Formation of community groups and training in resource management and alternative livelihoods. Under the project, herders formed community groups of 10 to 15 members. These groups were given training as well as financial support in the form of small loans and grants to support the groups’ sustainable management of resources and diversify herders’ livelihoods. 64 herder communities were officially registered and issued with community certificates.

The "Communication Collective Puja" was created through training workshops and laboratories to encourage community participation in land use planning processes of the municipality of Nuquí. During the Collective’s creation, formulation of the management plan in the region began, which was documented from the very beginning by the work of the Communication Collective. Young people from communities, having been previously trained, dedicated themselves to the video production process, interviews with participants and audios for the local radio. This made possible that the community participated in the process. The dissemination of the agreements of the process and the views of the community generated more interest, and people came to places where activities were being conducted and got involved in the dynamics. With camera, video and audio recorder in hand, the Collective made possible that opinions were shared and that the process was presented in a dynamic and participatory manner. A growing enthusiasm and community participation were the results of the process, which included other community issues, such as medical assistance and flooding.

Creating a strong collaborative partnership was an important success factor for this project. A management planning workshop held in July 2011 and attended by KWS scientists, planners and managers and facilitated by Parks Canada identified climate change as the most important conservation challenge facing Kenya’s national parks. Six parks heavily impacted by climate change were identified for adaptation intervention and appropriate initiatives determined for each one of them. The implementation strategy required the project to engage diverse partners drawn from the public and private sectors. Local communities, researchers, NGOs, park visitors, school groups, the tourism industry, health workers, youth and women groups associated with each park were consulted by KWS, briefed on the project’s goal of enhancing adaptation to climate change, and requested to participate in its implementation. KWS and Parks Canada provided scientific and technical support while other participants contributed professional skills, local knowledge, labor and enthusiasm. The Government of Canada provided funding through the Fast Start Climate Change Initiative.

This building block involves everything related to producing your tourism product. It is recommended that a private sector partner possessing the appropriate market focus and experience in ecotourism be selected before embarking on tourism development in order to ensure long-term sustainability. Our model suffered as a result of not having a partner from the start, putting all responsibility for marketing and tour operation on the project. Selecting and training village tourism service group members is the next important step, and should be done with involvement of community leaders, the local government tourism agency and the private sector partner. Contracts with service group members can be used to create incentives for good service and protection of wildlife. Infrastructure should be built as a community project to instill maximum ownership. A cost effective, high impact marketing tool is a ‘familiarization trip(s)’ for tour companies and journalists, in contrast to printing brochures. Word of mouth is the most important factor and is ultimately determined by a unique and well thought out product.

Invasive species in Amboseli, Tsavo and Nakuru NPs had covered large areas of wildlife habitat, displaced native biodiversity, reduced favorable forage, affected wildlife distribution and lessened visitor enjoyment. In each park, KWS staff worked with local people and other scientists to identify invasive species, their impact on wildlife, strategies for early detection, and mechanisms for control and eradication. Special focus was given to species that were growing fast, breeding profusely, dispersing widely and outgrowing native species. Areas of heavy infestation were mapped and divided into blocks to enable systematic control. Mechanical removal was preferred over chemical-based eradication to minimize risks to non-target species. KWS organized volunteer groups from local institutions and communities to mechanically uproot invasive plants from designated areas. In some cases local people were hired to work in difficult areas. The uprooted trash was either burnt in abandoned quarries or buried to prevent re-invasion. Plots were revisited for three growing seasons and regrowth removed.

The implementation process contributes to: the environmental regulation of the sub-region, reinforce the inter-institutional and community work, bringing together more than 35 participating stakeholders from various government agencies, NGOs and community organizations, in order to advocate for the well-management of hydro biological and fisheries resources, where ecosystem conservation and welfare of local communities would be beneficial.

Wildlife in Amboseli and Tsavo national parks invade community lands during drought periods in search of water while people drive their livestock into the parks in search of pasture. These inverse wildlife-livestock movements usually result in intense human wildlife conflict. The project focused on creating water reservoirs in parks and community areas that could conserve rain water for 4-6 months into the dry season, allowing wildlife and livestock to utilize different parts of the landscape over longer periods and reducing the need for wildlife and livestock to cross park boundaries. Suitable areas for capturing rain water were identified and dams and water pans were excavated. These included rehabilitating some old dams that used to be fed from streams and rivers that had dried up. In addition, important swamps that provide water to wildlife and communities throughout the year were identified and fenced off to reduce degradation due to overuse. Water was pumped into water troughs constructed outside the fence to ensure sustained supply to people, livestock and wildlife. Trees were planted along the swamps to reduce soil erosion.

Due to the multiple threats to the integrity of the ecosystems that are shared between Guatemala and Mexico, directors and rangers of the institutions responsible for the administration, management and protection of the respective protected areas decide to carry out exchanges. These exchanges serve to define activities that contribute to reducing existing threats. As a result of the exchanges, the implementation of binational management and conservation strategies are continuously defined in a strategic plan for control and collaborative monitoring, aimed at, among others, minimizing the illegal trafficking of flora, fauna and archaeological remnants.

As people cannot adapt to climate change without first having the capacity to do so, the project aimed at equipping a broad range of partners with knowledge and skills necessary for effective implementation of adaptation actions. The main target groups comprised KWS staff and local communities. Specific areas of training included methods and techniques of ecological restoration, management of modern tree nurseries, including seedling production and propagation. Others were reforestation techniques, invasive species identification, control and management, water quality and quantity monitoring, and fence maintenance. Training was provided at individual, institutional and community levels and was done either through formal institutions or on-the-job training. The Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) provided specialized training to KWS and community groups in establishment and management of tree nurseries, reforestation, and invasive species management. Most volunteer groups received on-the-ground training from KWS staff and other relevant professionals and technicians

During the aforementioned exchanges, park rangers identify, review and analyze the major shared threats, the local communities involved in illegal activities and the need to strengthen local capacities. Based on this an Annual Operative Plan (AOP) is developed and a regular review process is carried out concerning the progress of the implementation of the AOP. This review is conducted jointly by the managers of the border area institutions in order to mitigate threats, identify shared tasks and promote synergies between the institutions. The review of the Annual Operative Plan serves the staff to keep on track regarding the implementation and allows for the plan’s adaptation to changing conditions if necessary.