The fishermen used a bathymetric map of the MPA combined with GPS devices. Each GPS location marked corresponded to a 50m2 investigated area, in which the presence of seagrass was confirmed or not. The exact seagrasses species (primarily Cymodocea) were indexed for each site in a dedicated notebook. In total, around 1500 samples were collected within the MPA. A color code was then assigned to the different findings – seagrass, sands, or rocks – which were then transcribed onto a paper map thanks to the collected GPS coordinates. In addition, twenty surveys – acknowledging the seasonal bias – were conducted randomly over the course of one year with the aim of noting again the presence or absence of seagrass. The protocol for the surveys was inspired by examples provided by the Seagrass-Watch field guides. The paper map and GPS coordinates were later transformed into a digital map by Mr. Paul Tendeng, GIS technician from the Regional Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa (RAMPAO).

The MPA in Joal-Fadiouth was established on November 4th, 2004. The idea of the conservation of the marine resources, and hence the establishment of the MPA, stemmed directly from the local fisherfolk community. Along with the fisherfolk community, the MPA is being co-managed by the the Directorate of Community-Based Marine Protected Areas (DAMCP) which was created in order to support Senegal’s blue growth and biodiversity conservation national strategies.

A transcendental element is education as a practice of freedom for the conservation of nature. Through horizontal workshops, we encourage students in megadiverse rural sites to strengthen their vision of the world in order to transform it, and thus reincorporate nature as an intrinsic element of societies, based on ethics and respect for all beings with which they coexist.

Educators become part of the learners' society and together we seek the process of decolonization of the reductionist thinking that considers nature as a thing, an object of the market, something that can be destroyed.

We transform this erroneous vision of nature with an educational model that seeks to reincorporate an ontological and ethical value to nature.

From the periphery, education incorporates the knowledge of the other.

For Defensores del Chaco [Protectors of Chaco], information and communication technologies are now a fundamental part of the fight against climate change and the sustainability of the planet.

Defensores del Chaco has a team of committed young people with creative skills. They use the latest technological tools to produce quality content, prioritizing what should be communicated and using the tools to create content and achieve calls to action. 

The products they produce involve the: 

1. Creation of a video
2. The preparation of a flyer

Volunteers are strongly involved in communication processes to seek changes in society, thereby fulfilling four functions: informing, persuading, entertaining and educating.

Communication work is crucial for society to find out about and value natural resources, in order to increase environmental education and awareness and to contribute to a better conservation of natural areas.

Projects in this area offer young people the opportunity to contribute to nature conservation by getting involved in the following tasks:

1. Reforestation
2. Conservation of flora and fauna
3. Data collection
4. Tasks involving nature reserve maintenance
5. Bio-construction projects
6. Environmental Education and Communication

The plays that are performed in the communities are paid for by organizations that require environmental education projects, and these same plays can be sold to municipalities or schools that require performances on specific days, or even at birthday parties. Environmental education becomes self-employment for the young people in the group.

This program requires ongoing training. In addition to personal growth issues, training sessions include identifying problems, creating a script, developing a theatrical production, creating puppets, and holding acting classes.

Puppet theatre allows the group to create fun stories, appropriate to the reality of the communities, which clearly identify a problem and propose a solution. The plays combine entertainment with education, the messages are clear, and the theatre is a medium for that message to reach children and adults. In addition, at the end of the play, educational materials are distributed so that the message is not forgotten.

It is essential that the group has a leader who organizes and inspires young people to join the puppet program. The success of each activity depends on the leader being able to motivate his or her team, constantly innovate and seek growth opportunities for all.