Linking Livelihoods, Citizen Science and Conservation: A Practical Approach

Summary:

The session is an interactive delivery highlighting the approach, successes and lessons learnt towards building capacity through conservation-related livelihoods and community-based conservation in a ridge-to-reef system using citizen science.

Interactive Session

Part of the Concurrent sessions (25-27th July 2018)

9:00:00 AM to 12:00:00 PM

Mr. Aljoscha Wothke Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville, Trinidad and Tobago

Lanya Fanovich

Max Capacity: 30

Minimum Required: 20

$ 37.5 Fee Required for this course.  Fee waivers available from organizers for eligible applicants

Details:

Since commencing operations in 2014, ERIC’s mission sought to connect sustainable development, conservation and livelihoods within the ridge-to-village-to-reef system in northeast Tobago through citizen science. The presenters will share ERIC’s approach and experiences in implementing its monitoring and conservation programmes as it pertains to small island coastal Caribbean communities. The audience is introduced to ERIC’s mission and role in engaging community-based organisations, community members and local governing agencies to successfully implement ecosystem monitoring, demonstrate livelihoods benefits and support protected area management. This work is supported through initiatives such as ongoing reef health monitoring, local status assessment of reef-associated shark and ray populations, underwater marine turtle monitoring, forest health and climate change monitoring through ecotourism and community climate change resilience programme assessing local climate change readiness. These programmes are recounted from two perspectives. The first is of a scientist narrating the technical aspects and the implementation process. The second viewpoint is of an actively participating community member evaluating his personal development and observations through these projects. Finally, the challenges and obstacles encountered, milestones achieved, lessons learned are highlighted while lightly touching on the local perceptions of the projects.