No.

18 (January, 2021)

Newsletter World Network of

Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves
Publisher: Joint Secretariats of WNICBR, Jeju & Menorca

Isle of Man Biosphere Reserve Our programme has proved beneficial to our business
partners, supporting them in delivering their pledge
ISLE OF MAN BIOSPHERE promises. It has added value to being a Biosphere
STRENGTHENS LINKS WITH partner and created meaningful change.”
BUSINESSES STRIVING TO BE The Minister continued: “It has been rewarding to
MORE SUSTAINABLE work with our local higher and further education insti-
tute to bring about this programme.

UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man has strengthened links In line with the Biosphere ethos of us learning from
with businesses thanks to a collaboration with Univer- each other, Nikole’s research will be available to other
sity College Isle of Man (UCM). The Isle of Man is a Biospheres who are forging relationships with their
thriving international business centre and many busi- businesses, too.”
nesses have taken the Biosphere’s pledge and joined https://www.biosphere.im/news-details/business-bios
its partnership scheme. phere-work-together-greater-sustainability
They commit to growing the economy sustainable, /
contributing to the community, culture and heritage
and making a positive environmental impact.
This year, UCM Masters student Nikole Cervantes has
developed a programme to help businesses fulfil the
pledge. She interviewed a sample of 30 businesses via
face-to-face meetings, moving these online when
Covid-19 impacted on the Isle of Man. Businesses ad-
vised they wanted to share their knowledge and learn
about actions others were taking, creating a local
support network, and receive training.
A series of webinars was held during which partners
inspired others. The series ended with a prestigious
talk by the global head of KMPG’s Impact programme. Nikole Cervantes
A private facebook group was created to give business
owners space to exchange ideas.
A networking event is planned for businesses to get
together in person and talk about their pledge suc-
cesses. And business are being surveyed over their
training needs, with the Biosphere launching a pilot
training programme in 2021.
Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food
and Agriculture, said: “The collaboration with UCM
has brought together all three strands of Biosphere –
sustainable development, research and conservation.
Businesses can be positive drivers of sustainability and
can not only contribute to a better planet themselves
but can influence others.
A webinar poster

1
 • Pittosporum viridiflorum - Cheesewood tree
seedlings
Gouritz Cluster BR, South Africa • Grewia occidentalis - Crossberry
THE GOUKOU REHABILITATION • Halleria lucida - Tree fuchsia
• Carissa bispinosa - Forest num-num
NURSERY, RIVERSDALE, • Gymnosporia buxifolia - Common spike-thorn
ESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA • Searsia lucida - Glossy crowberry or glossy currant
They are all species which grow in the area. The
shrubs have a wide spreading form to cover a bigger
The Goukou Resilient River Project is tasked to halt
area of soil than a tree and they form a thicket (woven
biodiversity loss and rehabilitate wetland areas
into each other).
within the Goukou River Catchment. The project is
currently in its research and development phase. The trees are locally indigenous and well adapted to
the local conditions. The trial areas are riparian zones
The Goukou Rehabilitation Nursery forms part of this
and river banks so we still have to propagate water
R&D and strives to address some or all of the
plants such as Cyperus textilis and Wachendorfia thyr-
project’s objectives. It is situated within the upper
siflora to name a few.
catchment of the Goukou River where trials will be
conducted to initialise the process. Visit the full Chronicles of the Nursery on our website.
The Nursery will serve a dual purpose:
1. To provide specific indigenous plant species to the
trial sites at the Klein Rivier Research Project and to
other projects within the GCBR.
2. To serve as a skills development facility.
The trial sites will be just big enough to establish the
viability and efficacy of our planned rehabilitation
and Alien Plant Management methods and to use Irrigating
the experience gained for bigger projects in the fu- the new plants
ture.
The Nursery was constructed from scratch and took
eight months to complete, because of delays caused
by Covid-19 and stormy weather. However, the Nurs-
ery team were able to grow a number of indigenous
species while construction took place, including:

The Nursery construction

in progress

The final product

Vetiver zizanioides - this perennial grass can be used for a

number of applications, including the repair of erosion on
steep terrain and river banks and also for water flow con-
trol and water filtration.

