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| Questions or Comments? | Visit the Conservation Stewards Program Web Site |
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| May 2010 |
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About Us
The Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) bridges conservation and development through innovative conservation agreements developed in partnership with communities and others who own or rely on natural resources.
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 Update From the CSP Team
In Focus
Publications
Community in Action
Learning From Each Other
Diego Amorocho: Sea Turtle Researcher Turned Community Trainer |
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Update From the CSP Team
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Dear friends,
Now in the third month of my new role with CSP, I have been able to touch base with many of you via the South America Division meeting in Lima, my trip to Madagascar, discussions during Conservation International’s Annual Planning meetings, or simply e-mail and conference calls. I look forward to further strategic discussions as we finalize next year’s workplans for our various conservation agreement projects.
CSP is pleased to launch this e-newsletter to provide you with periodic updates and alerts for new content posted on our Web site, www.conservation.org/csp. Currently, there are stories, videos and pictures from various conservation agreements, and we plan to add new content to the site frequently as well as develop the portfolio section. We welcome your story ideas and other suggestions!
We are completing the final field assessment visits based on the written self-assessments that many of you completed, and are compiling a report to our donor based on these assessments. This report will include lessons learned and will be shared with you and other partners via the Learning Network Portal that is expected to be launched soon. Thank you to all of you who have supported this process.
Looking forward to strengthening partnerships and projects,
Best regards,
Eddy Niesten
Interim Director
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publications
Conservation Agreement Model
For implementers involved in CSP-funded projects, as well as others interested in following the same model, this document provides guidelines for implementing conservation agreements.
English (PDF – 154 KB) | |
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Guatemala
Community in Action
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The small Uaxactún community residing in the rainforest and archaeologically rich land of their Mayan ancestors recently signed a conservation agreement that will both conserve the biodiversity of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve and advance the socio-economic development of the community.
One of the socio-economic benefits to potentially result from this agreement is the sustainable improvement and expansion of Uaxactún's crucial economic resource, the xate palm, which is globally utilized in home decorations and religious services (Palm Sunday, for example).
To learn more about this exciting, new conservation agreement, read the full story.
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Guatemala
Learning From Each Other
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The fourth annual Learning Network meeting organized by Conservation International’s Conservation Stewards Program was held in December and attended by 55 people working on projects from communities in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains to the coast of Colombia. They included representatives from CI field teams, partner organizations and local government. The participants reviewed each step of the conservation agreement model - an agreement offers compensation to those living in environmentally critical areas to offset the opportunity cost of taking action to protect these vital areas - and shared stories of successes and challenges when working with communities to protect the environment.
The participants, coming from 12 different countries, weighed in on all stages of a conservation agreement – from the initial feasibility analysis to implementation and monitoring of an agreement and the search for sustainable funding.
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Read the story
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| Participants from more than 10 different countries traded tips at the 4th annual Learning Network, which took place in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala. | |
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colombia
Diego Amorocho: Sea Turtle Researcher Turned Community Trainer
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Diego Amorocho's story is an inspiring one. While director of a national park in Colombia, he monitored an area of coastline more than 60 kilometers in length where he witnessed the tragedy of what was basically a sea turtle massacre. Many of the female sea turtles, one of the Earth's most ancient and threatened species, were being killed by dogs right before they laid their eggs.
In response to this tragic occurrence, Amorocho was recruited to complete a survey of the state of sea turtles along Colombia’s Pacific coast that would, for the next four months, test his patience and perseverance as he witnessed people poaching sea turtle eggs and lost all of his documentation and work accomplished thus far in a flash flood.
“That was when I stopped being a researcher and I became a conservationist,” Amorocho said. “I felt I had to do something, and I wanted to put my hands on a solution to the problem instead of just studying it.” Read the story
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Photo Credits: Eduard Niesten, © CI; Uaxactun harvester, © CI/Photo by Kathleen Miller; Learning Network meeting, © CI/Photo by Patricia Zurita; Diego Amorocho, Photo courtesy of Diego Amorocho
Header: Malagasy children, © CI/Photo by Eric Coppenger; South African landscape, © CI-South Africa
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Conservation Stewards Program
Conservation International
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