yerba Mansa Project
The success of the Yerba Mansa Project relies on community-building. This includes supportive and collaborative relationships with a variety of institutions including public libraries, government land management agencies, environmental- or conservation-oriented non-profits, area schools, or local businesses that share our values and mission. These mutually beneficial partnerships provide critical donations and financial support, new ideas and expertise, legal coverage for events, and also bring different people together who may have a variety of interests and connections. For example, local schools need to meet curriculum requirements in various subject areas and can accomplish that by participating in educational events that also further advance the goals of your programs. Land management agencies may provide support and benefit from invasive species control on their properties. Such partnerships may even be required as in the case of working on public lands. Additional opportunities for community-building come through offering events that are accessible and of interest to all ages. Reaching out to families with children lays the foundation for advancement of your program’s mission into the future while designing activities that encourage participation from elders incorporates their knowledge and experience.
Community support and participation are increased when activities are of interest and provide meaning to a variety of people, align with the goals of other like-minded organizations, and are widely accessible. In other words, programs should reflect something that unites the community. In the case of YMP, our riparian habitat is beloved for many different reasons by many different people and embodies our shared values of land and culture. Our events are all-inclusive providing roles for people with physical limitations or hands-on activities to engage children.
As we offered more co-sponsored events attracting a wider variety of people, we learned how to make our events more accessible. Restoration field work can be very physically demanding and tiring. In order to incorporate elderly folks and others with physical limitations we designed low-impact activities. For example, some people were more able to participate when offered a job of working with an assistant to simply clip seed heads of invasive species and put them in a bag while sitting in a shady area. Alternately, for field classes offered to our youngest students, we developed additional sensory-based and hands-on activities to accommodate more active bodies.
The pandemic presented an opportunity to make educational events more accessible, too. By offering free online classes via Zoom we enabled safe participation during a contagious outbreak and also provided access for people living in remote rural areas or other states. We adapted classes to include photographic slideshows for discussions on plant identification and uses. We also did demonstrations on how to prepare herbal remedies and wild foods in a cooking-show format.
Education on Cultural Practices Associated with Native Species
Elementary school group on a grant-sponsored field trip learing about the Rio Grande Bosque's natural and cultural history
Yerba Mansa Project
Class participants preparing communal meals with locally foraged wild foods
Yerba Mansa Project
Solstice medicinal plant education walk for the community
Yerba Mansa Project
Making traditional herbal remedies with native medicinal plants in hands-on classes
Payneless Photography
Partnering with the local public library system to offer free community education programs on traditional uses and cultivation of native medicinal plants
Yerba Mansa Project
The Yerba Mansa Project offers educational programs that are free for the general public and school classrooms. These events include activities that connect people to the land and plants and are appropriate for a wide audience. Slow-paced plant identification walks through easy terrain afford opportunities for people of all ages and physical abilities to know the plants around them and begin to see their importance to the land, their families, and to themselves. Classes that feature hands-on botanical remedy making and wild food processing encourage the practical skills needed to work directly and safely with plants for increased wellbeing and foster a deeper appreciation and connection to the land. Teaching gardening and cultivation of popular native medicinal plants that are facing habitat pressures creates opportunities for improved urban habitat, easy access to healing and nutritive plants, and reduces pressure on wild populations. Also offering free programs for school classrooms, as described in the “Inspiring Story” section, brings the next generation into nature and provides hope for future solutions. All of these practices perpetuate the cultural traditions associated with our local lands and ensure that future generations will have access to this knowledge and the plants that underlie it.
Creating successful educational events requires broad community support. Most Yerba Mansa Project events are co-sponsored by other organizations including public libraries, city and county open space agencies, environmental- or conservation-oriented non-profits, public and private schools, or local businesses that share our values and mission. These collaborative partnerships provide financial support, increased ability to reach new sectors of our community, and opportunities to cross-pollinate similar efforts being made by all organizations.
As we continued to develop and improve our education programs, we learned about the erasure or minimizing of certain cultural groups, particularly indigenous communities. An important addition to all of our events has been starting with a land acknowledgment. A land acknowledgment is a way of honoring the people who have stewarded the land we are on since time immemorial and also recognizing the deep ecological and cultural knowledge held within these communities. It also provides an opening to discuss the role of colonial policies and modern economic land and water uses that negatively impact the land, water, air, plants, animals, and people. It is an invitation for all people of our community to come together to discuss how we can respect each other, learn from one another, and find common ground in our shared investment in land health and human health.
