Local | PANORAMA

Knowledge Synthesis

There was existing guidance on how to observe and interact with great apes while protecting both their health and that of humans. While previous guidelines addressed other respiratory diseases, there were no COVID-19 specific protocols as research and information were only just beginning to become available. The working group gathered intelligence from a wide array of sources, ensuring they were capturing the most up to date and relevant details, and synthesized it into a cohesive, clear document.

The guidelines previously published by the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, and the group’s passionate memberships, were key enabling factors to the working group’s ability to quickly create COVID-19 specific protocols. Being able to draw directly from peer-reviewed resources streamlined the process and allowed the group to confidently create new guidelines despite the lack of COVID-19 information available at the time.

The working group drew knowledge from beyond just great ape primatologists. While their expertise was a guiding factor throughout the process, inviting other people to contribute ensured a diversity of knowledge bases were captured in the guidelines. The peer-reviewed COVID-19 information available was still lacking at the time, and broadening the contributing pool of experts lead to a more comprehensive and useful set of guidelines.

Operating scheme for ecotourism services

The ecotourism services concession program in Colombia's National Natural Parks (PNNC) began to be implemented in 2005, with the objective of providing better attention to visitors and allowing the park to focus its efforts on conservation activities. The concessionaire's operations are based solely on the provision of ecotourism services, maintenance and improvement of infrastructure, provision of assets, and environmental sanitation, all under legal regulations and with monitoring by PNNC. In addition, the ecotourism offer is based on the natural, historical, and cultural attractions that make Gorgona NP an interesting destination.

Creation of a regulatory framework for private participation in ecotourism services in Colombia's National Natural Parks" in 2005.
Existence of a general infrastructure for lodging, cleaning, waste management, food services, and nature tourism.
A business model that recognizes the volume of visitors as an element that can favor conservation.
Need to generate connectivity in the region and reasonable access to the Sanguianga-Gorgona region.

It is important to advance in the more effective incorporation of the community, which can produce more benefits to the parties, with a less hotel-like vision, establishing a well differentiated management for operators and seasons, with the purpose of balancing costs for all parties.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

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Design of experiences based on natural, historical and cultural attractions.

Sea Turtle Training

Cristian García

The design of experiences based on natural, historical, and cultural attractions is intended to promote environmental awareness and convey the importance of conservation of the marine protected area. The process for designing these experiences is based on national guidelines and advances in the knowledge of Gorgona NP, including continuous dialogue with visitors and stakeholders in the territory. Subsequently, the information is analyzed in an integrated manner, and interpretation scripts are developed for terrestrial and marine environments that are made viable through operational and logistical support according to the capacities of Gorgona NP. Some experiences that have been identified are: Enchantments of the Deep and Cultural Heritages and the Enchanting Island. Finally, the positive and negative impacts of ecotourism activities are monitored and satisfaction surveys are conducted.

Resolution 1531-1995 regulates activities in the PNNG, for the entry, stay, and permitted and disallowed activities of visitors.
Definition of tourist carrying capacity for the three main beaches of the PNNG, with total average estimates between 80 and 120 people, and restrictions for specific trails. For the 9 main dive sites, total averages are between 27 and 60 divers per day, depending on weather conditions and operational capacity.

Need for updated information on natural attractions based on traditional knowledge, monitoring and research.
Implementation of global, national, regional and local ecotourism priorities, according to the dynamics of the territory.
PNN officials' knowledge of the territory for the educational processes of trail interpretation.
Among the aspects to improve, it is important to provide continuity to the administrative, technical, and operational processes, which should be balanced between the needs and expectations of the communities and the development of the nature tourism sector.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Entirety

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Determination of ecotourism in Gorgona NP based on the application of criteria and indicators.

