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NewsletterNo. 19 (August, 2021)

nominated as the site for reach by African Climate andDevelopment Initiative. Partnerships have been builtwith provincial and local government, and WesternCape BRs, tourism, universities, historical and culturalsocieties, communities, and businesses.

A mobile science education unit has been developed,to travel throughout these five BRs to excite andinform every one of the importance of river systemsand how their existence as pristine water sources is soimportant to human wellbeing. To achieve exemplarylearning experiences that expand minds, unlockopportunities, and reconnect people to nature.

http://www.capewinelandsbiosphere.co.za/latest-news/be-resilient-project

https://www.capewinelandsbiosphere.co.za/latest-news/an-unforgettable-unveiling-of-la-source

Whatever pollution, destruction of ecologicalinfrastructure, or negative human impact happenswithin the CWBR radically effects all the landscapefurther down, and the oceans themselves. TheBenguela and the Agulhas Currents are the firstspreaders of these negative effluences into theworldwide ocean networks.

It is vitally important that inland and CoastalBiospheres work hand in hand to ensure the longevityof ecosystem services, while insuring dignified andsustainable living landscapes for human existence. Tobring awareness of the need to foster thesecollaborations, within the World Network ofBiosphere Reserves (WNBR), the CWBR initiated anddeveloped the “Source to Sea” program.

This program was launched with the World’s LargestPainting in 2018, a 22 x 1.8-meter oil painting of theBerg River from its source in Franschhoek to theAtlantic Ocean. The painting depicts all the activitiesand human relationships along the river, from the firstrecorded human engagement to the present. TheGuinness Book of records acknowledged the record,which was displayed at the International Art Fair inAmsterdam and later in Luxembourg.

The CWBR has since partnered with the UNESCOdriven Be Resil ient Project uti l izing BRs asobservatories for climate change adaptions and

Exploring the biodiversity through magnifying glasses

World Network ofIsland and Coastal Biosphere ReservesPublished by Joint Secretariats of WNICBR, Jeju & Menorca

FROM SOURCE TO SEA

The Cape Winelands BiosphereReserve (CWBR) is an inland BiosphereReserve, known for being the sourceof seven critically important rivers,flowing into the Atlantic and IndianOceans. The river not only supportsmajor cities, agriculture, and industrybut is also the bloodline for a plethoraof Biodiversity and the connection tothree other coastal BiosphereReserves in South Africa.

Cape Winelands BR, South Africa

The painting exhibited in Luxembourg with the painter

explaining the concept

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On the international day of birds, the CommanderIslands Nature and Bio-sphere Reserve was happy toshare great news for both professional ornithologistsand all those who are inspired by birds – the firstfield guide Birds of Kamchatka and the CommanderIslands has been released in Kamchatka.

Many experts and amateur birdwatchers knowfirsthand about the lack of information about thespecies diversity of Kamchatka birds. It is ratherdifficult to find a quality field guide in Russia, and it isnot always convenient to use foreign ones, inaddition, the information in them regarding such aremote and complex region as Kamchatka may beunreliable. Today the problem is solved, as a modern,colorful edition meeting international standards isnow accessible for everyone.

The Kamchatka avifauna is determined by itsmarginal position, volcano-genic factors, and activecyclonic activity. It is unique. The list of bird species isconstantly updated here. During the five years thatwe worked on the guide, 7 new species wereregistered. The field guide describes each species indetail and is a great visual material for study ofKamchatka and Commander birds.

Commander Islands BR, Russian Federation

BIRDS OF KAMCHATKA AND THE COMMANDER ISLANDS

– NEW FIELD GUIDE

On April 1, we started a large-scale ecological andeducational program called Kamchatka Spreads ItsWings, aimed at promoting the appreciation of theprotected nature of Kamchatka and popularizingornithology among locals and guests of the region.The program will last for one year and will includemany activities and competitions for schoolchildrenand students of the peninsula. Also, within theframework of the program, schools and libraries ofthe region will receive free copies of the guide. Forthe convenience of all those interested in birds, thewildkamchatka.ru website has been launched, whereyou can follow the current news of the ornithologicalprogram.

Now there are 373 species with subspecies in Kamchatka

Krai, of which more than 240 species are registered on the

Commander Islands.

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Maamwi Anjiakiziwin is part of a larger Canada-wideprogram called Community Nominated PriorityPlaces (CNPP), administered by Canada’s departmentof Environment and Climate Change and the CanadaNature Fund. This four-year initiative (beginning in2019) supports partnerships in protecting andrecovering species at risk. It takes a coastal view ofprotecting entire ecosystems through knowledgeintegration and adaptive management.

