Guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) established between the Dominica Sea Turtle Conservation Organization (DomSeTCO) and the Nature Enhancement Team (NET), NET operates a community based Sea Turtle Conservation and Tourism program in the Rosalie area. The program provides for the protection of endangered sea turtles nesting on the Rosalie beach, the promotion of community participation in sea turtle conservation activities and the conduct of tours (turtle, nature & farm). This project of NET represents an action plan for the conduct of the fourth year of operation of the program.
From RosTI to NET Rosalie
Rosalie is the heart of sea turtle conservation in Dominica. In 2003, the proprietors of the Rosalie Bay Resort pioneered the establishment of the Rosalie Sea Turtle Initiative (RosTI). From Rosalie, the RosTI program expanded to turtle nesting beaches in La Plaine, Londondery and the West Coast of Dominica. Essentially, the RosTI project provided a successful model for sea turtle conservation programs to develop on turtle nesting beaches throughout Dominica.
In 2009 however, NET (on behalf of the communities of Riviere Cyrique / Morne Jaune & Grand Fond) accepted the responsibility for and received the privilege of conducting sea turtle conservation activities on the Rosalie beach. This community based sea turtle conservation & tourism program (NET Rosalie) has the potential for providing a successful model to guide the development of community turtle programs in Turtle Communities throughout Dominica.
This project reflects NET?s efforts aimed at developing and sustaining ?community tourism through sea turtle conservation?.
A Safety NET
The Nature Enhancement Team (NET) is ?a safety net for turtles?. The group is dedicated to the task of protecting these endangered precious creatures. NET recognizes community support for sea turtle conservation as a critical requirement for successful implementation of its sea turtle conservation program. As a result, the group endeavors to provide opportunities for community partners to generate income through sea turtle conservation activities.
Drawn from and serving Riviere Cyrique, Morne Jaune & Grand Fond (three communities bordering the Morne Trois Pitons World Heritage Site), NET operates in partnership with the community and with the cooperation of national and regional authorities. Youth, women and farmers are key community partners. The Dominica Sea Turtle Conservation Organization (DomSeTCO) and the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) are key national and regional partners respectively.
Registered (2006) as a Non-Government Organization (NGO), NET has a total membership of fifteen (15). The membership is composed of 8 males and 7 females. They range between 14 years and 62 years in age.
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The program is a component of a national sea turtle conservation initiative coordinated by the Dominica Sea Turtle Conservation Organization (DomSeTCO) and the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST). NET is a proud member of DomSeTCO. DomSeTCO is a proud member WIDECAST.
Program Components & Activities
The NET project has six components. Activities scheduled to be conducted are distributed as follows:
1. Sea Turtle Conservation
? Conducting beach patrol operations,
? Performing regular beach cleanup exercises and
? Upgrading sea turtle egg hatchery
2. Community Outreach
? Delivering oral & electronic presentations,
? Distributing educational materials and
? Organizing field trips and demonstrations.
3. Turtle, Nature & Farm Tours
? Developing web Site
? Producing brochure, posters, bumper stickers & T-shirts and
? Erecting signs.
4. Infrastructure (Nature Trail, Art Shop & Turtle Hut)
? Paving entrance to Nature Trail, rehabilitating foot path & planting trees / ornamentals (Appendix 1),
? Constructing Art shop (Appendix 2) and
? Repairing Turtle Hut (DomSeTCO / Rosalie Bay)
5. Capacity Building (Group members & Community partners)
? Organizing seminars / workshops targeted at:
a. NET tour guides, beach patrollers, officers & members,
b. Youth, women & Farmers and
c. Artisans & entrepreneurs.
6. Monitoring / Evaluation
? Monitoring project implementation (schedule, budget & participants) and making recommendations for adjustments / corrections and
? Evaluating project completion (results / impact) and identifying lessons that can contribute to enhancing growth and sustainability.
Community Participation
NET Rosalie through this project promotes community participation in the design, implementation and monitoring / evaluation phases of the project. Consequently, the program offers tremendous benefits for NET community partners (particularly young adults). These opportunities include educational forums and knowledge based activities. Educational forums will enhance the ability of community partners to design, operate and manage their business efficiently. Knowledge based activities will provide avenues for community partners to interact with each other and to share experiences. In a nutshell, the project will help to empower the community. It will help make community partners custodians of and advocates for their natural resources.