Resolution 531 of 2013 establishes guidelines for the planning and management of ecotourism in the areas administered by the Colombian National Natural Parks System, based on 8 criteria, 2 biophysical and 6 social. The criteria are as follows:(i) areas with over-represented ecosystems in the SPNNC; (ii) PAs with greater anthropic pressures; (iii) PAs with a tendency to increase visitor income; (iv) PAs with work plans involving stakeholders for ecotourism; v) Existence of political and planning conditions for ecotourism development; vi) PAs with greater accessibility; vii) PAs with infrastructure facilities for ecotourism development; and viii) PAs that work together with local communities in productive processes. As a result of the evaluation of the criteria, the PNNG obtained a score that allowed it to identify such management, promoting processes that contribute to the generation of development opportunities for local and regional populations, based on the sustainable use of nature.

Criteria tested in the areas administered by National Parks of Colombia recognizing the main ecological structure that supports ecotourism activities, from values under conservation as the tropical rainforest, marine ecosystems and the richness of fauna and flora that contain the marine protected area.
Geological, fossiliferous and archaeological heritage that keeps the Gorgona Island, along with the cultural connotation that has the operation of a prison on the island until 1984.

Ecotourism vocation (EV) is the set of conditions and characteristics that determine the aptitude of a PA to establish ecotourism as a conservation strategy, contributing to fulfill the environmental and social function of the NNP, promoting the social valuation of nature and the recognition of ecotourism among local, regional and national stakeholders as an alternative that contributes to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage.
The evaluation is carried out not only at the PA level, but also on the basis of a system analysis, in which criteria are evaluated equally for all areas, identifying opportunities and threats to them; in this way, the viability of implementing ecotourism as a conservation strategy is defined. To achieve this vocation, it is necessary to include social participation in the PA; therefore, the park team, together with different community and institutional actors, have worked on the implementation of good ecotourism practices to achieve the 2030 global agenda.

Entirety

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Art Photography

Documenting traditional food from Waluguru indigenous tribe

Tengeneza Generaration and Davie Masanja

We document and promote our work through art photography. Pictures are powerful, as they are visual materials that people can see. They make messages around conservation more impactful among the community members we work with.

We engage professional photographs to join and document expeditions. So far, we have a portfolio of more than 17,342 pictures.

Keen to involve artists in supporting conservation work.
Revisiting our local traditional conservation methods involved working with artists and cultural practitioners.

Art and culture is a tool Africans have always used and continue to use to educate wider communities to love their nature.
Visual art is the best tool to send a message faster and more powerful to communities, especially young people.
Art and culture reconnect personally to his/her roots.

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Strong Partnership

TEG photo with Government officials

Tengeneza Generaration

We established strong partnerships with the Nature Reserves government authorities (Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS), as well as with the Department of Natural Resources and Tourism and Youth Development. They provide continuous support, whether it is the use of a vehicle, the delivery of permits, recommendation letters, or waive camping fees to our team and skills.

We also maintain good partnerships with local communities, who propose new activities, and new camping sites to extend the eco-tourism offer and support in installations of sign boards. EAMCEF provided funding $10,000 to support ecological and cultural tourism by empowering the Choma community found adjacent to the Uluguru mountains. Nafasi Art Space provided training in developing art program and fund $1000.

Report and continuous activities updates sharing with stakeholders.

Updating about and involving others in our work and cooperating with our partners have improved and shaped positive impact to our communities. For example they have formed an ecotourism group called Choma ecotourism group to manage ecological and cultural tourism development.

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Team determination

Some team members

Tengeneza Generaration

Our work involves self-motivation and self-financing. TEG team determination to support the conservation of biodiversity and empowerment of youth living adjacent to nature reserves includes organizing online exhibitions and online behaviour change campaigns. With or without external support, TEG staff have volunteerly engaged with donors, government officials, and communities in designing the program, fundraising, and implementing it.

TEG founders and Alumni internal support in skills development trainings, in conducting baseline surveys and reflections on issues relating to conservation, in connecting with stakeholders, and financing of some of the activities.

As a youth organization we have been growing by first willing to invest in ourselves, in our credibility and capability before attaching donors and partners. TEG Team and TEG alumni’s determination was our only asset to do that.

Documentation and dissemination of results