A major project theme is road ecology. Reptiles areespecially threatened by the impacts of roads due tothe behaviors, habitat preferences and life historiesof these animals. During the 2020 year, this projectfocused on three roadways that were observed tohave high road mortality rates and/or had the abilityto partner with local governments to use the data tomake recommendations regarding species-friendlyfuture road construction.

A great example of this work is a joint partnershipbetween Georgian Bay Biosphere (GBB), ShawanagaFirst Nation, and Township of the Archipelago onSkerryvore Community Road. The team worked withthe township staff, engineers and the constructioncompany to mitigate the road work impacts andimprove reptile safety post-construction. Strategiesinclude using a cobble fill instead of sand/gravel nearwetlands to discourage turtle nesting there andremoving and incubating turtle eggs fromconstruction areas in the spring, and then releasingthe hatchlings later in the season. In total, we wereable to release over 1000 hatchling turtles, whoseeggs would have otherwise been negatively impactedby construction. The results will be monitored by alocal university research team.

The project incorporates Indigenous traditionalknowledge into both the project as a whole and dailywork. An Anishinaabek ceremony was held at the firstturtle release to recognize the safe return of all theturtles to the wetlands. Through the teachings ofSherrill Judge, Maawaanji’iwe (brings people together)Manager with GBB, and Gracie Crafts, summerstudent and member of Wasauksing First Nation, GBBstaff make an asemma (tobacco) offering before dailyroad surveys. This is meant to be a step toward a“two-eyed seeing” cultural approach to conservationwork that incorporates both Indigenous and westernscientific ways of learning and sharing knowledge.

This is just one highlight of our biodiversityconservation work, made possible by the incrediblecollaboration of groups in the UNESCO biosphereregion. (the project: http://maamwigeorgianbay.ca/)

www.gbbr.ca

Georgian Bay Biosphere, Canada

MAAMWI ANJIAKIZIWIN

‘TOGETHER, LAND, RENEWAL, LIFE’

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The Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR)Corridors Project is an initiative to enhance landscapescale ecological processes along mountain ranges andrivers associated with the Gouritz river catchment inthe GCBR domain. Corridors are critical for ecologicalprocesses such as pollination, pest control, nutrientcycling and water provision, as well as for the long-term survival of wild animals and plants, especially inthe context of climate change.

The project aims to establish landscape levelstrategies for effective fire management, successfulinvasive alien plant control and improved river andwetland health by means of establishing collaborationbetween farmers and other landowners.

Our dedicated Herbertsdale Corridor Project Teamconducted a series of baseline studies of naturalhabitat types in October 2020, followed by landownerworkshops and technical presentations betweenNovember 2020 and February 2021. Ongoingengagement since then directly with landowners hasresulted in enhanced and mutually beneficialrelationships.

With continual engagement and through collaborativediscussion, a series of practical guidelines has beencompiled, critically with the buy-in of landowners andother stakeholders. Areas identified as critical bylandowners resulted in Guidelines which cover theManagement of Micro-Corridors; Fire; Wetlands; andInvasive Alien Plant Control. These guidelines will beavailable to all participating landowners andstakeholders to assist with implementing practical andcooperative strategies to address threats andopportunities at a landscape scale, to supportsustainable farming livelihoods and local biodiversity.

As a broader scope of the Gouritz Corridors Project, aportal on our website has been created whereadditional resources can be downloaded and to whichwe will continue to add information as the projectevolves. See the link below.

Project Information for Landowners in the Herbertsdale Mountain Corridor (gouritz.com)

We are proud of our achievements to date andcontinue to believe in the significant development ofrelationships in this Herbertsdale Corridor Area andother potential and relevant Corridor Areas we haveidentified. Watch this space!

Gouritz Corridors Project | Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve

Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve, South Africa

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR LANDOWNERS

IN THE HERBERTSDALE MOUNTAIN CORRIDOR AREA

A completely intact wetland in the Weyers River. The dense

wetland plant cover absorbs floods, holds the soil in place,

stores water and provides habitat for a range of wetland

animal species.

A controlled burn in the mountain foothills near Herbertsdale.

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The Queensland Government, Department ofEnvironment and Science together with AustralianFederal Government has supported predatormanagement on marine turtle nest and hatchlings.

