presentation earthwatch champions employees volunteering program 2004 2005

EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM

DF

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Environmental issues are a global concern as natural disasters and diseases are taking the lead all over the world. It is in this light that in 2004, Diageo in collaboration with Earthwatch Institute in the United Kingdom, decided to contribute in saving the world from Environmental issues through an Environmental Champions Program. This formed part of Diageo’s global citizenship and environmental responsibility. My presentation is aimed at showcasing my participation as a Volunteer in this program and how through the implementation of my local action plan, my company and community were positively impacted.

Diageo-Earthwatch Champions Award Program was sponsored by Diageo and

was a program geared towards involving Diageo employees worldwide as volunteers in international environmental projects, to help researchers collect vital data required for defining strategies to manage environmental issues across the globe. Employee Volunteers from Diageo companies (like Guinness Cameroun S.A), whose environmental project proposals tied in best to related issues, were sent to attend international projects, to become Environmental Champions. On return, they were charged to implement a project in their workplace or surrounding environment, through which they would sensitize their colleagues and local communities about the importance of protecting their environments.

EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING, BRAZIL

DIAGEO-EARTHWATCH CHAMPIONS PROGRAM 2004-2005

INTRODUCTION

Guinness Cameroun S.A. registered two Champions out of fifteen worldwide in 2004: Josephine Yelang (myself) and Peter Mua.

In April 2004, I travelled to Brazil in the Pantanal forest for twelve days, where I worked as a Volunteer on the topic “Conserving an Ecosystem”. In a diverse team made of Champions from all parts of the world and all walks of life, I participated in three projects (Wetlands/Herpetology and Birds), by assisting researchers from Sao Paolo University Brazil on the field in collecting necessary data, which they required for defining a conservation strategy for the world largest freshwater wetlands in the Pantanal forest of Brazil.



INTRODUCTION

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Theme:

Conserving an Ecosystem in the Pantanal Forest of Brazil,

Fazenda Rio Negro



Period – 1 – 12th April 2004

Group – 14 participants from America / Australia / Japan / Africa

(Cameroon)/ Brazilian Project Investigators from Sao Paolo

university.

Projects covered :

– Birds

– Wetlands,

– Herpertology



The Pantanal forest is one of the greatest concentration of tropical wildlife in the whole of Latin America.

It is situated South of Brazil’s Amazon.

It is a huge haven of forested islands set in a mosaic of lakes, rivers and waterways beautifully stretching across 210.000sq.km.

ABOUT THE PANTANAL FOREST OF BRAZIL



The landscape of the Pantanal yields a bountiful harvest of fish, metals, timber, cattle and wildlife.

BUT

Mining contributes to a high level of mercury contamination

Overgrazing of cattle reduces habitat for many species and poaching continues to be a problem as a hyacinth macaw bird specie fetches $6000 - $12000 in the US. (www.pantanal.org - 2004)

THUS

All field researches were meant to collect data in endangered areas of the forest through fieldwork projects.

These data were destined to help the researchers define a conservation strategy for the Pantanal forest of Brazil.

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT



http://www.pantanal.org/

This project intended to develop a scientific understanding and dynamics of birds by developing a more complete picture of the distribution and abundance of birds at Fazenda Rio Negro Pantanal forest of Brazil.

Survey methods applied to several aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the gallery forests, seasonally flooded grasslands, woodlands and aquatic environments.

Techniques included: linear transact/banding method, direct behavioural observations and recording birds’ vocalisations.



BIRDS

This method is meant to develop a picture of the distribution and abundance of birds at the Pantanal forest A linear transact trap is built to trap birds for surveyed regions which were found might be threatened three to ten years ago. This is done by weighing, measuring various parts of the bird and taking down data. Some pictures below



1: THE LINEAR TRANSACT/BANDING METHOD

Josephine & team banding birds

(right above and below)

Employee Volunteering, BRAZIL

DIAGEO-EARTHWATCH CHAMPIONS AWARD PROGRAM 2004-2005

Josephine planting a fist nest bird trap (left)

Another means of trapping birds for banding was through the bird vocalisation method. Audio tapes and microphones were used to capture birds’ sounds and further used to lull them to fall into the fist nests.



