Our project is evolving: there is already clarity regarding the successful solution in the original case study region to be replicated as well as an indication of the potentials transfer regions. Thus, the preparation activities for the transfer process have begun.
In Marujá, for instance, was developed a participatory process involving people from different ages within the community, while in Encostas da Serra Geral, were developed two sensibilization and capacitation workshops in the municipality of Santa Rosa de Lima. Moreover, our partners in the case study regions are already establishing the initial contacts with the potencial transfer regions. For example, in Costa Rica is already in course the process of signature of the memorandum of understanding between our partner Neotropica Foundation (NEO) and the transfer regions. It is expected that in the near future will start being discussed the transfer strategies, including capacitation courses and field trips between the case study and the respective transfer regions. Detailed information is given below.
Marujá / Superagui
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| Meeting between FUNDAG and AMOMAR |
On 26th April, 2012, our partners from FUNDAG suggested to the AMOMAR association (the Marujá resident association) the application of a participatory process that incorporates views from different people of the community, including children, adults and elderly living in Marujá. The community leader and several members of AMOMAR agreed and from 10th to 12th May, the FUNDAG team assisted the community in adopting the Socio-technical Multicriteria Decision Aiding Process (MACBETH), to help them to develop their vision of the future.
For that, in the first day, a group of 26 children and adolescents identified their core values and concerns, which was also done by 27 adults and elderly in the second day. On the last day the values identified for the two groups were merged. A working group of 12 people was selected during the meeting to proceed to the next steps of the process. The idea is that the same process should take place in the transfer region in a near future.
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Encostas da Serra Geral
Field work and workshop in Santa Rosa de Lima
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| Meeting with Tocantins State Secretary for the Agriculture, Jaime Café |
Térraba Sierpe and Golfo Dulce
In the case study in Térraba Sierpe and Golfo Dulce various activities took place, including consultation workshops and contact with the transfer region in the Gulf of Nicoya. In addition, in May the Blue Carbon Program (BCP) was launched in partnership between NEO, Volkswagen (VW) and Ford. BCP is a corporate program that seeks an alliance between communities, civil society and private companies. The main objective of this program is to enable financial sustainability of wetland community conservation efforts in the pacific coastline. Recently, another corporate partner of NEO, Davines an Italian company that produces natural base products for hair care, joined the program.
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Process of Transfer of Experiences begins
In February 2012 consultation workshops were conducted in the case study areas, a workshop near Térraba Sierpe National Wetland and another one in the Golfo Dulce. In these workshops communities identified lessons learned and success stories they have had in the participatory processes of mangrove conservation. The members of these communities were determined to share the lessons learned with communities in the transfer area. Also, there was a visit and sharing with a group of fishermen in the transfer area. This group recognized the importance of mangrove conservation and expressed interest in learning from experiences in Térraba Sierpe and Golfo Dulce in order to implement them in their environment.
Advances in transfer areas
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| Degraded mangrove area into Abangaritos mangrove |
On the other hand, there have been some close work with Pájaro Campana Biological Corridor which promotes ecological connectivity between upstream areas and mangroves located north of the city of Puntarenas. This biological corridor is organized into work committees, one of which focuses on the issue of mangrove protection. Both the Local Council of the biological corridor and NEO are seeking to facilitate an exchange of experiences in the study area so that they can learn from the experience lived in mangrove restoration in the Golfo Dulce.
Advances in the Study Area
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| Nursery opening |
In July were inaugurated mangrove nurseries sponsored by Volkswagen and Ford . The opening event of the nurseries was attended by the Association of Fishermen of the Golfo Dulce (ASOPEZ), the public school of El Campo, authorities of the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve and NEO. These nurseries are located near Rincon River mangroves in Playa Colibri and Playa Conte further north, both in Golfo Dulce mangroves. These nurseries will house 4,200 mangrove seedlings each, that will serve to reforest a total of 8 hectares of mangroves, with a density of 100 trees per hectare. There will be more than 8000 seedlings in the nurseries and four different species of mangroves: Laguncularia racemosa, Rhyzophora mangle, Rhyzophora racemosa y Pelliciera rhyzophorae.
In addition, NEO and the local organization Coopemangle, began exploratory work to install the first nursery for community reforestation in Térraba Sierpe National Wetland region. This process is part of the transfer of experiences among local communities in this important wetland and the Golfo Dulce communities.
Legal instruments and additional funds
In June, the government of the Republic of Costa Rica announced the creation of the Vice Ministry of Water and Seas, office to be responsible for governing the country Blue Policy, which includes the area of CiVi.net case studies. He was appointed Vice Minister Mr. José Lino Chaves, former Chairman of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal. The creation of this vice ministry is an important opportunity to generate greater awareness on the subject and political support for transfer initiatives.
On the same month, proposal to DNS Program (grant from Costa Rica) was submitted. The main goal of the proposal is to get additional funds for the work done in the case study regions and the transfer workshops and field trips between the communities in the mangrove areas of the Humedal Terraba Siere and the Golfo Dulce. In August, Neotropica signed the Memorandum of understanding with the stakeholders in Golfo Dulce (ASOPEZ) and there are other two MOU in progress with COOPEMANGLE and COLOPEZ.
On September 17, Bernardo Aguilar, Alexander Gonzalez and Karla Cordoba met Etilma Morales, director of the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA) to define technical and legal aspects about working in the case study, and suggestions for managing the process transfer. This meeting was held in the offices of National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) in San Jose.