Burnett Mary Region beaches are unique in havingboth major and minor marine turtle rookeries whereloggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas)and flatback (Natator depressus) turtles nest. BurnettMary Regional Group (BMRG) has supported all turtlevolunteer groups within the Bundaberg Region during2020-2021 turtle monitoring season to enable themto protect marine turtle populations. Through thesecollaborations, the following has been achieved:

• Predator control activities including conservation dogdetection, den fumigation and soft jaw trappingimplemented at Wongarra and Discovery coast havebeen effective in reducing fox predation on turtle nests.

• Monitoring & control activities have been implementedover 22,200 ha across the Burnett Mary Region.

• 38 active fox dens have been fumigated and 16individual adult foxes trapped.

• Approximately 9.53 ha of Wreck Rock beach wascleaned of marine debris. Over 40 kg of debris wascollected from a 5 km beach stretch.

• Number of clutches during 2020/21 season forWreck Rock (loggerhead 266, green 89, flatback 8)and for Moore Park beach (loggerhead 54, green 29,flatback 11).

• In total 62 nests (35 loggerheads, 22 green and 5flatbacks) were relocated at Moore Park beach toeither a safer place on a beach or to a predatorprotection cages. 65 loggerheads nest were relocatedto four predator exclusion cages on K’gari.

Community Engagement

• BMRG attended the 1770 Cultural ConnectionImmersion Festival (2nd-3rd October 2020) and helda stall raising awareness on fox predation on seaturtle nests and marine turtle monitoring supportedby the Nest to Ocean Program. Tangaroa BlueFoundation supported BMRG to spread the wordabout the harmful effect of debris on marine fauna,especially marine turtle species. Approximately 1400visitors attended the event over two days.

• NADIOC Family Fun Day (13th November 2020) wasanother event where BMRG provided publiceducation on turtle monitoring at local beaches, foxpredation/eradication program and marine debristhreat to marine life. 560 visitors attended the Day.

• Elliott Heads State School visit on the 6th May, 2021 -the educational presentation was successful as thestudents and teachers were engaged and enjoyed thedisplay.

• Turtle’s Paradise market 16th May, 2021 -Community engagement event about Nest to OceanProgram attracted approx. 140 visitors.

Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve, Australia

NEST TO OCEAN

TURTLE PROTECTION PROGRAM

BMRG staff giving a presentation at Elliott Heads State School

to Prep to Year 3 on the 6th May 2021.

Educational display at

Turtle’s Paradise

market (16th May 2021)Volunteers at Wreck Rock taking turtle measurements

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Young people who love nature and the outdoors areinvited to take part in a summer writing challenge.After a successful launch year in 2020, Young NatureBlogger 2021 is again open to contributions fromeveryone aged 21 and under.

Entrants should write up to 500 words about Manxnature and send it in with their own photos and/ordrawings, if they wish to add these. The challenge isrun by UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man, Manx WildlifeTrust and Isle of Man Newspapers.

Entries should be sent to Biosphere@gov.imaccompanied by the entrant’s name, age, emailaddress and phone number. Photos should be at least1MB and no bigger than 5MB and should be sentseparate to, and not embedded in, documents. Thechallenge closes on 12th August 2021.

Entries will be judged by Geoffrey Boot MHK, Ministerfor Environment, Food and Agriculture, Leigh Morris,CEO of Manx Wildlife Trust, and Richard Butt, Editorof Isle of Man Newspapers.

Winners will receive Manx Wildlife Trust goodie bagsand their blogs will feature in Isle of Man Newspapers’titles and on its website, as well as in MWT’s ManxNature magazine.

Minister Boot said: ‘We are so lucky to live in aUNESCO Biosphere. Being out in, connecting with andnoticing nature in our Biosphere is good for wellbeingand we encourage young writers to explore thissummer and share their unique observations with us.’

Leigh Morris said: ‘We hope Young Nature Blogger2021 inspires young people to engage with ourwonderful Manx nature, be amazed at the diversitywe have, and learn why it’s so important that we allnurture and care for it so that it remains wonderfulfor generations to come.’

Richard Butt said: ‘I look forward to publishing thework of some fresh new writing talent, in celebrationof Manx nature.’

UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programmepromotes conservation, learning and sustainabledevelopment. This year, four other UK and IrelandUNESCO Biospheres are joining UNESCO BiosphereIsle of Man and running Young Nature Blogger 2021.