2
Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve, Russia
PROMOTING BIRDWATCHING –
PROMOTING RESPECT

The Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve is prepar- As a part of Our Cherished Kamchatka project, the
ing a new large-scale project. Together with our col- CINBR is going to present our brand-new Bird-
leagues on Kamchatka peninsula, we are going to cre- watcher’s Field Guide. The edition incorporates
ate an awareness-building event Our Cherished Kam- decades of experience and gives the opportunity to
chatka. In 2021, the team of professionals from sev- discover local wildlife in a new way. The book is user-
eral protected natural areas of the region will conduct friendly and focuses mainly on species peculiarities,
lessons, meetings, workshops, contests and chal- voices, seasonal changes, habitats and behavior. It is
lenges – all to promote the development of bird- the fullest ornithological field-guide of Kamchatka to-
watching and to share knowledge with enthusiasts. day and we are grateful to all the people, who made it
possible.
Our main goal is to unite young nature lovers. During
the first part of the project, the team is going to travel We are always open for new ideas and partners.
to cities, towns and distant villages of Kamchatka Please, contact us, if you have any questions or expe-
speaking about birds, their role in nature and our rience to share. Have a wonderful 2021 and share
lives. We are going to cover the dangers they face and your love for local nature!
some of the ways to help birds on various stages of
http://komandorsky.ru/en/ocean-or-waste.html
their lives. An important theme are rules of birdwatch-
ing and necessary equipment to have a productive
hobby and to prevent any damage to birds.
The second part of the project will incorporate lec-
tures, online meetings, film screenings and discussion
clubs in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. All the partici-
pants will be able to discuss the results of the project
and share their outputs during the yearly festival
Sea of Life in autumn 2021.

3
Sahamalaza Biosphere Reserve, Madagascar North Devon Biosphere Reserve, the UK
440 FISHERMEN RECEIVED PRO- NORTH DEVON BIOSPHERE RE-
FESSIONAL FISHING CARDS SERVE MARINE NATURAL CAPITAL
PLAN
Located on the northwest coast of Madagascar, with
these 3 ecosystems:
In a pilot initiative for the UK government, the North
• The semi-deciduous dry forest of which about 42%
Devon Biosphere collaborated with universities and
of the species are endemic.
stakeholders to produce the first marine natural capi-
• Mangrove forests which are made up of eight dif -
tal plan to complement the land based natural capital
ferent species known to Madagascar.
plan. This approach seeks to improve the flow of
• The marine ecosystem includes coral reefs, sea-
ecosystem services to the public through the careful
grass beds, craggy reefs, sandy-muddy seabeds and
management of the natural capital assets.
mudflats. It contains 216 species of corals and in-
vertebrates, 168 species of fish and 3 species of The project proposes actions for enhancing the flows
marine mammals. through protection and management and leads to the
introduction of innovative finance to support the
Mangrove forests and the marine ecosystem which
management of the assets.
gives the Reserve a very productive place for fish. As a
result, immigrants came to the peripheral areas. Cur- The principle begins with an asset and risk manage-
rently, the Sahamalaza BR , benefits from a "Sustain- ment register that records as well as is feasible with
able Coastal Fishing" project, the main objective of the data we have the extent and condition of different
which is to ensure the sustainability of marine and marine habitats, understand the risks to those habi-
coastal resources with the professionalization of fish- tats and the ecosystem services they provide. This is
ermen accompanied by conservation of the biodiver- then turned into a prioritized action plan based on the
sity. local stakeholder needs in the area.
In fact, this year 2020, we have prepared about 440 https://www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/mncp.html
professional fishing cards and 11 statutes of fisher-
men's associations in the Sahamalaza BR area.
The purpose of distributing these professional fisher-
men's cards: (1) Identify all fishermen, (2) Organize
fishermen in associations, (3) Provide training to fish-
ermen on fishing techniques and product conserva-
tion and (4) Implementation of offshore fishing sup-
port project. This activity allows fishermen to learn
about fishing beyond the reef to avoid overfishing and
to get large fish offshore in order to better conserve
the National Park. Following this, motorized dugout
canoes will be provided with the association. Finally,
fishing materials and equipment will be distributed to
beneficiary fishermen.

