Seacology

The village has committed to protecting 50 acres of mangroves for 20 years. In return, Seacology will repair and improve a long stone dock, which needs to be raised because of the rising sea level.

To help protect the species, this project is conserving forest on a cluster of seven islands in the upper Uruguay River, the boundary between Uruguay and Argentina. Our nonprofit partner, GruPAmA, are increasing surveillance of the islands, with regular boat patrols and a drone, to deter illegal hunting and tree-cutting. They are also working with the communities on environmental education and livelihood training. The demand for nature tourism has increased in recent years, and GruPAmA is training local people to be nature guides. A small visitors center and an interpretive trail will be built on 550-acre del Zapallo Island.

This project supports the beekeepers of nearby Las Calderas, who serve as de facto custodians of the area and see the environmental threats first-hand. They are highly motivated to protect the forest because its diverse plants, including mangroves, provide food for the bees and make the area perfect for honey production.

This project gives the beekeepers specialized training, helping them produce higher-quality products that can be sold for higher prices in broader markets.

The Grenada Fund for Conservation has shouldered some of the enforcement burden for their local forest for many years now. This grant will help the GFC continue to work with the forestry department to keep trails well maintained and safe, plant trees to restore damaged forest, and install signs and safety features on the trail.

The community has informally created a 500-acre Locally Managed Marine Area, where fishing and other activities are restricted. Our nonprofit partner REEF (the Research and Environmental Education Foundation) and the community are asking the government to give it permanent legal protection.

REEF thinks a public education campaign is key to long-term support of conservation on the island. With Seacology support, they are launching a yearlong program, called “Our Reef, Our Life,” directed at students, teachers, and the public. It will use media, competitions, projects, and field trips to stress the crucial nature of the reef and the responsibility to protect it. The centerpiece of the effort will be an environmental education center. It will be both a tangible, everyday reminder of environmental protection and a venue for conducting environmental education and outreach to local people and tourists.

This project was proposed by the people of Runi Village, most of whom are members of the Mambrisauw clan and have made their living by fishing for as long as anyone can remember. The clan members are the owners of customary rights in the islands, and they take seriously their responsibility to manage their environment for future generations. To protect against these new threats, they are turning to an old management technique called sasi. Essentially, it is a set of rules that regulates the taking of certain marine resources, with an eye to long-term health and sustainability.

To prevent illegal fishing, the community is building a monitoring tower, solar-powered basic shelters, and toilets on uninhabited Urbabo Island, where the people from Runi go to fish.

Fostering interest in conservation is important on Isla Mujeres, where pollution, poorly planned development, and climate change have damaged coastal dunes, mangroves, and reefs. Both red and black mangrove species grow on the island. Wildlife habitats have been fragmented and lost, especially affecting resident and migratory birds including great egrets, bare-throated tiger herons, and magnificent frigatebirds. The reefs have suffered bleaching events.

As we have learned in the Dominican Republic, an effective way to get kids interested in conservation is through their interest in sports. A Seacology grant is providing soccer shoes and club uniforms for 160 kids, plus balls, goal nets, and other equipment.

This project will map almost 750 acres of seagrass in Cebu Province, around two islands that are popular destinations for birders and snorkelers. The data gathered will be made available through a free phone app, allowing boat operators and local communities to avoid damaging crucial seagrass.

This work follows directly on the success of two similar mapping projects, in Spain’s Formentera Island and Puerto Galera, Philippines. Data from the Philippines is available through Seagrass Maps PH, a free phone app. Boat crews can use it to avoid dropping anchors on seagrass meadows, and villages in the area can take the data into account when they make planning decisions.

A local company, BlueNomads, will collect data using aerial surveys, underwater imaging equipment, and high-resolution satellite cameras. The app will be promoted, with a broader seagrass conservation message, through social media and outreach to dive operators, tour guide associations, and boat charter companies.

To conserve the forest and sea, community members will work with national park staff to demarcate the forest; patrol it to deter or stop illegal logging; and protect the hornbills and other threatened species. They will explain to fishers how destructive fishing methods jeopardize their long-term livelihoods, and will offer sustainable alternatives. A new nature trail will make forest surveillance easier, facilitate field trips for students, and encourage wildlife-based tourism.

Village leaders see children as the key to long-term conservation. The community is using a Seacology grant to build an environmental education center and buy educational materials. Their plans include working with schools to teach sustainable use of the forest and fishing grounds, and setting up youth conservation clubs. Local experts in forestry and fisheries will lead field trips. The center will be a place to pass on conservation knowledge—and commitment—to the next generation.