The first prize winners from the Isle of Man and fromeach participating Biosphere will be judged for anoverall UK and Ireland Biosphere prize. The Man andthe Biosphere Programme celebrates its half centuryin 2021 and Young Nature Blogger 2021 is accreditedas an official 50th anniversary event.

Inquiries to biosphere@gov.im or 01624 686080.

Isle of Man Biosphere Reserve, United Kingdom

LAUNCH OF YOUNG NATURE BLOGGER 2021

UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Young Nature Blogger 2021

promotional postcard

UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Young Nature Blogger 2020

winners pictured with Hon Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for

Environment in the Isle of Man, and Leigh Morris, CEO of

Manx Wildlife Trust

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Canary Foundation La Palma Biosphere Reserve hascarried out an awareness campaign on the problem ofinvasive plants in our territory. This campaign hasmade it possible to sensitize 83 forestry workers andgardening professionals, linked to the field of training,which they carry out professionally in variousmunicipalities of La Palma.

Specifically, the Biosphere Reserve has organizedawareness talks included in four Programs of Trainingin Alternation with Employment, developed in themunicipalities of Garafía ("Vivir el Monte", Live theMountain), Barlovento ("Barlovento Florece",Barlovento Flourishes), Puntagorda (“Replantando elNoroeste”, Replanting Northwest) and Villa de Mazo(“De la Rosa a Flores”, From La Rosa to flowers),where the students from Los Llanos de AridaneInstitute of Agrarian Professional Training alsoparticipated.

The awareness sessions explained the largeenvironmental and socio-economic losses thatbiological invasions can cause, being especially seriousin island territories. Prevention and early detectionare often configured as the only valid tools to face thisthreat, which is becoming more and more frequent asa result of globalization.

The training program was accompanied with a fieldtrip to the nearby environment of the educationalfacilities, to check on site, some of the problemsidentified during the theoretical session, in addition toreviewing the different invasive plants and the mostabundant species detected in each region.

This campaign is part of the LIFE IP Azores Naturaproject, which aims to extend this type of activity tostudents of primary, secondary and high schools, aswell as professionals, linked to both publicadministrations and private companies.

The development of these actions will be completedin the coming months with the preparation anddistribution of support content, both in digital andprinted format.

https://lapalmabiosfera.es/la-reserva-de-la-biosfera-sensibiliza-sobre-el-impacto-de-las-especies-invasoras-a-83-trabajadores-forestales-y-de-jardineria/

La Palma Biosphere Reserve, Spain

RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INVASIVE SPECIES

AMONG FORESTRY AND GARDEN WORKERS

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A dynamic comparison has been made between fourSpanish islands using sustainability indicators. On theone hand, Menorca (Balearic Islands) and Lanzarote(Canary Islands), biosphere reserves since 1993, andon the other hand, Fuerteventura (Canary Islands),designed BR in 2009, and the non BR island of Ibiza(Balearic Islands). The four islands have similar sizeand population, as well as a tourism-based economy.The main difference is that the milder climate of theCanary Islands allows tourist activity throughout theyear, while in the Balearic Islands it only lasts 6months.

A system of 98 indicators has been created, dividedinto seven thematic blocks gathering historical data ofthe four islands. These indicators invite us to shiftfrom the short-termism of a legislature to a longer-term perspective. These indicators do not reflect whatis the impact of the current policies, but rather showus what has been done right or wrong in the last twodecades. Therefore, they do not reflect the work of acertain government team, but rather inform us of thetrends of the four islands and societies throughout the21st century.

Another aspect that should be noted is that the periodof data collection in this report ends at 2019.Therefore, it does not reflect the disruption caused bythe health, social and economic crisis of COVID 19 in2020. Nevertheless, it faithfully reflects how eachisland arrived in 2020 in terms of the socio-economical and environmental situation and whatwere the main trends. The extension of this study nextyear, with the inclusion of 2020 data, will allow to seehow each island model is impacted by the globaldisruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, andin which aspects each island is more resilient.

Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve, Spain

FOUR SPANISH ISLAND BIOSPHERE RESERVES’ ASSESSMENT

USING DATA ANALYSIS AND INDICATORS SYSTEM

http://www.obsam.cat/informes-indicadors/

http://www.datosdelanzarote.com/

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In the middle of April 2021, within the framework ofthe Traveler’s Day, the North Vidzeme BiosphereReserve’s travel campaign “Travel and get to know theNorth Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve” was launched.Campaign will take place until the end of the summer.

