Training Services Becoming a Major Source of Revenue for Iwokrama
Iwokrama Training Services is fast becoming one of the main avenues of revenue generation for the Centre.
The Centre hosted a group of 22 students and 2 lecturers from Tourism Department of the University of Guyana on April 23, 2006 at the Iwokrama Field Station. The students were given a presentation on the Tropical Ecosystems, Ecology and Flora and Fauna found within the Iwokrama Forest and surrounding communities by the Iwokrama Field Station staff as part of their trip.
On April 7–10 2006, a group of 42 students and lecturers from the Biology Department of the University of Guyana visited the Iwokrama Field Station to conduct surveys of mammals along the trails (visual techniques), setting up of mist nets for study of bats and marking of the Habitat for setting up the mammal traps.
Iwokrama has been recently contracted to provide Training Services for the Guyana Protected Areas System Project by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the assistance of the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), the Federal Republic of Germany’s Financial Cooperation for the next 2 years. The training contract was signed between the EPA and Iwokrama on February 17, 2006 and the overall objective of the training contract is to support ecosystems conservation initiatives of the proposed Guyana Protected Areas System by training a cadre of persons in various skills required in natural resources management in Guyana.
The specific objectives of the training contract are:
- Training of 30 graduates/ professionals from governmental and non-governmental organisations in collaborative natural resources management;
- Training of 30 community members and representatives in collaborative natural resources management;
- Training of 30 persons in park rangering;
- Training of 30 persons in visitor management/ tour guiding.
On April 20, 2006, an Inception Meeting on the Iwokrama/EPA/KFW Training Services Contract was held with the various stakeholders at the Red House. A 4-person Steering Committee has been set up to provide an opportunity for feedback and guidance. The committee will comprise one representative from the EPA, one from Iwokrama International Centre, the consultancy team leader for the KfW-funded GPAS portion and one other person who will be chosen as a representative of the communities that will benefit from the training. The Inception Meeting allowed for the voting of the Community Representative on the Steering Committee who was voted in by Community organisations and non-governmental organisations. Kyd James from the Amerindian Peoples’ Association was selected as the Community Representative with Mr. Rodney Davis as the alternate.
The first Ranger Training Programme under the KFW funded contract is scheduled for August 2006 for the three priority areas – Shell Beach, Kaieteur National Park and the Kanukus. The ranger training programme is intensive and consists of an integrated programme of 29 Units and a series of practical demonstrations and examinations. The course will comprise three months instruction which includes supervised successful completion of a project, followed by a three month internship period. Announcements for the training programme have been distributed to the Lead Agencies with the three areas as well as to communities.
Training is also one of the main avenues for Iwokrama to disseminate its experiences and technologies pertaining to conservation and sustainable use of the tropical forests and allows Iwokrama to continue to collaborate with its key partners, the North Rupununi communities through the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), in various training activities that ensures the continuing success of Iwokrama through facilitating a strong and dynamic relationship between the Centre and local communities.
