Press Release 8 March 2005

Iwokrama Completes Course for Community Members from Regions 1,8 and 9

Georgetown , Guyana – The Iwokrama International Centre announced the completion of its one-month ranger training course for community members from Regions 1, 8 and 9. Iwokrama was contracted by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS) to conduct this course as part of their support for the development of protected areas management in Guyana.

The thirteen representatives who were drawn from the Kaieteur National Park, communities around Shell Beach, GMTCS, the North Rupununi District Development Board ( NR D DB), and Iwokrama, spent the entire period in the Iwokrama Forest, where they were exposed to classroom and field activities.

Course participants were exposed to various aspects of ranging, including: understanding the links between local, national, and global environmental issues; the importance of co-management of protected and sustainable utilisation areas; environmental education and interpretation; presentation and report writing; and representing an organisation. In addition, the course exposed participants to natural resource management laws in Guyana, Guyana’s history and political organisation, and participatory approaches to resource management including community project planning and implementation and sanitation and hygiene.

Course participants will be expected to return to their respective organisations and communities equipped with a set of resources with which they can carry out their responsibilities as field-based natural resource managers.

Instructors for this four-week course comprised of experts from University of Guyana, the Guyana Police Force, the Court of Appeal, the Bina Hill Institute, Conservation International-Guyana, Youth Challenge-Guyana and Iwokrama. Course instructors also included Iwokrama Rangers trained under the two previous Iwokrama Ranger Training Programmes.

Training is a central part of Iwokrama’s Strategic Plan to assist in the further development of the Guyana’s Protected Areas System (GPAS). It provides the opportunity for Iwokrama to demonstrate its model of natural resource management, and extends Iwokrama’s revenue earning capacity by the provision of training services.

This particular course is one component of the overall Iwokrama Ranger Training Programme. Other course subjects in Iwokrama’s training portfolio include tour guiding, participatory approaches in community-based resource management, and protected areas management.

The Iwokrama Forest is the only fully functioning protected area in Guyana and Iwokrama has been identified as a critical training institution for the GPAS.. Iwokrama enjoys an excellent relationship with local communities and is internationally recognised for the involvement of local communities in its management and decision making. It uses the principle of collaborative management, which recognises the shared responsibilities, rights and rewards related to the management and sustainable use of the rainforest. Iwokrama presently employs twelve rangers drawn mostly from local communities.