Travelers’s Day in Specially Protected NatureTerritories of Latvia has been held for eleven years,but this is the fifth year that they are organized in theNorth Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. In the BiosphereReserve the event is held twice a year – in the springand summer. Traveler’s Day is organized by theNature Conservation Agency in cooperation with localgovernments and entrepreneurs.

Due to the fact, that this year’s Traveler’s Day couldnot take place in that’s usual format with face-to-faceevents, hiking and cycling, because of theepidemiological safety restrictions, created travelcampaign is great opportunity to get to knowBiosphere Reserve individually with family.

The travel campaign “Travel and get to know NorthVidzeme Biosphere Reserve” will run until 15thAugust. Travel campaign is a safe way to offer peopleto travel and discover the natural and culturalheritage in the territory of the reserve. Within theframework of this campaign, the booklet – map waspublished with the same name as the travel campaign.Those who take part in the Traveler’s Day have tocollect nine stamps on the booklet at nine touristinformation centers. The participants who achieve allthe stamps can enter the lottery.

North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve is a family –friendly travel destination where everyone can escapefrom the daily rush and large masses. Establishedbooklet – map serves as a guide for everyone to reachand explore already known and popular natural andcultural tourism destinations and also at the sametime will help to discover and explore lesser knownnatural and man-made tourist attractions in theBiosphere Reserve.

The campaign “Travel and get to know the NorthVidzeme Biosphere Reserve” will take place everyyear from now on.

North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia

TRAVELER’S DAY 2021

Tourist holding up “Travel and get to know the North Vidzeme

Biosphere Reserve” map at the Burtnieki Manor park

Ms. Linda KauliņaNorth Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve coordinator,

Nature Conservation Agency of Latvialinda.kaulina@daba.gov.lv

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The Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami isa rare species listed as vulnerable in Queensland. TheNoosa Biosphere Reserve is considered a significanthabitat with up to one third of the entire knownpopulation located in the region. ‘Glossies’ are knownfussy eaters and extremely loyal to their habitat,however there are currently no known active orrecorded nesting sites in the region. Thanks to citizenscience observations by passionate communitymembers, we do know Glossies are breeding.

A key challenge in their recovery is breeding success.Pressures have been put on these large hollowdependant species by land clearing, logging, bush firesand fragmentation, across regions. In Noosa, the 2019and 2020 bushfires impacted feed tree sites andhabitat trees.

The Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) helda stakeholder symposium with conservation groups,researchers, government authorities and experts toco-develop priority actions that will close currentknowledge and management gaps. The NBRF hassince partnered with Bushland ConservationManagement to use bioacoustic sound recorders tomonitor and analyse calls of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo. The technology was developed by DrDaniella Teixeira and successfully used in KangarooIsland, Australia. Identifying successful nesting siteswill enable better support and conservationmanagement for local populations. This research caninform feed tree revegetation, watering holerehabilitation, habitat protection and further nestingbox installation in critical zones. See project overviewhere.

Using the same collaborative model, NBRF hosted theMarine Species Protection Symposium in May 2021 todiscuss alternative shark control measures for Noosa’spopular beaches. Current methods underQueensland’s Shark Control Program such as drumlines or net barriers, provide a level of humanprotection, however non-target marine speciesincluding dolphins, turtles, juvenile whales andthreatened shark species continue to be caught in thisequipment.

Based on outcomes from the workshop, a preferredtrial for Noosa will be put forward to the QueenslandGovernment for consideration, as part of a state-wideseries of trials.

We are pleased to be connecting with other biospherereserves in this network and look forward to learningand sharing with you! Stay up to date with all ournews on our Facebook page and News and Eventspage.

Noosa Biosphere Reserve, Australia

PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES

IN THE NOOSA BIOSPHERE RESERVE, AUSTRALIA

Bioacoustics monitoring.

(Credit: Bushland Conservation Management)

Dr Charlie Huveneers presents at Marine Species Protection

Symposium

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Tecuilcan Association with the support of the FonsMenorquí, in alliance with the municipality ofMoyogalpa, the Environmental Commission and theMinistry of Education, with the participation ofteachers and young environmentalists fromeducational centers; "Israel" and "Gaspar GarcíaLaviana" organized campaigns to commemorate theInternational Day of "Mother Earth", in order to actand sensitize families and the general populationabout the care and protection of natural resources.

Among the activities carried out, the following standout; Talks on environmental awareness, reduction andreuse of waste, carrying out environmental walks withposters alluding to the protection of resources,elaboration of personalized messages in reusable bagsthat were given to families, filling bags and plantingseeds in the nursery and collection of plastic bags incritical points of the municipality.

