Isle de Pajaros, Honduras // CBEMR Training

In 1998 the Gulf of Fonseca was devastated by Hurricane Mitch. The Mangrove Action Project’s second CBEMR training session in Honduras brought together government officers, NGOs staff including Goldman (Environment) Prize winner Jorge Varela Marquez, members of NGO Consultores en Desarrollo y Ambiente CODA, and local people as well as experts from the region to learn about the CBEMR technique and work on a demonstration project together. This meeting of minds and determination formed a network from those present to patrol the gulf and try to persuade local villagers and village leaders to reduce the cutting of mangrove, at least until the ecosystem reaches a new, sustainable equilibrium.

A successful, week-long training for 24 participants, greatly raising their knowledge and understanding of mangrove ecology. In-depth training and discussions about the theory of community-based ecological mangrove restoration, linked carefully to mangrove ecology and hydrology. CBEMR demonstrated on Isle de Pajaros (Bird Island, Lat 13.367503, Long -87.470506), an island in the gulf. This island, in the middle of a very dynamic setting, suffered from poor hydrology at its centre, which was negatively affecting the trees. The team used this island to practice research techniques learnt in first week, including conducting transects and measuring spot heights, and successfully improved the hydrology in the middle of the island, allowing the island to drain effectively at lower tides. A network, funded by the USFWS, has been established, run by Jorge Varela Marquez and fishermen Jose Damilo and Jose Leonidas, which has continued to engage local communities to encourage them to restrain their villagers from cutting mangrove. Since the training, the “mangrove rangers” have encouraged local communities to sustainably manage their surrounding mangrove wetlands for the benefit of all the communities.

ProjectMangrove Restoration TrainingLocationGulf of Fonseca, HondurasStart Year2015OutcomeCBEMR Training, Networking