Distribution of fishing cards and status of the Sijoro Fishermen's

Association

4
La Palma Biosphere Reserve, Spain

LA PALMA BIOSPHERE RESERVE,

ON TRACK TO CONTROL ITS INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS

The database was then validated and curated by a lo-

cal taxonomist and a Commitee of Experts, who fil-
tered out the less-relevant records and established
the priorities for the field workers. At the same time,
the team carried out a comprehensive survey of La
Palma, identifying over 500 alien plants and register-
ing their populations on a purposely designed Geo-
graphic Information System (GIS).
The results have started to come, with a first strike
against a rapidly growing number of Senecio viscosus,
a plant native only to continental Europe, on the
edges of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
Over 450 kilograms of this IAS were removed, marking
The EU-funded LIFE-IP AZORES NATURA project the initial stepping stone in a road that, over the next
(LIFE17/IP/PT/000010) is an international initiative five years, will also include awareness campaigns,
backed up by several Portuguese institutions from the training sessions for horticulture professionals or the
Regional Government of the Azores (DRA, DRAM, prospective enhancement of border controls.
AZORINA S.A.) and joined by the nationwide NGO So-
ciedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA).
One of its actions deals with the problem of Invasive
Alien Species (IAS) and is due to be developed by the
only Spanish partner in the project: La Palma Bio-
sphere Reserve.
The main goal on the island, which belongs to the Ca-
narian archipelago, is to design, test and evaluate an
operational framework of action directed at the ef -
fective prevention of introduction, early warning and
rapid response on new and recently discovered inva-
sive alien flora species. With this goal in mind, a team
of five (two biologists, an environmental educator and
two specialized field workers) was assembled on July.
As a first step, a sizeable database of more than 1,700
taxa, most of them potentially invasive, was built
through the addition of 21 data sources. The informa-
tion was gathered from lists and data banks managed
among others by the regional government, the Inter-
national Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

5
Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve, Australia
RAVENSTHORPE WILDFLOWER SHOW AND SPRING FESTIVAL
SHOWCASING FITGZERALD BIOSPHERE’S UNIQUE FLORA

The Fitzgerald Biosphere is located on the central- Tours focus on the region’s top biodiversity hotspots
South Coast of Western Australia and encompasses such as the Ravensthorpe Range and Fitzgerald River
the Shires of Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe, some National Park. The park is the jewel in the Fitzgerald
1.5 million hectares of land. The region has a rich Biosphere crown. It contains some 1800 different
farming and mining history and has been involved in plant species and is set along a wild and beautiful
the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme for coastline
over 40 years.
The Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Spring Festi-
The Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Spring Festi- val was as successful as ever in 2020. Western Aus-
val hosted its 38th event in September 2020. The two tralia was largely unaffected by Covid-19 and local at -
week Spring Festival Programme is a tremendous vol- tendance made up for the shortfall of overseas and in-
unteer effort celebrating the natural and rugged terstate guests. The Ravensthorpe community and
beauty of the region. Located at the eastern end of Fitzgerald Biosphere Community Collective look for-
the Fitzgerald Biosphere, it provides an opportunity ward to the continued growth of the show and festi-
for visitors to immerse themselves in the vibrant val.
community and surrounding environment.
https://wildflowersravensthorpe.org.au/
The wildflower show is considered to be the largest
wildflower show of its kind in the world. It showcases
the regions floral diversity with a selection of native
wildflowers displayed for the enjoyment of tourists,
botanists and locals. Up to 700 botanically identified
plant species are exhibited. They are picked (under li-
cense) by dedicated volunteers and botanically iden-
tified to family, genus and species with the help of ex-
perienced botanists. They are still discovering new
species in the area!

The broader festival encourages participants to ex-

plore, discover and learn. Activities are coordinated
by volunteer community groups who conduct guided
walks and drives enabling visitors to experience the
impressive natural environment first hand. Other op-
portunities include exhibitions, art workshops, pho-
tography, Devonshire Teas and a community carnival
catering for all ages. Volunteer numbers exceed 200
people each year which is over 5% of the local popu-
lation.

6
Iroise Biosphere Reserve, France
AN ECO-PLAYER NETWORK IS BORN IN IROISE!

As every year, the Iroise Biosphere Reserve organizes One of the objective of this network is to promote the
the Biosphere Days. The 2020 edition invited inhabi- eco-players through promotional tools. We have
tants, young people, elected representatives, local therefore created a website in which a part is entirely
stakeholders to participate in the events organized on dedicated to them: https://
the 3 islands. These friendly events put the local peo- biosphere-iroise.pnr-armorique.fr/ where you can find
ple in the spotlight, especially people who are com- each eco-actor, their activity, and their commitments.
mitted to the Biosphere Reserve through a new net-
work: the eco-players.
The eco-player network is an approach developed at
the level of French biosphere reserves and consists of
a network of people who commit themselves every
day in favour of their region and its preservation. Be-
coming an eco-player of the Iroise Islands and Sea
means making concrete commitments to the Bio-
sphere Reserve environment. The eco-actors are in-
volved in local life and participate in the dynamism of
the island's economic life.
In Iroise, an eco-player can be an inhabitant or a pro-
fessional who carries out an activity on the Biosphere
reserve area. On the occasion of the Biosphere Days,
the eco-actors signed the commitment charter and A new logo of the biosphere reserve has also been
received their commitment certificate. A dozen eco- developed with the eco-players, so that they can use
players have joined the network! Tourism profession- it on their products and services. Another tool is the
als such as accommodation providers, nautical center, eco-actor's notebook, a booklet produced for the sig-
kayakers, divers, boat excursionists, small businesses, natories of the commitment charter in which the eco-
farmers, shipping company, arts and crafts stores, a player can find elements on the BRs, on the Iroise BR,
soap factory… the common values of the network, a list of proposed
The eco-player approach is a progress approach. An commitment ideas.
eco-player makes at least 5 commitments over the
next two years.

