The value of capacity building is relevant. In this project, I chose to dedicate some work to enabling the community to carry on an independent activity of biodiversity monitoring on the field, posing the base for a long term involvement managed directly by the local Community Forest Association (CFA).
After developing a data collection aimed at zoning the forest according to biodiversity values (this including a participatory mapping activity of almost 70 omeotherm wildlife species, indicator of forest quality, and the consequent identification of conservation hotspot), the work was focused of training community in the use of field GPSs and photographic traps for wildlife monitoring.
The consequent long term - truly independent - data collection, allows nowadays the project a continuous update of field data, in which sampling points are chosen, under a general agreed sampling scheme, by the most knowledgeful staff: the people.
The method, not only provided the project with the tools for a long term data collection but - almost - represents today a key mechanism motivating the community, guaranteeing an high degree of sustainability to the project and creating skills, as well as awareness of conservation value, to the populations living close to the forest.
After developing a data collection aimed at zoning the forest according to biodiversity values (this including a participatory mapping activity of almost 70 omeotherm wildlife species, indicator of forest quality, and the consequent identification of conservation hotspot), the work was focused of training community in the use of field GPSs and photographic traps for wildlife monitoring.
The consequent long term - truly independent - data collection, allows nowadays the project a continuous update of field data, in which sampling points are chosen, under a general agreed sampling scheme, by the most knowledgeful staff: the people.
The method, not only provided the project with the tools for a long term data collection but - almost - represents today a key mechanism motivating the community, guaranteeing an high degree of sustainability to the project and creating skills, as well as awareness of conservation value, to the populations living close to the forest.