The activities were carried out for four days betweenApril and May, both within the educational centersand in neighboring places. During one of thecampaigns, the young student “Roselyn” from theyouth brigade addressed her classmates saying: “Formany years, human beings have confusedly managednatural resources and we are experiencing fatalconsequences. Our planet and its ecosystems give uslife and the sustenance to live. Protecting ourbiodiversity and its resources are essential to ensureour own survival, as a student we assume a cause thatunites us, that of seeking harmony between all and allinhabitants and nature.

Among the messages of the young people, written onthe reusable bags, the following stand out: "Let usalways leave green footprints", "Be the change youwant to see in the world", "Recycle to give life to theplanet", "Maybe I can not change the world, but if thebit that touches me”, “I love you Verde Ometepe”,“Think about the future, think about the land, thinkabout our home ”, among others.

160 students, six teachers and technical personnelfrom Tecuilcan Association and the municipalityparticipated in these activities. The campaign wassuccessful and more activities will be carried out withthe support of the Fons Menorquíand the Fons Pitiús.

Ometepe Island Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua

Campaign for the Reduction and Management of Solid Waste and

Environmental Awareness within the Framework of World Earth Day.

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The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development(PCSD) conducted the virtual launching of the PalawanBiodiversity Resource Center (PBRC), BRAIN Systemand Zooverse in celebration of World Wildlife Day onMarch 3, 2021.

In the said program held via Facebook live, PCSDfeatured the aforementioned up-and-cominginnovations which were all developed in partnershipwith the United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) through its Protect WildlifeProject in Palawan.

The event reached 23,019 people from differentorganizations, agencies or institutions across thecountry and had 6,894 engagements as reflected inthe interactions of the virtual audience on theFacebook page of the PCSD.

As revealed during the event’s online tour of PBRC,the center houses samples and specimens of wildlifederivatives that PCSD has gathered over years ofoperations in environmental law enforcement. Itoffers a venue for learning about the province’s richbiodiversity. Its goal is to engage local communities inbiodiversity conservation efforts through showcasingPalawan’s endemic and threatened species withglobal significance.

Another fascinating innovationthat caught the interest of theonline viewers is Zooverse, anaugmented reality filterfeaturing 10 Palawan endemicwildlife in animated 3D thatcan be accessed in PCSD’sInstagram page. It is a newdigital tool that will be part ofPCSD’s education and advocacy

Palawan Biosphere Reserve, Philippines

PCSD FEATURES 3 NEW INNOVATIONS IN CELEBRATION OF

WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 2021

Palawan Biodiversity Resource Center (PBRC)

efforts for those who are active on social media.

It harnesses an interactive user experience to helpspread the word about the importance of Palawan’swildlife and promote public commitment for theirconservation.

Completing the new innovations of PCSD is theBiodiversity Resources Access Information Network(BRAIN) System, which is user-driven online andoffline platform that combines inter-agencycoordination, online permitting, intelligencecapabilities, environmental law enforcementmanagement information system, and publicreporting system into one framework.

https://web.facebook.com/pcsd7611

BRAIN System

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From April 21 to 27, 2021, Snake Island - LaotieMountain Biosphere Reserve in China hosted the 40thBird-loving Week themed “Loving and Protecting Birds,Fostering Harmony of Everything”. On the occasion ofthe 50th anniversary of the UNESCO’s Man and theBiosphere (MAB) Programme, the reserve, under thearrangement of Dalian Natural Resources ServicesCenter, adopted a new form of publicity, throughwhich multiple sites joined together to hold a series ofBird-loving Week events, yielding good results.

Each year, the Bird-loving Week lasts for one week,but the protection of birds runs throughout the year.Birds in the reserve, with or without a conservationstatus, have been put under the protection. Over theyears, the reserve has engaged more people in birdconservation through multiple forms of publicity. Aspeople’s awareness of bird protection has been raised,the eco-environment has become better, which hascreated good conditions for habitats of migratorybirds. As such, the number of birds migrating throughthe Laotie Mountain area has been increased. Inrecent years, researchers have been observing Aquilachrysaetos, Aquila nipalensis, Aquila fasciata, Aegypiusmonachus and Cygnus olor, which had not been seenfor many years. Since 2003, new record birds in thereserve have risen by nearly 40 species. Thepopulation of Egretta eulophotes has grown from 6 inthree pairs originally found in 2007 to over 600 today.Also over 10,000 Larus crassirostrises breed hereevery year. Currently, of 346 species of birds in thereserve, there are 21 species under China nationalgrade-I protection and 61 species under Chinanational grade-II protection.http://www.mab.cas.cn/jsjz/202104/t20210423_635919.html