7
North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia
KARATE TOAD

In the second half of September 2020, a biotope

clean-up took place in the North Vidzeme Biosphere
Reserve devoted to the renewal of a habitat of a rare
amphibian in Latvia – natterjack (running) toad) (Bufo
calamita).
The event devoted to the renewal of the natterjack
toad habitat took place within the framework of
“Daru labu dabai (Do well for nature)” initiative. This
initiative is implemented all over Latvia by the Nature
Conservation Agency in cooperation with World
Wildlife Fund Latvia. Such biotope clean-up unites
people, who clean and renew some specially pro-
tected areas within a framework of a special event. The habitats of natterjack toads grow scarce and the number of
individuals decreases, therefore the natterjack toad is included in
Often it happens in the area, which cannot be ac- the lists as strictly protected animal both in Latvia and in the Eu-
cessed by vehicles, or their use may endanger the ropean Union.
species of the specific habitat.
During the event, the participants had a chance to Destruction of habitats is one of the main reasons for
learn more about this rare animal and its life condi- the decrease of nature variety. The life environment
tions, as well as to participate together with the ex- of the natterjack toad is also affected by different fac-
perts in the maintenance of the natterjack toad tors of human activity, for instance, activities next to
dwelling. Several hectares wide area of the former the water reservoirs, water pollution, water over-
quarry was freed from reed, tiny bushes and growth, road infrastructure.
branches. Typical habitats of a natterjack toad are
shallow pools on seashores or river deltas.

More and more often, you can come across a natter-

jack toad in the sand- or gravel-pits. The event took
The habitats of natterjack toads grow scarce and the number of place in such pit, where active works are no longer
individuals decreases, therefore the natterjack toad is included in performed, so this is a good dwelling and nesting area
the lists as strictly protected animal both in Latvia and in the Eu- for natterjack toads. This territory is prone to over-
ropean Union. growth processes, therefore, it gradually fills up with
tiny trees, bushes and weeds. In its turn, it reduces
the number of open sandy areas, which are so vital
for natterjack toads.

8
Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo BR, Spain Jeju Island BR, Republic of Korea
“II Encontro Maridar” JEJU ISLAND BIOPSHERE RESERVE
BRAND SCHEME
The Federation of Business Associations of As Mariñas
organized the second edition of Maridar “Sabor das Developed by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province,
Mariñas” with the financing of the Local Action Group the branding of Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve aims to
of the Pesqueiro Sector (GALP) Golfo Ártabro Sur. encourage the production of quality local goods while
Sponsored by the Consellería do Mar with the support maintaining the reserve’s rich cultural and environ-
of the Sada City Council, the event was held on Sep- mental legacy.
tember 11, 12 and 13, 2020 at the Sada City Council
facilities. Designated back in 2002, Jeju Island BR mainly corre-
sponded to protected areas such as Hallasan National
Under the name II Encontro Maridar: Producers, Gas-
Park, State-owned forest near Mt. Hallasan and
tronomy, Leisure and Tourism-Sabor das Mariñas, the
Seogwipo Provincial Marine Park. The area of cooper-
main objective of the event is to highlight and pro-
ation was made up of mid-mountain areas, 200m
mote the producers, products and services that char-
above sea level, and areas within a 500-meter radius
acterize the As Mariñas region.
of the streams: Yeongcheon and Hyodoncheon,
Among the activities that will take place during these mostly uninhabited.
three days, it is worth highlighting the 30 exhibitors of
Tourism, agriculture and fishing are the main indus-
products from both the sea and the land, where the
tries on Jeju Island while the former Jeju Island Bio-
“Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo” Biosphere
sphere Reserve made it difficult for residents to take
Reserve participated. Training talks, training activities,
advantage of the benefit the project provides. In ad-
workshops and joint activities with actors from ma-
dition, the products produced in the former BR were
rine, maritime and nautical tourism (sports and recre-
limited to primary industries such as ranching and
ational).
forestry products.
The opening ceremony was attended by, among oth-
At the 31st session of the MaB ICC, held in June 2019,
ers, the Regional Minister of the Sea, Rosa Quintana;
the president of the GALP, Alberto Castro; the presi- UNESCO MAB has approved the extension of Jeju Is-
land Biosphere Reserve, which covers the entire island
dent of the Biosphere Reserve, José Antonio Santiso,
and marine areas of 5.5km from the coastal line.
and the mayor of Sada, Benito Portela.
SECURITY MEASURES Now Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve plans to push for-
ward with the community-based development. Brand-
In the midst of an extraordinary context starring the
ing BR resources utilizing the label is an essential
health crisis of the covid, from the Federation of Busi-
strategy for the management of biosphere reserve.
ness Associations of As Mariñas - the organizers of
Jeju Provincial Government will concentrate its efforts
Maridar -, they guarantee that all safety and hygiene
to promote environment- and nature-friendly prod-
measures will be respected during the three days.
ucts produced throughout the island and the ideology
CLICK HERE: triptico-maridar II-2020 of Man and the Biosphere Programme.
This, in turn, is expected to enable regional enter-
prises and stakeholders to utilize the certification sys-
tem as a tool for marketing their produce: agricultural,
fishery, livestock, forest, processed products, and nat-
ural resources. This not only increases the income of
participating enterprises but also strengthens the cy-
cles of the regional economy.

