Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a participatory forest management approach that allows the local population – either individuals or groups – to become involved in forest management and support the rehabilitation of degraded natural forests over the long term. These individuals sign a contract for the land use rights with the State Forest Enterprises for a period of 20 years, with the possibility for prolongation. This encourages the tenants to sustainably manage and rehabilitate their forest plot of usually 1-2 ha in size. In addition to the contract, management and annual plans serve as tools for forest management planning and for the monitoring of activities and results. They are developed jointly by the State Forest Enterprises and the respective tenant for each individual plot. Typical tasks specified in the annual plan are measures to protect the plot from livestock grazing, planting of trees, harvesting and pruning. Further, the annual plan specifies the harvest shares of the State Forest Enterprises and the forest tenant according to a fair sharing principle defined in the contract. The management plan, developed, for a 5 year period, specifies long-term goals, such as the installation of an irrigation channel or the diversification of the forest plot. 

In order to ensure an adequate supply of native and endemic plant species for the restoration actions, it was necessary to increase the capacity of production in nurseries of endemic and native plant species. The Regional Directorate for Forestry Resources, an important partner in this project, already produced endemic and native tree species before the project started. Native and endemic species production has significantly increased since then.

However, the need for more species and, specifically, the need for herbaceous and shrubby species to ensure a higher percentage cover of the area, led the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds to build a new nursery. This nursery is mostly focused on the production of herbaceous and shrubby species and is also important for planting areas with native and endemic species for seed collection, to be used for hydro-seeding techniques. Presently, these nurseries have an annual production of around 40,000 plants and around 160 kg of seeds.

These nurseries are also used for environmental education activities and for the promotion of the use of native species in gardening by the general public.

The project’s communication strategy was aimed at the local population through press and social media. It was important to produce press releases and invite journalists to report on the project, as was communication through the internet and social media.

A regular programme of activities aimed at the general public, including volunteering activities, was developed. These activities allowed locals (and sometimes visitors) to participate in and learn about conservation activities taking place in the protected area, as well as learning about Azorean biodiversity.

In the end of 2007 the Priolo's Interpretation Centre was opened. Its mission is to raise awareness for the “Priolo” and its habitat, the Laurel Forest. It contains an exhibition that tells the story of Azores bullfinch, explains the conservation actions developed on the ground and talks about the biodiversity of the protected area and of the Azores archipelago. The Priolo’s Interpretation Centre increased the communication capability of the project. This centre provides information for visitors to the protected area and promotes educational activities for schools and the local population. This centre also has a small souvenir shop and donation box, gathering some funding for the implementation of the project.

A comprehensive environmental education program was developed for all levels of basic education, from pre-school to 12th year and including professional training. It includes activities adapted to the learning curriculum of each year. This way, school children would get information about nature conservation and its benefits while learning relevant concepts for their education. These activities are also offered to non-formal educational groups during the school holidays. More than 20,000 students have participated in a programme that has reached all the schools on the island.

The environmental education programme was designed with the contribution of teachers through several workshops that led to the definition of an education strategy. It includes a set of activities to be developed in the schools, ranging from lectures and practical classroom activities to more recreational activities and educational games. It also comprises some school visits to the Priolo’s Interpretation Centre, the Nurseries of Azorean Plants and the protected area.

Teaching tools and child-friendly materials were prepared for the programme and for teachers’ independent use. A certified teacher education program has been developed with 150 teachers trained so far.

To effectively conserve natural resources and facilitate sustainable development, a shift in perception must occur so communities and governments view PAs and natural resources as productive units of the economy, rather than resources under siege from development sectors and local communities. In the lower Mekong countries, attitudes are changing and governments are beginning to perceive PAs as economic assets carefully conserved for the development benefits they provide. While this shift is still occurring, governments are moving towards a situation where the natural capital held in PAs is subject to regular stock taking with the results reflected in GDP and budgets. Member states understand that investing in PAs and natural capital ensures resources are sustained, restored and expanded so they continue to produce ecosystem services vital to development and economic expansion.  

