Project Detail

Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic Wildlife Ambassador Program

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) and illegal wildlife traffic (IWT) are major threats to biodiversity, and stressors on indigenous and local populations access to and management of their natural resources. HWC and IWT are often perpetuated by a lack of awareness in local population, and lack of capacity in law enforcement. Through the Wildlife Ambassador Program (WAP), the lack of awareness and capacity will be addressed by providing training and resources to law enforcement entities and community Ambassadors from indigenous and local communities. This will be further supported through advice and veterinary services provided by BWRC, thereby mitigating the impacts of HWC and IWT from prevention to improving the response to wildlife conflict and emergencies, at the national level. Special focus will be placed buffering communities close to protected areas and in rural areas, which are hot spots for HWC and IWT. The WAP trainings and outreach will also facilitate networking between Community Ambassadors, NGOs and Law Enforcement. The WAP will assist indigenous and local communities in wildlife management planning, and communication with relevant NGOs and law enforcement. The WAP supports the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the CBD National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy, the National Protected Areas Policy and System Plan and Horizon 2030. The WAP focuses on SGP OP7 Strategic Initiatives including supporting community-based conservation of threatened ecosystems and species and enhancing social inclusion focusing on communities within and adjacent to OP7 target areas.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic

Country:

Belize

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP7 - Y1 (Jul 20-Jun 21)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 212,883.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

Project Number:

BZE/SGP/OP7/Y1/ICCA-GSI-COVID/2021/04

Start Date:

8/2021

End Date:

10/2023

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

A total 80 Stakeholders and community Ambassadors participated in the 2018 Wildlife Ambassador Workshop and the post-workshop feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It is from these individuals that requests for 20 further workshop trainings were collected. In the preparation of a nationwide program, these same individuals will be contacted and further community ambassadors will be identified. Workshop schedules will be set in cooperation with communities, enforcement agencies and conservation partners. For implementation, conservation partners will be invited to join in-person or contribute messages and distribute educational materials as needed. Conservation stakeholders can benefit from the WAP outreach to accomplish their educational goals and participants are receiving a free training that will benefit them in securing their livelihood, which will aid participation interest. In order to monitor and evaluate the project, surveys will be conducted to assess base knowledge before workshops, further needs for workshops, and to determine impact of workshops. Social media sites and WhatsApp lists will facilitate involvement in project implementation. Regular communication and games with small prizes will be offered to encourage participation.

Planning gef grant

Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic is a winner of the Inclusive GEF Challenge Programme with funding of US$100,000.00 to upscale the WAP in Belize.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Surveys of all participants and workshops will help capture lessons learned. Knowledge will be shared through in-person workshops, online presentations, social media sites and mailing lists. A printed toolkit with pocket guides will be provided to workshop participants. Posters, billboards and radio talk show attendance will further the reach of the educational effort. The BWRC hotline connects communities and enforcement entities to professional wildlife assistance. As questions arise, this hotline serves as a reference. Good practices gained through hotline use will be highlighted through posts on social media and in newsletter and email. For example, when animals are rescued, conflict prevented or poachers detected, we?ll do a write-up and share the success with our network. All public educational materials will be made available through the website.

Capacity - Building Component

The BWRC has 5 paid employees and a pro-bono director as well as several volunteers. BWRC full-time staff has been trained in hotline response, animal care, accounting and more over the past 2-5 years of employment and 3 permanent employees participated in the 2018 WAP workshop. BWRC Director will lead and oversee the project execution; staff will assist in outreach, accounting, animal care and logistics as needed. BWRC accountant will review accounts bi-monthly. BWRC will hire educators and invite partners, BWRC director will train the trainers, assist continuing development of educational materials and the team will establish communication coordinate virtual and face-to-face events, develop and deliver tools and network to complete this project. BWRC team will continue to provide veterinary support services for victims of IWT and HWC as well as field support and hotline services.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The Wildlife Ambassador Program will assist indigenous and local communities in wildlife management planning, and communication with relevant NGOs and law enforcement. This network assists indigenous and local communities in wildlife management planning, enhances communication among stakeholders, and spurs public engagement and education. WAP supports SPG OP7 Strategic Initiatives including community-based conservation of threatened ecosystems and species and enhancing social inclusion. That while focusing on indigenous and local communities within and adjacent to OP7 target areas.

Gender Focus

The project aims to recruit women and men equally, while anticipating a higher percentage of males in the enforcement entities and a higher percentage of women as Community Ambassadors. The project will reach out to indigenous communities and encourage participation for women and persons with disabilities. One of the results will be a significant portion of Wildlife Ambassadors will be female. Those groups that face conflict with wildlife or observe illegal wildlife trafficking, which are often indigenous peoples in communities adjacent to forested areas, will experience the benefits of the project.

Notable Community Participation

This project plans on involving youth organizations in the implementation of project activities.

Project Results

354 certified wildlife ambassadors in Belize
https://belizewildlifeclinic.org/wildlife-ambassador-program/
The Wildlife Ambassador Program (WAP) is an outreach and educational program that is set out to decrease wildlife loss through Human Wildlife Conflict and Illegal Wildlife Trade. The program uses a One Health approach, which explains the connection of our human health with animal health and the health of the environment.

The risks of future pandemics and zoonotic diseases, simple prevention and response mechanisms available are at the forefront of the program in order to help people to stay safe, while being part of the solution. The Wildlife Ambassador program is especially for Belize enforcement officers, conservation partners and organizations as well as fellow wildlife conservation enthusiasts and community members who want to learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones while helping the wildlife of Belize. WAP will offered a combined online and in person capacity building program.

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