9
Menorca Biosphere Reserve, Spain Menorca Biosphere Reserve, Spain
THE MAREBI PROJECT WILL FOS- ‘MENORCA BIOSPHERE RESERVE
TER KNOWLEDGE AND CONSER- - TOURISM 0CO2’
VATION ACTIONS IN THE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT OF MENORCA BIO- The “Menorca Biosphere Reserve – Tourism 0CO2” is
SPHERE RESERVE one of the projects granted by the Spanish Govern-
ment within the call for Sustainable Plans in Tourist
Destinations. The total budget for this project is
Menorca island will strengthen marine research and 2,980,000€.
dissemination actions through the MAREBI project ti-
The main goal of the project is the creation of the
tled "Management of marine protected areas in an is-
“Tourism 0CO2” concept based on a network of
land Biosphere Reserve", which has been approved
tracks, already existing, that connect land, sea and
within the Pleamar Program. Pleamar is a program fo-
sky, which have tourist interest for their natural, as-
cused on marine conservation launched by the Biodi- tronomical, gastronomical, ethnological and geologi-
versity Foundation (FB) of the Ministry for the Ecolog-
cal values, and that will include signaling and interpre-
ical Transition of Spain. tation elements.
The MAREBI project will be developed in 2020-2021 These routes will become a central resource for eco-
with a total budget of 86,000 €. Its goal is to make the tourism, and will allow healthy and active tourism ac-
touristic uses in the marine environment compatible tivities, promote sustainable mobility, foster maritime
with the conservation of the protected marine areas tourism, enhance rural tourism by improving the con-
of the biosphere reserve. It will also contribute to the nectivity of places, the creation of a gastronomic
knowledge of the marine environment with actions route and the implementation of new facilities for
such as seabed mapping, marine species monitoring Starlight activities, aligned with the declaration of
and dissemination activities. Menorca as a Starlight Destination.
The Balearic Islands are one of the regions with the This project will allow to settle the tourism model of
highest touristic pressure in the Mediterranean area. Menorca, which is based on the figure of Biosphere
Menorca, declared biosphere reserve since 1993, has Reserve and the responsible tourism, and has among
expanded its marine area in 2019 to become the its main goals the rural development of the island.
Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve with the largest
marine area. This expansion implies a greater com- http://
mitment to the protection of marine and coastal re- www.biosferamenorca.org/documents/documents/51
27doc12.pdf
sources.
http://
www.biosferamenorca.org/Contingut.aspx?IDIOMA=3
&idpub=5204