Natural systems are not restricted to national boundaries and should be the foundation for regional development across borders, providing opportunities for political, technical and cultural collaboration leading to mutual economic gains. The partnership in the lower Mekong region united four member states, and expanded to embrace upper Mekong countries, and it provided the framework for focused conservation agreements between the countries.

Member states began by conducting national reviews of resources and policies, involving cross-sectoral working groups of PA agencies, economic planning and finance bodies, development sectors, and conservation organizations. National reviews directed a regional action plan to determine how much and which parts of the region should be kept in its natural state for the best development outcomes. Member states collaborated in reviewing issues requiring shared management, and adopted the same goals and objectives to facilitate comparative analysis and regional collaboration. The national reviews laid the foundation of information and directions the governments of the region wish to take, and the results will be integrated into the policies, programs and practice of each country and of their international partners.

While the first sponge farms were set-up the appropriate business model needed to be established. The objective is to generate a stable income for sponge farmers and to enable them to gain independence from marinecultures.org as early as possible. Some of the aspects that needed to be addressed:

• Sufficient access to sales market(s) for sponge farmers.
• Who will assume the responsibility for commercialisation in Zanzibar and/or overseas? Possible solutions:

> Formation of a cooperative.

> Appointment of a salesperson.

> Direct sales through sponge farmers.

> NGO or company purchases complete or partial harvests for overseas sales.

• Ensuring continuous training of new sponge farmers.
• Ensuring quality control.
• Establishing local competency and responsibility for multiplying sponge farms at existing and new sites.

The development of an appropriate cultivation method was started concurrently with the evaluation of suitable species and in close collaboration with the first sponge farmers. In this phase many technicalities had to be clarified and a simple yet robust cultivation system that can easily be multiplied was developed. Some of the details that needed to be worked-out were:

• The minimum water depth at which sponges thrive and at which sponge farmers can spend as much time as possible without being required to swim.
• The optimal spacing between sponges.
• Sourcing rope material suitable for the construction of the farm and attachment of cuttings that is durable, cheap, easy to handle and locally available.
• The ideal cutting size, shape and suspension method.
• The minimum number of cuttings per farm necessary for two sponge farmers to make a living and to ensure that propagation does not require collection of additional sponges from the wild.
• The frequency at which cuttings need to be cleaned and trimmed.
• The right moment to harvest sponges.
• Methods to process, clean, preserve and dry sponges as well as appropriate packaging and labelling of the product.
• A training curriculum for sponge farmers and the outline of technical assistance needed for future support independent sponge farmers.

FPP considers fundamental for the implementation of projects: achieving the basic needs and the improvement of the living conditions of the community, it has the endorsement of it. So it is essential to build bonds of trust with its participants, local authorities and community leaders.

The satisfaction of basic is necessary to improve life conditions of families and communities; which creates accurate conditions to self-sufficiency as well the design of local projects that contribute to their development beyond wellbeing.

Having these situations will generate projects oriented to the generation of income with local resources that will establish the bases to achieve self-sufficiency and their empowerment. Also, from this process the community will carry out actions for the management of high impact projects with and other instances. After having finalized the knowledge and skills for the design, execution and monitoring of local and regional development plans.

FPP intervention scheme considers the Community Organization as a fundamental catalyst because through it an active, conscious, inclusive and participative community is created that is committed to solving its problems. FPP focuses on the integration of networks and working groups, linked to the community and participants participation in their locality, in such a way that a dynamic community is achieved that learns to make joint decisions.

We seek to work with self-managed community actors that promote collective interests and raise awareness of the importance of social integration for the resolution of common problems. This allows the appropriation of projects that integrate environmental services conservation and based on social organization.

We are working for the consolidation of the community organization with a solid structure, well-defined roles and full participation of women and young people; which have high levels of trust and solidarity as well as promoters of change.

Of that it is possible a resilient community with the capacity of answer to problems or external shocks that, likewise, remain in the search of continuous improvements.