Because we both rely on our national parks to protect biodiversity and value the important role park guards play, ParksWatch-Venezuela held the \”First Park Guard Training Workshop\” in celebration of International Biodiversity Day.
Twenty-four civil servants from the National Parks Institute (INPARQUES) representing five national parks and one natural monument in the mid-western section of Venezuela participated in the workshop. During the workshop, participants were provided with information on how to fulfill their roles as environmental educators and nature\’s guards, and how to motivate a teamwork atmosphere. The participants also shared experiences and expertise.
Between the 13th and 15th of May, 2004, the park guards from Yacambú, Terepaima, Cerro Saroche, El Guache, and Guaramacal National Parks and Loma de León Natural Monument gathered at the Blanquito facilities at Yacambu National Park. They listened to talks and participated in didactic activities covering a range of topics. Some topics included: teamwork techniques, how to keep motivated in your work, planning environmental education activities, land titling policies, resource use plans and regulations, the history of park guards service and the history of the National Park System, among others.
In the evenings, nature videos were shown and a special presentation was given about a research project called, \”Geographic variation in avian life history traits and parental care behaviors,\” which is being simultaneously implemented in South Africa, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Yacambú National Park in Venezuela. (For more information on the project, please see the link on the University of Montana\’s website: http://www.umt.edu/MCWRU/TEMWebsite/Projectspage.asp).
Superintendents from Yacambú, Cerro Saroche, Terepaima (all from Lara State), Guache (Portuguesa State), and Guaramacal (Trujillo State) National Parks also attended. Parkswatch-Venezuela took advantage of this opportunity to present to them the advances of the ParksWatch program, including the national parks evaluated and the various ways that ParksWatch-Venezuela has shared the information from the evaluations with the public, in a way providing community service. The superintendents received copies of all the Park Profiles, discussed the presented findings and brainstormed additional possible solutions to the reported threats.
This activity was also part of the program, \”National Park Allies Network\”, supported by the Netherlands Committee of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
ParksWatch-Venezuela: June, 2004