10
Menorca Biosphere Reserve, Spain Palawan Biosphere Reserve, the Philippines
NEWS ON THE ZERO PLASTIC PCSDS MARKS INCREASE OF
WORKING GROUP WILDLIFE TURN OVERS AMIDST
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
You can follow the last news of the ZPWG in the
Zero Plastic News #4 bulletin, issued last month, As the COVID-19 pandemic affected people world-
where you will learn the interesting initiatives taking wide, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Develop-
place in Commander Islands, Jeju Island, Isle of Man, ment Staff (PCSDS) managed to cope up with the chal-
Karst and Reka River Basin, and Mariñas Coruñesas, all lenges brought by the said disease and continued its
Biosphere Reserves involved in the fight against plas- operations on wildlife law enforcement and species
tic pollution. conservation.
Moreover, we are glad to present a new interview At the onset of the first quarter until November 2020,
section, this time sharing responses from two re- the PCSDS received numerous calls of action in
searchers involved with Marine Sciences For Society turnovers of diverse wildlife species (terrestrial to
in the study of plastic pollution. They conduct socio- freshwater and aquatic ecosystems).
economic modeling at national and global scales.
In the eight months that had passed, the PCSDS had
Moreover, the 76 wildlife species turnovers by concerned citizens of
MICRO 2020 conference “Fate and impacts of Puerto Princesa City and province of Palawan and still
microplastics, from macro to nano” celebrated virtu- growing. Most wildlife species that were rescued and
ally in Lanzarote last month, has set an interesting released back into the wild are the Southeast Asian
ground for understanding and facing plastic pollution Box Turtle (19 rescues/turnovers), followed by the Rat
challenges, gathering more than 2000 scientists Snakes (8 turnovers) and the Philippine Pangolin (7
around the world, thanks to the collaboration of the turnovers).
Marine Sciences For Society research network with
Enumerating wildlife species turnovers, to wit: Asian
the BR of Lanzarote, Menorca and the WNICBR. While
Leaf Turtle (3), Green Sea Turtle ( 4), Variable Monitor
the community is growing, an important effort is
Lizard (5), Asian Palm Civet (3), Reticulated Python (3),
needed to make science open, accessible and action-
Palawan Hill Mynah (1), Blue-naped Parrot (2), Rufous
able in order to address responses to plastic pollution
Night Heron Bird (1), Quail Chick (1), Palawan Pea-
from all the sectors of society. Every Biosphere Re-
cock-Pheasant (1), Dugong (1), Brown Hawk Owl (1),
serve is invited to participate actively in this process.
Osprey (1), Juvenile Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (1),
The conferences and communications will be available Philippine Common Cobra (1), Melon-headed whale
soon at the MICRO website. (1), Philippine Monkey (1), Yellow-collared Lovebird
For more information on the Zero Plastic Working (1), Palawan Bearcat (2), Spotted Wood Owl (3), Nico-
Group contact us: zero.plastic@islandbiosphere.org bar Pigeon (1), Slender-billed Crows (1), Philippine
Barred Honey Buzzard (1) and Saltwater crocodile (1).
Most of the wildlife species that were turned over to
the PCSDS are listed as "Endangered Species" under
PCSD Resolution No. 15-521 while some are classified
as "Critically Endangered Species" such as the Philip-
pine Pangolin.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, people's awareness
of the importance of wildlife species and their role in
ensuring that species would be protected in the wild
were heightened primarily because of the delivery of
online articles on wildlife turnovers on social media.

11
Palawan Biosphere Reserve, the Philippines Palawan Biosphere Reserve, the Philippines
2020 YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY PCSDS PROTECTING THE FORESTS
LEADERSHIP VIRTUAL CAMP AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Despite the unforeseen circumstances our country