Removing nonnative invasive Saccharum ravennae (ravenna grass) from prime habitat areas
Yerba Mansa Project
Replanting yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica)
Yerba Mansa Project
Our Bosque Restoration Field Crew volunteers are all-ages
Yerba Mansa Project
Year-round volunteers weed and water restoration site plantings during establishment years
Yerba Mansa Project
High school students learning to reseed areas of bare ground with native shrubs, grasses, and forbs
Yerba Mansa Project
This building block forms the foundation of the Yerba Mansa Project’s work. Healthy and diverse native plant communities are critical for ecosystem functioning and the cultural traditions built upon them. Our volunteers engage in live planting and reseeding of edible and medicinal species that have historically been present and are also considered to be adaptable for current and future climate conditions including higher temperatures and less water in the riparian system. Restoration work also includes habitat improvements such as removal of nonnative invasive ravenna grass (Saccharum ravennae) that impedes the growth and reproduction of native species. Our work has demonstrated that ravenna grass can be successfully removed with hand tools such as shovels and mattocks and if roots are adequately removed, the plants do not resprout. This serves as a model for land management agencies wishing to control nonnative understory plants along waterways of the American West while avoiding the use of chemical agents. The combination of invasive species removal and native plant restoration has proven successful when appropriate species are selected both for climate readiness and cultural relevance.
This building block requires consideration of two critical factors. First, a minimal standard of ecosystem functions must be present to restore native plant species. In this case, there must be enough water in stream flows and a water table that is high enough to be accessed by established plants. Second, species should be selected based on ability to adapt to climate change predictions for future decades. These include earlier spring run-off in rivers, less water in the system due to increased evaporation and economic usage, and higher temperatures.
We learned to anticipate and adapt to environmental conditions that change unexpectedly and negatively impact the ability of plants to survive. For example, beavers felled trees providing critical shade during new plant establishment. In another instance, our site experienced ‘historic’ flooding that inundated new plantings selected for hotter and drier conditions. Also our site is a protected natural area within an urban environment and thus receives high visitor use and degradation associated with off-trail hiking and unleashed dogs. All of these conditions must be accommodated as they represent the wildness of nature, the chaos of changing climate, and the pressures of population growth.
Similar concerns will likely affect other restoration projects in varying locations and can be met with flexibility. To accommodate felled shade trees and high visitor use, we devised a practice of gathering downed debris of thorny plants such as tumbleweed (Salsola tragus) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and laid them on top of or around establishing plants to provide shade and deter hikers and dogs from walking through the area.
Example of how a Theory of Change model developed by communities might look like
Blue Ventures
The participatory concept model and strategy development exercise aims to identify the drivers and underlying causes of mangrove loss; and to identify potential strategies/solutions that could be implemented to reduce threats to mangrove and promote sustainable mangrove use.
At the end of the exercise the community has developed a concept model. This model depicts the drivers of mangrove loss in their community and the additional factors which contribute to this loss.
They identify solutions and work through the activities they need to implement to reach their desired results through a theory of change (ToC).
The exercise is carried out with community members in a focus group format development of the concept model and ToC is completed using different coloured paper and chalk.
Following the participatory meetings the final concept model with threat ratings, and ToC models are digitized using MiradiTM (2013) software.
Announcement of the planning is sent to village leader prior to the exercise;
High participation and presence of all stakeholders during the exercise and participants should be fully aware of the purpose of the exercise;
The facilitator from the support organization has enough skills and is familiar with the concept model exercise and able to motivate people to express their idea;
The support organization is able to adapt to the local context (using the available materials).
To address community reticence and for stronger dialogue within the community, employing two community-based facilitators from the village to assist the Theory of change exercise is recommended. Good practice includes hiring people already engaged in the LMMA management (dina enforcement committee, mangrove commission, women’s group) activities. The community-based facilitators are trained by the technical staff from the support organization in advance of the participatory theory of change exercise. Volunteers from the community should be invited to present the outcome from their group work, aiming to assess the level of consensus on the concept model they developed. It is vital to ensure representation from key stakeholder groups, particularly women and young people who may otherwise be marginalised. If needed, separate women and men in different groups to facilitate open discussion.
Participatory mapping is undertaken with communities to understand spatial patterns (land use, land tenure, land cover type and historical change and trend) and the state and use of mangrove resources in the project area.The participatory mapping creates maps which will later support the management planning and zoning. Google Earth imagery covering the whole area of interest (AOI) combined with questionnaires is used to assess community perceptions of resource use. All stakeholders (farmers, loggers, fuel wood collectors, charcoal producers, lime makers, elders and fishers), identified through interviews with key informants, are involved in this exercise and create a resource use map of the AOI. They are divided according to activity groups of 5 or more. Only one person is designated to the group to draw the boundary of each land use type on the map. Ideally each group should be assisted by one staff member from the support organization. Each group comprises a range of sex and age (male and female/young and old) that are already active in the respective activities (usually over 15 years old).
High resolution Google Earth map of the area is available and contains familiar landmarks (e.g school building, church) to facilitate community reading.
The questionnaires for the stakeholders aiming to gather additional information about the resources used are available and translated into local dialect to avoid confusion.
Good engagement with the community in advance of the mapping to ensure convenient timing and optimal participation.
The mapping exercise should last 2-3 hours to enable community members to balance participation with other commitments.
The staff from the support organization should be familiar with the local dialect and avoid using scientific/very technical words.
Consensus between groups must be respected before drawing/delineating the boundary on the map.
The facilitator must be able to make a quick analysis of information given by the community during the exercise.
