We presented our work in the local schools and community centres through talks and slides, and we were interviewed by local newspapers to explain our work and gain support within the community. We also offered to talk about our work on tourist ships. Outreach is an important part of gaining community support among local people, including researchers, fishers, and of course media. The rationale is that without their support, marine habitat protection will be less likely to be respected.

Marine turtles, coral reefs and the pelagic ecosystem have been the conservation targets prioritized in Gorgona NP. The corresponding adaptation measures are being implemented, always taking into account local stakeholders’ participation, encouraging a capacity building process for the PA staff and providing the best information about a changing environment including possible scenarios for the area. Because adaptation strategies are integrated as part of the pre-existing management strategies of the PA, they are also in the “loop” of monitoring and effectiveness assessment.

The tourism operators and park rangers are required to collect data on biophysical and economic indicators to ensure that the limits are not surpassed. This data therefore also allows adapting management actions in the park. Economic indicators measure income per each activity, employers generated and willingness to pay (tourist).

Many communities in our part of the island do not have the capacity (social, financial, educational, technical) to implement activities that will help them improve their livelihoods in a sustainable manner that will also support National Park management; nor to fully participate in Park management. Therefore, the National Park seeks to build local capacity through awareness raising, knowledge building, skills training and project implementation. We conduct presentations in local schools and teacher training workshops as well as community meetings and skills training workshops whether in sustainable tourism and/or sustainable agriculture. We also seek the funds or help groups seek the funds to implement what they have learned or made plans for in workshops. We try to ensure that the community implements activities with minimal assistance, or at least with reducing assistance over time.

The community group identified in building block 2 together with a selection of village leaders is trained in bylaw formulation and implementation. Topics covered in the training include government structures in Tanzania and types of laws and regulations; concept and fundamentals of local government; management of natural resources at village level; Tanzania legislation related to waste management; meaning of bylaws; regulations that guide formulation of bylaws; process of local bylaw formulation; approval of formulated bylaws at district level; and implementation of approved bylaws (including opportunities and challenges). The training process enables the group to conduct a detailed analysis of the current status of waste management in their communities and understand the expected impact of poor waste management if it is not well considered in the bylaws. Understanding the process of bylaw formulation and approval also helps participants to recognize the existing management and administrative gaps between the district council, village council and community members so that an effective strategy can be put together to address the gaps and build a strong co-management approach.

Within the protected areas management framework, a process of identifying, prioritizing and mainstreaming climate adaptation actions was undertaken using the best information provided by the climate risk and resilience assessments. The criteria used on the prioritization process were: Benefits, Opportunities, Risks and Costs. Selected climate change adaptation actions/measures need to be easily adaptable to local conditions and applied with local and regional stakeholders.

The importance of nature conservation is brought out to the local community - including the tourist sector. Awareness raising campaigns are conducted to transform knowledge, values, skills and attitudes towards sustainable tourism development. Information is disseminated via videos, brochures, press releases and organised flash mobs.

Demarcation of the conserved area is a crucial step, and involvement of the entire community in this process is extremely important. The area under de facto community jurisdiction is quite large even going up to a few hundred square kilometers in some cases, there are also disputed lands either between various clans of the village or between different villages. It is important that the community reaches a consensus on how much and which area will be declared as a conserved area. Using participatory tools i.e. social/ resource mapping, we identify landmarks and traditional boundaries of the forest and physically verify them wherever possible. We also use modern devices like GPS to track/ mark boundary/ make use of Google Earth and develop maps using GIS. This helps to define boundaries and outline a map of the conserved area, and communicate this to all stakeholders and especially each and every household of the village. Well defined boundaries are the foundation for better protection and long-term management.

When the ecological awareness of the local population is high enough, they understand that preservation of rare species of plants and animals will attract more ecotourists to the Reserve. That is why guest house owners actively participate in the programmes for the development of ecotourism, renovate guest houses, produce local souvenirs, grow local vegetables and fruits to sell to ecotourists. Because locals know the trails in the Reserve well, they know where rare snow drops grow, where mountain goat trails are, their support and “buy-in” is very much needed for conservation purposes. Only by joining efforts, the common goals can be reached.

Wherever possible using local labour in construction and operation of tourism camps, as well as local suppliers of goods and services, allows for greater participation of community members in PA tourism and ensures a wider spread of benefits (multiplier effects). It is, however, essential to connect benefits from tourism and conservation to the protected area and the related tourism. Damaraland Camp used largely local labour in construction: this provided important income as well as skills training for local community members. The camp still uses local suppliers for various services, including laundry, security, cultural activities, etc. and future plans aim to include more local suppliers.