was forced to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development
Staff (PCSDS) did not stop in the performance of its
mandate to protect the forests in the province of
Palawan.
The early weeks of the nation-wide community quar-
antine made everyone stay inside their homes to en-
sure their safety. Not only private individuals, but
most government employees as well had to stay in-
side their homes for a prolonged period. During this
time, the wildlife enforcement officers (WEOs) of the
PCSDS were on standby and on-call duty to make sure
that illegal loggers will not have an opportunity to cut
down our forests while everyone were doing their
The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development
part to curb down the reach of the pandemic. The
Staff (PCSDS) conducted the 2020 Youth Sustainability
PCSDS WEOs, although in fewer numbers, continued
Leadership Virtual Camp, a three-day webinar series
to patrol the hotspots of illegal logging activities and
held via Facebook Livestream and Zoom App meeting
respond to reports made by concerned citizens. They
on September 1-3, 2020.
apprehended 13 individuals from various municipali-
Around 50 participants (resource speakers included) ties of Palawan for violation of Republic Act No. 9175,
virtually attended the said meeting that centered on otherwise known as the “Chain Saw Act of 2002”, dur-
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as Re- ing the period of the community quarantine. This is in
sponsible Consumption, Climate Action, and Youth addition to the services they’ve done as volunteer
Engagement for Global Action which had 1,000+ frontliners who helped in the distribution of aid to
viewers who actively engaged on the PCSDS Facebook their fellow Palaweños and to prevent the spread of
Livestream of the said event. COVID-19 in the province.
Through the webinar series, the participants learned Aside from law enforcement, the PCSDS also under-
about the sustainable consumption and production, takes projects and programs in partnership with envi-
the concept of mitigation and adaptation, the usage ronmental organizations for the conservation of
of renewable energy, and the adaptation to the effect forests in Palawan. The PCSDS participates in the
of climate change, and the 8 R's which help stop cli- management of the “Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary”
mate change and global warming which include the in Narra, Palawan; in the “Omoi and Manambaling
following: 1) Reduce one's consumption; 2) Re-use; 3) Cockatoo Reserves” in the municipality of Dumaran;
Recycle; 4) Repair; 5) Refuse; 6) Rethink; 7) Reforest, and in the implementation of the “Green Heart of
and 8) Reconnect. Lastly, they were encouraged to Palawan Wildlife Conservation Program” whose pur-
ban the usage of single-use plastics, to do backyard pose is the conservation of three lowland sites in the
gardening, and to transition to sustainable trans- Victoria-Anepa’an Mountain Range (VAMR) and im-
portation and energy. prove the conservation status of the threatened and
endemic wildlife living there.
The PCSDS does not waver in protecting the forests
and the environment even when there is a pandemic
that threatens everyone’s lives. Let us appreciate their
efforts and do our part to conserve and protect na-
ture.

12
Palawan Biosphere Reserve, the Philippines
PCSDS CONDUCTS PILOT TESTING OF
SAFA SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT TOOL IN PALAWAN

Personnel from the ECAN Monitoring and Evaluation SAFA assesses the sustainability of an enterprise
Division (EMED) of the Palawan Council for Sustain- through four dimensions: environmental integrity, so-
able Development Staff (PCSDS) used for the first time cial well-being, economic resilience, and good gover-
in Palawan the Sustainability Assessment of Food and nance. These four dimensions can be evaluated and a
Agriculture systems (SAFA) guidelines as an assess- rating is given using a maximum of 116 default indica-
ment tool to determine the sustainability of a project tors. The final output is the Performance Report,
last June 2020. which contains both a descriptive and an analytical
review of the sustainability of the assessed entity.
The SAFA guidelines was developed by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations The Lionheart Farms Philippines Corporation received
(UN). It provides an international and holistic frame- a notable average rating of 4.78 out of 5 over the four
work to assess the sustainability of food and agricul- key SAFA dimensions. This result shows that the poli-
ture enterprises. The determination of its suitability as cies and operations of Lionheart are in line with the
an assessment tool for the food and agriculture indus- goals and principles of sustainable development.
tries in the province of Palawan will lead to its inclu-
The use of SAFA in Palawan will help the PCSDS to en-
sion in the roster of sustainable development (SD)
sure that enterprises are following good practices in
tools used by the PCSDS for standard assessment of
line with established sustainable development goals.
different industries. As of now, the SD tools being
It will surely be beneficial in offering reliable technical
used by the PCSDS are the Sustainable Management
support to policy-making decisions in pursuit of a
Online Tool (SMOT) for extractive industries and the
more sustainable environment.
Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) Energy Assessment for
tourist accommodations. https://web.facebook.com/pcsd7611
The pilot testing of SAFA was conducted on the Lion-
heart Farms Philippines Corporation, a company en-
gaged in the production of organic sweeteners from
coconut sap and whose coconut plantations are in
Rizal, Palawan.