Snake Island - Laotie Mountain BR, China

40TH BIRD-LOVING WEEK

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted thelives of the people in countless ways, including peopleliving in small islands of Takabonerate – KepulauanSelayar Biosphere Reserve. The volume and value offish catches by fishermen in the coastal area havedeclined significantly since national governmentrestrictions on travel and social distancing wereimposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. At thesame time, the decreasing level of fishery activitieshas given an opportunity for the coral reefs to recover.

The Takabonerate National Park management is usingthis opportunity to conduct economic recoveryproject through a conservation and communityempowerment approach. This project is supported byWorld Network of Island and Coastal BiosphereReserves (WNICBR) through UNESCO Office Jakarta.The goals of this project are to build resilience in theTakabonerate – Kepulauan Selayar BR for economicsustainability and climate change mitigation. Activitiesinclude community development on coral reefsconservation, sustainable fisheries and salt production.

The project was started by conducting social mappingin order to identify key issues from the localperspective as well as to identify relevantstakeholders. The National Park management reachedout to the head of villages in order to engage morelocal communities. The exercise was not withoutchallenges: difficulties encountered during themapping included lack of knowledge from the localcommunities, social gap, lack of trust, fear ofexpressing potentially controversial opinions, amongothers.

The next phase of the project includes developmenttraining for selected community groups, includingyouth, to improve their skills and knowledge.Development training includes coral reef planting,sustainable fishing and salt production using the prismhouse method. In the first session of the training, localcommunities were given basic understanding of theactivities including a short video presentation. Thetraining then continued to the second session whichincludes sharing experience and demonstration.

https://tntakabonerate.com/id/

https://www.instagram.com/btn_takabonerate/?hl=en

The well-known nature and geography photographer,

Mr. Bianyuan, is honored as the Image Ambassador of

Snake Island - Laotie Mountain Reserve.

Taka Bonerate-Kepulauan Selayar BR, Indonesia

Towards the Sustainable Environment

and Economic Recovery of Covid-19

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Young Reporter is the project of the Tuscan IslandsBiosphere Reserve which involves young girls andboys with a passion for writing, photography andvideo in a “diffuse editorial community” reporting theTuscan Archipelago in the heart of the MediterraneanSea.

A "Diffuse Editorial Community" is a group of differentsubjects who, adequately trained and equipped withcommon rules and methods, manage and updateweb-communication tools in a unitary andcooperative way, with the common objective ofpromoting a territory and/or products.

The young people taking part in the project aresixteen, and live in the islands of the TuscanArchipelago or have a strong link with them: they areall different in terms of age, origin and professional orstudy background, but united by a strong love for theterritory, nature and its communities and the desireto transmit their values by promoting an aware use ofresources. In line with the communication strategy ofthe UNESCO MAB Programme, the idea was born togive space to young people, involving their admirationfor the islands and making them, therefore,protagonists of the narratives of the values underlyingthe recognition given to the Tuscan Archipelago in the"Man and Biosphere" area.

Tuscan Islands Biosphere Reserve, Italy

TUSCAN ISLAND YOUNG REPORTER:

A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION PROJECT

This community of young people contribute to thedevelopment of the contents of the communicationtools of the Tuscan Islands Biosphere Reserve,including the website, Facebook page, Instagram,YouTube and the newsletter.

Thanks to the support of the Young Reporters, todayan average of 4 original articles, 2 ProudToSharevideos and dozens of posts on Facebook andInstagram are published every month which tell,through their point of view, the relationship betweenMan and Biosphere on the Tuscan Islands.

The Young Reporters are a community of youngvolunteers who, because of their commitment,participate free of charge in the initiatives andexcursions organized by the Tuscan ArchipelagoNational Park.

The project can easily be replicated in other BiosphereReserves, with the aim of a future exchange of YoungReporters.

https://www.isoleditoscanamabunesco.it/young-reporter-il-progetto-della-riserva-di-biosfera-isole-di-toscana-per-dare-voce-ai-giovani/

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Following the Sustainable Mobility Strategy of theUrdaibai BR, we have enabled around 24 kilometers ofpedestrian routes. The Urdaibai Biosphere ReserveService (UBRS) of the Department of EconomicDevelopment, Sustainability and Environment of theBasque Government, has recently conclude actionstowards sustainable mobility in the surroundings ofGernika-Lumo and on the right side of the Oka estuary.

