Images and the Allies Network banner
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Thanks to the support from the Netherlands Committee of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), in June we launched our our partner organization Bioparques launched its program National Park Allies Network aimed to protect tropical forests in the northern region of the Venezuelan Andes. These forests are important water and biodiversity reservoirs where numerous endemic species are found.\r\n\r\n
More than 70 people, representing diverse sectors of the community of Lara state and other Venezuelan states, attended the workshop held in Barquisimeto. It was the first workshop of Terepaima and Yacambú National Park Allies (see the park profile for Yacambú). Participants included representatives from community groups located near the parks, agriculturalists, artisans, members of the Chamber of Tourism, guest house owners, representatives from two mayor\’s offices and Lara\’s state government, members of the National Parks Institute (Inparques), researchers from several national universities, a number of local environmental groups, and the press. \r\n\r\n
Some of the participants in the National Park Allies Network\’s first workshop \r\n\r\n
The workshop was carried out in collaboration with Chunikai Civil Ecological Association, which has been working on conservation programs in the state of Lara for many years.\r\n\r\n
The main objectives of the workshop was to introduce and inform the participants about the National Park Allies Network program, which is a 2-year program intended to strengthen civil society\’s participation in conserving these national parks. In addition, the workshop was a forum to exchange opinions and ideas regarding conservation challenges facing the parks and to come up with potential solutions to these problems. The workshop also established lines of communication through which all the allies are able to continue to exchange opinions, make denouncements, propose solutions, and bring up questions. \r\n\r\n
The National Park Allies Network first workshop was carried out in two stages. The first stage was to inform the participants about the program and its objectives. Presenters included Dr. Viviana Salas (Director of ParksWatch – Venezuela), Biologist César Aponte (Coordinator of ParksWatch – Venezuela), and Geographer Jorge Padrón (General Coordinator of Chunikai Civil Ecological Society). The second stage of the workshop consisted of work groups where the participants were able to meet one another, to exchange ideas, to give their opinions as to the necessities of Terepaima and Yacambú National Parks, and to describe what activities or projects they carry out within the park. The information gathered during this and future workshops will be compiled and made available to the public through Bioparques website, www.bioparques.org, starting in August (Bioparques is ParksWatch\’s partner in Venezuelan). \r\n\r\n
One of the working groups in which several of the members of Inparques participated
This first workshop is the beginning of a series of activities within the National Park Allies Network 2-year program. Other activities include capacity-building workshops for park guards and members of communities close to the parks. ParksWatch-Venezuela understands that in order to protect our natural resources, community participation is necessary and indispensable, and we want to thank the state of Lara for its interest and participation in the National Park Allies Network.
Dr. Viviana Salas, President of Bioparques and Director of Parkswatch-Venezuela as she is interviewed by a reporter from the regional television station, \”Televisión.
ParksWatch – Venezuela: July 2003