2: BIRTH VOCALISATION METHOD



Team of Volunteers and Researchers recording bird sounds to use in bird trapping for analyses

This project intended to understand why wetland animals/birds migrated from one part of the forest to another, thereby causing scarcity of certain species in that forest.

This project was also to provide data to enable scientists to come out with a strategy of conservation for the Pantanal forest of Brazil.



WETLANDS & HEPERTOLOGY PROJECT

This field research method is meant to understand why different wetland animals migrate from one part of the forest to another.

There are two types of lakes in the Pantanal: vegetation and non-vegetation lakes.

Some of these lakes dry off during the dry season so these wetland animals/fish migrate from one part of the forest to another.

Non-vegetation lakes do not provide enough food for animals or fish which migrate subsequently.

So volunteers go into these lakes and measure the depth and diameters and collect data for researchers.



METHODS: MEASUREMENT OF DIFFERENT LAKES



Josephine & Team Leader measuring the Baias Lake (non-vegetation) in the Pantanal forest - Brazil



Josephine collecting data, after

the wetlands project

Josephine & team leader doing fishing required to measure and collect data

for wetlands project

Josephine & team leader measuring

fish for data collection (above)



Josephine collecting data on the behaviour of peccaries (wild pigs), as part of understanding why these animals migrate

from one part of the forest to another

Volunteers going to the field and localising the nearest existence of animals

with a special detecting apparatus (right & left above)

Out of experience, environmental problems are global.

In Brazil as in Cameroon, most local communities engage in destruction of the environment not just due to poverty but because they are not sensitised about the importance of conserving the environment.

This destroys human, plant and animal lives. This is why through this champions’ programme, Earthwatch and Diageo decided to take action on board to help train and sensitise global and local people about the importance of environmental protection through Employee Volunteering.



HOW THIS PROJECT IS CONNECTED TO MY LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

My trip to Brazil was just more than a life-time experience, one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Getting to learn and discover new things and meeting people from other cultures with whom to share experiences on local environmental issues and global solutions, equiped and

made me feel very lucky.

MY TESTIMONY

On return to Cameroon, I developed and implemented a local action plan, on the topic ‘IMPROVING COMMUNITIES’ LIVELIHOOD THROUGH BEEKEEPING’. I implemented this with the support of a specialized NGO partner – BDC (Beekeeping Development & Conservation, Limbe, South West Region Cameroon), to provide sustainable business opportunities for 26 trainees from 13 local communities in the South West Region of Cameroon, through beekeeping. My project aimed at reducing human pressure on the surrounding rainforests and consequently the ecosystem, by supporting alternative livelihoods to generate income through modern beekeeping. Local Beekeepers who used to burn the forest to harvest honey using the primitive method which destroyed the environment received a three-days training on the importance of protecting the forest, planting more trees, pollination, how to mount beehives and harvest honey. At the end of the training, these communities were each given a beehive, a complete bee suit and a modern smoker. One year later, these communities experienced a 200% increase in their honey production, created a CIG (Common Initiative Group of Bee Farmers) and propagated this modern techniques to other farmers, hereby highly contributing to the multiplier impact of my project. See some pictures attached.

IMPLEMENTING MY LOCAL ACTION PLAN

IMPROVING COMMUNITIES’ LIVELIHOOD THROUGH BEEKEEPING

MY LOCAL ACTION PLAN



Josephine explaining project to stakeholders (Guinness, government, NGO, trainees, etc), during the official launching ceremony of the training



Equipment provided for the project:

Beehives (above) Smokers (left)

Personal Protective Equipment (right)

Trainees receiving beekeeping equipment from Guinness officials in the presence of government representatives





Trainees from 13 communities in the South West Region of

Cameroon

Trainees after receiving their complete working tools and set for the task

Trainer (BDC) on the field with trainees, demonstrating hive installation, hive management and honey harvesting.





Trained farmers practicing hive management and honey harvesting on the field using acquired skills

Josephine on a field visit, to check how the installed beehives are doing (Muyuka Owé

village, South West Cameroon)





Josephine, Corporate Affairs Director (my line manager) and Peter (an Earthwatch Champion Cameroon), visit BDC office to discover the quality of honey.