13
GCRF BLUE COMMUNITIES SHOWING RESILIENCE
THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES

GCRF Blue Communities is a 4-year research capacity- working relationships between the international part-
building programme for marine planning in Southeast ner organisations. These relationships have been key,
Asia, funded by the UK’s Global Challenges Research enabling us to support each other whilst also success-
Fund. It brings together researchers from the UK, fully adapting to new ways of working.
Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia along-
One of the main impacts of COVID for the programme
side North Devon’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and
was upon fieldwork activities with stakeholders,
NGOs supporting sustainable use of natural resources.
which were postponed or dramatically altered. As dif -
Through academic-stakeholder collaborations, com- ficult as these changes were to manage, opportunities
munity co-creation and co-delivery, GCRF Blue Com- have also emerged, such as increased time to develop
munities is supporting the development, implemen- cross-partner activities and publications, and inclusion
tation and ongoing management of initiatives that of external stakeholders in the virtual annual meeting.
promote the sustainable use of marine resources by It is still unclear what the extent of the impact of
multiple users. Focusing on study sites in three UN- COVID will be on the programme and more impor-
ESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves, and one desig- tantly, also on regions and communities with which
nated Marine Park, research methods in interdiscipli- the programme works, but the collaborative team
nary sciences are being developed and applied to ad- remain committed to helping these communities by
vise the users, whilst protecting the fragile marine working with them to enhance the management and
ecosystems as well as supporting the livelihoods, food use of the marine environment for a more sustainable
security, health and well-being of coastal communi- and prosperous future.
ties.
https://www.blue-communities.org
The programme is structured as 12 individual but in-
tegrated projects, covering topics ranging from fishery
management and marine governance to well-being
benefits/risks of coastal living and future scenarios.
As for almost all across the globe, this past year has
been an unexpected and tremendous challenge. In
the initial years, the programme had fostered good

Household health survey in Kg. Limau-limauan, Kudat (December

2019): Household health survey with a Malaysian coastal community

Building relationships at the first GCRF Blue Communities Annual

Progress Meeting in Palawan, Philippines

14
RESOLUTION OF THE CALL “MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN ISLAND AND COASTAL BR”

In order to foster island and coastal BR as sites aplying  MARBioPRÍNCIPE: Plastics associated with COVID-
innovative solutions in response to the pandemic, the 19 and the conservation of marine and coastal
World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Re- biodiversity of Príncipe Island Biosphere Reserve
serves launched a call for projects aimed at mitigating (Sao Tomé & Príncipe), applied by the Principe Is-
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BR territo- land UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with a total bud-
ries. Up to 4 projects are to be granted with a maxi- get of 15000 USD. This proposal involves an
mum amount of 15.000 USD each, to be implemented awareness raising campaign which will transfer
by the end of 2021. knowledge from the recent scientific expedition
that mapped the marine life and habitats of
Up to 32 proposals from 17 countries were received
Principe, producing original environmental materi-
after this call, and the good quality of them is indica-
als to be used in training, educational and aware-
tive of a dynamic, active reserve network with great
ness activities. It will involve local communities and
potential to develop interesting initiatives and re-
international actors. Its main focus are education
silient models to deal with the crisis.
and capacity building, and ecosystem restoration.
The avaluation committee, formed by representatives
 Technical-environmental training for families with
of the UNESCO MAB office, the secretariats of Jeju
food shortages aggravated by the COVID-19 pan-
and Menorca and the Spanish MAB program, after as-
demic in the operation of low-cost hydroponic
sessing the proposals, has agreed on the selection of
modules for fruit and vegetable production in the
the following:
El Vizcaíno BR (Mexico), applied by the Centro de
 Ecosystem and Economic Recovery Impact of Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste and the
Covid 19 on Communities in the Core Zone of the Municipality of El Vizcaíno, with a total budget of
Taka Bonerate-Selayar Archipelago Biosphere Re- 10150 USD. This proposal, focused on education
serve (TBSA-BR) (Indonesia), applied by Taka Bon- and capacity building, sustainable income genera-
erate National Park, with a total budget of 14998 tion, and food security, and aims at implementing a
USD. This project is aimed at increase food self- pilot training plan for the establishment of hydro-
sufficiency and ecosystem restoration through ponic modules for fruits and vegetable production
community participation, capacity building and to reduce the food insecurity of families living in
empowerment, including the creation of small- poverty conditions aggravated by the economic
scale businesses. It is focused on the four axis of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in El Viz-
the call:education and capacity building; sustain- caíno Biosphere Reserve.
able income generation; food security and ecosys-
tem restoration.
 Reimagined sustainable livelihoods post COVID-19 We hope that the development of these proposals
will bring new opportunities for local communities to
in Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (India), ap-
overcome the pandemic, as well as useful knowledge
plied by the Surabhi Foundation for Research and
exchange within our network and beyond.
Cultural Exchange, with a total budget of 15000
USD. This proposal is focused on education and ca-  
pacity building, and sustainable income generation.
Its main goal is to involve the community, specially
including youth and indigenous people, in the ar- December 2020
ticulation and dissemination of traditional and new Joint Secretariats Jeju & Menorca
knowledge practices, including use of marine re-
sources for medical purpose. It will produce a se-
ries of local language communications and through
these voices identify possible skill development ar-
eas.

15