This action attends to achieve some of the objectivesof Urdaibai BR declaration in 1984 and tries to reachthe conservation and sustainable developmentobjectives of the UNESCO MaB Program. Moreover,we try to mitigate climate change with the reductionof emissions, promote slow mobility in Urdaibai BR,enable pedestrian and cyclable accessibility to thepopulation settlements and provide a connectionbetween the eastern and western edges of the Okaestuary.

To begin the consolidation of the network ofpedestrian routes, between 2010 and 2014, the"Integral Restoration and Enhancement of the Naturaland Cultural Heritage of the Oka River`s Upper EstuaryProject" was designed and developed. The firstactions joined both banks of the estuary andconnected the town of Gernika-Lumo with themunicipalities located in the northern area of theupper estuary. During this period, several sectionshave also been adapted in the northern area of theright bank, such as the one that connects the citycenter of Ibarrangelu municipality with thesurrounding Laga beach and the near ruralneighborhoods. It is worth highlighting the project ofthe pedestrian route between the urban center ofKortezubi municipality and the Urdaibai Bird Centerequipment for birdwatching. Additionally, between2020 and 2021, we have built up the pedestriansection between the beaches of Laga and Laida, whichin turn contributes to the reduction of the use ofmassive private transport.

The aim of all these actions has been to ensurepedestrian accessibility to the population centers andplaces of cultural and natural interest in that area, aswell as to enhance the landscape of the estuarineright bank and connect various intermodal points topromote the use of public transport.

https://www.urdaibai.eus/es/noticias/

Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, Spain

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

The St. Mary’s Biosphere communities in St. Kitts andNevis have energetically launched a project entitled“Clean-Up of the Cayon River Hermitage and KeysBeaches and Hermitage Estate”. The sentiment of thecommunities is that these important historical,environmental and cultural landmarks are finallyreceiving much needed attention and rehabilitation.The Clean-up Project is being funded under theUNESCO Participation Programme. Led by theGovernment of St. Kitts Nevis, the National MABCommittee and community stakeholders, the exerciseis in the initial stages.

Clean Up of the Hermitage EstateThe clean up of the Hermitage Estate which is beingconsidered as the future home of the National MABSecretariat is being carried out in collaboration withthe Peace Initiative Team “a group of young men whoare being fostered by the government to deter themfrom criminal lifestyle”.

St. Mary's Biosphere Reserve, St. Kitts and Nevis

CLEAN-UP EXERCISE

Radio & TV Interview Handing over Equipment to Peace

Initiative Team and Hermitage Estate Ruins

Clean Up of the Cayon River Hermitage and KeysBeachesThe Clean-up of the Cayon River is in its preliminarystage where assessment of the scope of work is beingcarried out and an extensive “Community OutreachProgram” is being Implemented. However, due to therecent community spread of Covid19 cases, theoutreach is being conducted on a house-to-housebasis by National MAB Committee Members fromwithin the MAB Community.

Pictures of the Cayon River Assessment and Community

Outreach

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Individuals, groups, and corporations that directlyproduce agricultural, fishery, livestock, forest,processed products, and natural resources in JejuIsland Biosphere Reserve can submit an applicationform to utilize the BR label and should be approvedthrough document and on-site evaluations by JejuSpecial Self-Governing Province.

Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve and enterprises takingadvantage of the branding scheme have continued todiscuss and exchange views and opinions on differentmeasures to promote and increase the sales of thehigh quality food products registered to utilize thebrand logo.

Other than the existing local market operated by JejuCity Forestry Cooperative, a newly established eco-friendly store, named “Yong-gi,” a community-basedzero waste store that provides food, home goods andzero waste products to ensure sustainability with aslittle waste as possible, has established the permanentexhibition of BR-labeled products to promote Jeju BRand its labeled products alike.

Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve, Republic of Korea

PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY

GOODS AND SERVICES

The store, “Yong-gi” offers all natural, sustainablysourced, eco-friendly, plastic-free alternatives toitems people use in their everyday lives, whichresonates with objectives of Man and the BiosphereProgramme that aims to improve human livelihoodsand safeguard natural ecosystems.

Jeju Island BR continuously examines ways to coexistwith nature and benefit local economy. Theinstrument has encouraged a dynamic networkbetween certified producers and increased publicawareness about the importance of sustainable use ofresources.