Through a fully functioning integrated health monitoring system for people, habitat and habituated apes and other wildlife, an early warning system was created. The aim is to detect prevalent diseases early and prevent its spreading within wildlife or human population through improved collaboration with public health and civil society actors. The Health monitoring system comprises:

Health condition of habituated gorillas are monitored daily. The Primate Habituation Programme was started by WWF back in 1997 and is one of the main pillars of the conservation work in Dzanga-Sangha ever since. Habituation has started in Campo Ma'an since 4 years. 

A variety of methods are used to investigate the spread of zoonotic pathogens in the natural habitat, such as collecting monthly faecal and urine samples from the gorillas and, less frequently, from mangabeys, collecting vectors such as carrion flies, and regularly taking swab and necropsy samples from carcasses. These are then analysed in the field laboratory.

Conservation and ecotourism employees and their families receive annual health checkups and vaccinations, and are closely monitored in suspected cases.

The establishment of the interactive system between the site, managers, and visitors

Establish a professional platform for meteorological research and phenological phenomena forecasting, combined with a real-time image capturing and recognizing system.

Capacity building in the creation of alliances and the articulation between the different organizations that make up the CL of a CBI are essential for the efficient execution of measures aimed at improving the environmental conditions of the territory. This will be composed of people with different professions, vocations, levels of knowledge and experience. It is important to offer spaces to train them on topics underlying the actions of an IWC: ecology fundamentals, conservation concepts, current regulations, political-administrative processes, etc. A common understanding of these bases will create a better environment for internal collaboration and cooperation. When developing strategies and action plans for the territory, the limited resources available will make it necessary to seek contributions from third parties: research, project financing, articulation of CBI measures with municipal management instruments, and transfer of knowledge and technology. This external articulation can only be successful through coordination and collaboration with other entities in the territory, CBI members should be instructed and trained in methods and good practices for the creation of intersectoral alliances, and regularly exchange lessons learned.

Bosque La Tigra has a clear vision of community engagement for its business: ecotourism in La Tigra and surroundings can thrive only if all those involved in the tourism sector have the abilities and skills to perform the industry; accordingly the Project identified the needs for training to improve touristic skills for the local communities and entrepreneurs.

• The Project supported the training for 14 persons of the local communities to become official tour guides between 2018 and 2021. They received lessons on Generalities of tourism and tourism ethics, Tourist attention and guidance, Geography and Cultural Tourism of Costa Rica, and Natural history.  These future tour guides have accomplished 70% of the curricula.
• The project developed training in Entrepreneurial skills for ecotourist businesses in La Tigra and near districts. In 2021, 15 entrepreneurs received ludic and participatory training to develop their business skills, in topics such as entrepreneur profile, business concept, brand and image, marketing, digital marketing, costs, and business formalization. The training consisted in group sessions and individual mentorship for each participant. The entrepreneurs have increased the visitation to their accommodations and increased the purchases of their products as a result of the training. 

Bosque La Tigra developed an attractive tourist product for international and national visitors, communities, and students that aspire to connect with nature and learn from local biodiversity. This tourist product will stand out as an offer that was created with a high sense of environmental responsibility and serves as an example, inspiration, showcase, and replicable model for international and national organizations.

Bosque La Tigra offers guided tours, an interactive walking trail where visitors can learn about the rainforest, local biodiversity, and wildlife. Visitors can enjoy 4 km of trails across primary and secondary forests. The trails are interpreted with signs of the most representative tree species of the forests, with information such as scientific name, common name, and the natural history or a brief description of the species. Visitors can also visit the tree nursery and pick a native tree to plant at the reserve. The reserve also carries out wildlife monitoring activities, installing camera traps that register videos and photographs of the fauna that live at the reserve. Visitors can also see the installation of the cameras and observe videos and photos of local fauna.

Bosque La Tigra built a biological station in the reserve that serves as a rainforest school, a place for learning and discovering the forest. Students, tourists families, and visitors can have a first-hand experience at Bosque La Tigra and enjoy the outdoor activities in the reserve.

Families can visit Bosque La Tigra and enjoy a unique experience embedded in the tropical forest. Bosque La Tigra is also a welcoming space for schools and high schools of La Tigra and surroundings, where students can learn about the tropical rainforest, its dynamics, and local biodiversity. The biological station of Bosque La Tigra has classrooms to give lessons for the local communities that are undergoing training in tourist guidance, entrepreneurship, among other topics.

Bosque La Tigra has focused on creating alliances with universities, schools, and learning institutes to cooperate and implement environmental education programs and other training at the biological station. The Project also offers overnight accommodation for students groups to develop outdoor courses and training.

EGI has engaged multiple and diverse actors, to support different and important aspects of the overall strategy. First, the local authorities were key as they provided access to the Protected Area to the EGI team, in times of lockdown and restricted access to transport and places. Second, the local and national medias supported the different activities, by organising talk show to share information and support education and awareness raising efforts. EGI was offered 16 opportunities, to create awareness on the relevance of promoting conservation amidst Covid-19 times in the country.  Finally, the Telecom company contributed to solving human – wildlife conflicts, establishing an environmental toll-free line, allowing communities to call EGI and the park rangers, if elephants for example come out of the park, with the risk of damaging their fields. The phone call allows for a quick response, where park rangers bring the elephants back in the Protected Area, avoiding the killing of these animals.

EGI partnered with Bunyoro and Bugungu cultural institutions to provide art skills to local people. 20 community groups, including women, youth and girls, formed different drama groups, that perform theatre plays, songs and dances, delivering strong messages, while providing entertainment for local communities. They are so successful that they are now hired at different occasions to perform, which provides also an income to these drama groups. They continued to perform during the second wave of Covid-19, in radio drama programs.

EGI conducted a rapid assessment on diversified livelihoods to find out what were local communities already doing.

Bee keeping came out as a common income generating activity, driven by a high demand in honey products. The households’ income has increased through the sale of honey and derived products, such as medicine, bee venom, propolis, wine, cosmetics. This is now cushioning them against climate change impact such as prolonged droughts and floods that have negative impacts on agriculture, hence able to sustain income and their livelihoods which is thus addressing the key drivers of poaching.

Another sector of intervention was agriculture. Local communities were trained to improve the resistance of their crops to climate change.