Uniting for Conservation: Strengthening Regional Collaboration and Community Engagement in Small Island States
Here, we aim to facilitate a collaborative discussion among natural resource managers from small island states, focusing on the shared challenges they face in protecting coastal and inland ecosystems. By acknowledging the common threats posed by habitat loss and inadequate policies, we aim to explore opportunities for cross-training, information sharing, and regional collaboration. Through this exchange, we aspire to identify effective strategies to address pressing issues, enhance collective capacity for advocacy and conservation efforts, and create a tangible framework for ongoing collaboration using a framework for planning.
Organizers: Jody Daniel, Gaea Conservation Network, Zoya Buckmire, Grenada Fund for Conservation, Jeanelle Brisbane, WildDominca, Patricia Rosa, St George's University, and Tyrone Buckmire, Grenada Fund for Conservation. Emails: jodyndaniel@gmail.com, thezoyab@outlook.com, jlkbrisbane@gmail.com, prosa@sgu.edu, gfcinc1@gmail.com
Purpose: Here, we aim to facilitate a collaborative discussion among natural resource managers from small island states, focusing on the shared challenges they face in protecting coastal and inland ecosystems. By acknowledging the common threats posed by habitat loss and inadequate policies, we aim to explore opportunities for cross-training, information sharing, and regional collaboration. Through this exchange, we aspire to identify effective strategies to address pressing issues, enhance collective capacity for advocacy and conservation efforts, and create a tangible framework for ongoing collaboration using a framework for planning.
Overview: Natural resource managers in small island states encounter similar challenges in their efforts to safeguard coastal and inland ecosystems. Birds, often utilized as indicators of ecosystem health, face threats from habitat loss, particularly in the remaining undisturbed forests earmarked for development. Additionally, managers in these states face limitations due to lax policies and insufficient data and skills for effective advocacy. This combined roundtable and workshop aims to address these common issues through discussions on community
engagement, regional collaboration, and the application of a framework for planning and
implementing collaborative efforts. This session is particularly relevant to the 2024 BirdsCaribbean conference, themed "From mangroves to mountains...," as it aligns with the conference's focus on diverse ecosystems. Understanding and mitigating the threats faced by birds due to habitat loss are crucial for ecosystem conservation. The shared challenges among natural resource managers underscore the urgent need for collaboration and knowledge exchange to safeguard these habitats effectively. Through this session, we aim to facilitate dialogue, identify practical solutions, and create a tangible framework for ongoing collaboration to protect coastal and inland ecosystems, contributing to the conference's overarching goals.
Objectives:
To raise awareness about the importance of community engagement and regional collaboration in ecosystem conservation
Share case studies and best practices for effective community engagement and regional collaboration
Facilitate problem-solving discussions to address real-world challenges in regional collaboration
Guide participants in collectively filling out a framework for planning to create a tangible structure for regional collaboration
Foster a network of practitioners committed to ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing