Expand beekeeping livelihood to additional women beneficiaries
Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
On going i Improve product quality through technical assistance to use
centrifugefilters for processing February 2006
i Mr. Yin and two others will take part in an internship at a beekeeping facility and visit other honey projects in order to strengthen their
technical capacity in honey production and processing. March 2007
i Award small grants to women and others in Sálima y Nuevo Milenio who successfully complete bee training to establish hives with bees
contributed by Mr.Yin April 2007
i Locate buyers in nearby, larger towns such as Pedernales and Esmeraldas
April 2007 i Conduct extension meeting on beekeeping to exchange information
May 2007 i Improve packaging and create labels
OUTPUTS i Report on beekeeping economics and marketing
i Report on the extension meeting on beekeeping 1.3 Document impacts of backyard gardening activities and preparation of medicinal
plant gardens
In Year 2, EcoCostas worked with the cockle harvesting group in Bolivar and the Agrarian High School in Chamanga to begin small-scale gardening for home consumption and sale. They also
worked with stakeholders in Bolivar and Nuevo Milenio to identify and create a register of commonly used medicinal plants. Medicinal plants are an important part of local culture,
particularly since many residents have little access to modern medicine. These plants also represent an important form of biodiversity. Sales of medicinal plants can generate income and
be used to produce a variety of products such as teas. In Year 3, follow-up assessment will be made of the impacts of the previous years gardening
program and determine if and how it is most feasible to continue support for family gardens. The register of medicinal plants will be finalized and will include scientific and common names,
photographs and explanation of traditional uses. EcoCostas will support the preparation of two gardens of medicinal plants identified in Year 2. One site will be the Agrarian High School in
Chamanga, which was successful in family gardening and chicken-rearing in Year 2. One aspect of the work with the school, which also has an Ecoclub, will be to use the plants as an example
of the importance of protecting plant biodiversity and habitats. Posters will be prepared for use in local schools and the Ecoclubs. The second site will be at Nuevo Milenio were there is
interest in integrating the plants into a commercial garden with orchids and ornamental plants. It is also expected that of the groups that began gardening in Year 2, the Bolivar group will
promote the addition of medicinal plants to the garden at the health clinic.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
February 2007 i Conduct follow-up assessment of Year 2 gardening efforts to determine
if further efforts are warranted. January 2007
i Prepare gardens in at least two communities with the medicinal plants. March 2007
i Complete the register of medicinal plants and publish on the web. OUTPUTS
i Report on the feasibility of continuation of gardening activities i Register of medicinal plants
i Report on the progress of the gardens with medicinal plants 1.4 Establish low impact eco-tourism enterprises as an income generator and to promote
improved conservation ethics among local residents
A rapid evaluation of potential ecotourism possibilities along the Mompiche-Portete-Bolivar corridor was conducted in Year 2 with assistance of an EcoCostas volunteer. This area has good
beaches, surfing spots and several attractive barrier islands including Jupiter Island. The area increasingly attracts tourists with varied interests. The evaluation briefly described the current
situation of the communities, identified human and physical resources and training needs. The report shows the greatest potential is in Boliva. In Year 3, a participatory rapid appraisal will be
conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats SWOT analysis and define a strategy to move forward with implementation of tourist activities. In Mompiche, the
focus will be on identifying and describing one or two nature trails. To better develop local capacity to benefit from the tourist industry, a training program will train local residents as
guides to take groups on tours of the trails or other local attractions. Coordination with the Environment Ministry will be sought for the guide training.
Also identified in Year 2 as an opportunity for tourism was the appearance of two new barrier islands that have formed at the mouth of the estuary in the last ten years. These islands have
large beach areas and are nesting grounds for turtles and birds. While local communities wish to use the barrier islands as tourist attractions, uncertainty as to their legal ownership must be
resolved before investing in activities centered around the islands. The Program, in coordination with the communities, will produce a detailed map of the islands, determine the legal status of
these islands, and define their potential ecotourism uses.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
Conduct a Participatory Rapid Appraisal PRA to identify SWOT for the Mompiche-Portete-Bolivar corridor
October 2006 Map newly formed islands and define legal status of these islands
December 2006 Form a local group to work on development of ecotourism options
February 2007 Identify and describe nature trails
March 2007 Survey the diverse tourist population of the area to assess needs and
interests April 2007
Conduct two trainings for guiding, customer service and logistics May-June 2007
OUTPUTS i Report on the PRA for Mompiche-Bolivar area
i Map of islands and report on their legal status i Report describing potential tourist trails
2.
Reforestation strategies using high value crops
During Year 2, discussions were held with INIAP to collaborate on cacao cultivation. A rapid feasibility study was completed for the cultivation of yellow passion fruit with Nuevo Milenio,
with the help of a small business volunteer who visited the Program from May to June 2006. While the initial results were excellent, before investing SUCCESS Program funds, several
issues must be clarified. First, it will be necessary to confirm that the land of Nuevo Milenio is not inside of the Reserva Ecologica Mache-Chindul, and that the reforestation would not affect
any protected forest areas. It will be necessary also to conduct an environmental screening and review. Early in Year 3, work to clarify the land issues surrounding the Nuevo Milenio will be
executed, and if indications are positive, work can move forward with testing the new crops. If not positive, this work will be discontinued as part of the SUCCESS Program.
2.1 Nuevo Milenio land issues and environmental screening and review The producers of Nuevo Milenio form part of the Asociación Agro artesanal El Carmen, which was
formed legally in 1999 for producers and technical experts from diverse fields to promote the ecologically-compatible development of the area. The producers are interested in combining
reforestation, soil conservation and short- and long-term crops. The yellow passion fruit will begin to produce rapidly and will last for three years, while the cacao, a long-term crop, develops. The
cacao will be ready for production at about the time when the yellow passion fruit vines slow their production. Cacao is native to the American tropics and aside from it’s potential to generate long-
term revenues, it is also an excellent way to restore forest habitats and promote soil conservation. Soil conservation and organic agriculture methods will be integrated into these efforts.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
November 2006 i Obtain verification from the Ministry of the Environment that Nuevo
Milenio is not part of Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve.
November 2006 i Investigate issues of land tenure for Nuevo Milenio
December 2006 i If land issues are positively resolved, determine whether an
environmental screening is needed; if so, conduct the screening January –
August 2007 i Develop the passion fruit and cacao cultivation areas and monitor results
January- August 2007
i Agriculture specialist will make two visits to teach and monitor use of organic cultivation methods
January - August 2007
i Agriculture specialist will make two visits to teach and monitor use of soil conservation practices
OUTPUTS i Official pronouncement of the location of Nuevo Milenio in relation to Reserva Ecologica
Mache-Chindul i Report on legal status of the Nuevo Milenio lands
i Environmental screening and review
i Report on the status of the passion fruit and cacao cultivation efforts and good practices 3.
Natural Resource Management
Environmental education activities that began in Year 2 with funds from InWEnt will be completed as a means to raise awareness about issues directly related to Program activities and
estuary management. Several studies that will provide information for management strategies will also be completed. These include water quality monitoring, a biodiversity threats
assessment, a governance study on shrimp farming, and a study of potential effects of pesticides on bivalves, in collaboration with several partners such as the PMRC, CRC and CENAREC.
3.1 Build skills and capacity of local promoters The group of local promoters is the most important link with local communities, local
governments, and local producers in the Cojimies area. These local leaders will be essential to any attempt to develop a management plan or special management area in the Cojimies Estuary.
It is essential to build their skills in a wide range of areas, including the understanding of the functioning of ecosystems and the basics of coastal management. For this reason, a workshop in
ICM will be held. It is also hoped that one of the members of the local promoters group can attend a permaculture course in Brazil. The latter possibility was explored in Year 2 during a
visit to the Permaculture Center of Manaos where discussions were held with the Director. This is an opportunity to strengthen the local promoters group and subsequent agricultural initiatives,
as currently there are no trained local personnel in the area who can support these activities.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
February 2007 i Conduct ICM workshop to kick-off natural resources initiatives and
present alternative management practices May 2007
i Ensure attendance for one member of the local promoters group at the Permaculture course
OUTPUTS i Report on workshop
i Report on attendance to the permaculture course 3.2 Environmental awareness-raising and constituency-building
During Year 2, EcoCostas received a grant of 1,200 Euros from InWEnt to implement the EcoClubs activity, which teaches environmental education to boys and girls in area schools and
also helps raise awareness among teachers who are key community leaders. In Year 3, work will continue with the EcoClubs. Focus areas will be promotion of conservation campaigns,
environmental management and local health. At the end of Year 3, a field trip will be organized for members of the most dedicated EcoClubs and selected members of other finalist clubs.
Shrimp farming has increased throughout Ecuador in the last year, including in the Program area. Shrimp farmers are showing more prudence in the use of chemicals, which creates an interesting
opportunity to improve local shrimp cultivation practices to make them more environmentally friendly. Beginning with the contacts made during SUCCESS Years 1 and 2, the Program will
unite a group of producers and a marketer of shrimp who are interested in improving the current practices of shrimp mariculture in the area of the Comities Estuary for the first workshop with
this sector. This group will share international and national experiences. EcoCostas will work to facilitate a group consensus to begin using some best management practices on a pilot scale.
There are several other important activities planned for Year 3. A workshop will be held with the bivalve collectors of Bolívar, Daule and Chamanga to present the results of the water quality and
pesticide study and explore management opportunities. Lola Herrera URI will lead a biodiversity threats assessment. And, taking advantage of the profile of the Program area
prepared by EcoCostas, a team comprised of Emilio Ochoa, Stephen Olsen, and Lola Herrera will conduct a detailed analysis of governance, with a focus on the shrimp industry during Year
3. Maria Haws and selected local aquaculture specialists will advise on this effort.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
Through September
2007 i Provide continued support to EcoClubs
On going i Disseminate and diffuse materials produced during this year
January 2007 i Complete biodiversity threats assessment
January 2007 i Visit of URI team to complete governance case study for the shrimp
industry March 2007
i Hold initial workshop for shrimp farmers on good management practices April 2007
i Conduct outreach workshop for concheras on alternative management methods as follow up to promoters’ workshop
OUTPUTS i Report on EcoClubs activities
i Report on work shop for shrimp farmers on best management practices BMPs i Report on biodiversity treats assessment
i Governance case study for the shrimp industry 3.3
Study to determine the effects of pesticides on the bivalves in the estuary
A major uncertainty in the Estuary is the cause of the declining numbers of bivalves found by local bivalve collectors. Previously, the bivalve fishery was an important source of livelihood for
local people. Local people strongly believe that pesticides from the local shrimp industry are to blame. Other possible causes are increased levels of sedimentation, over-harvesting and habitat
loss, or a combination of these. It is necessary to study—with the participation of the local communities—possible causes of the decline, and find solutions and develop strategies to restore
bivalve populations to become the local economy mainstay they have been in the past. The study will utilize local bivalve collectors to collect a sample of about 30 bivalves from the
part of the estuary most strongly affected by pesticide use, preferably at the time when they would be most affected. A control sample of bivalves will be taken from an area currently
unaffected by shrimp farm pesticides, possibly the San Lorenzo estuary in northern Esmeraldas. A laboratory in Guayaquil will prepare slides from the samples. If the government gives
permission to ship the samples, these slides will be sent to URI for analysis by a molluscan pathologist. If permission for the samples to leave Ecuador is denied, the molluscan pathologist
will be flown to Ecuador to analyze them there. Results will be shared with local communities. The results of this study will also be integrated with those obtained from the Estuary water
quality monitoring financed by the PMRC that will be completed in May 2007.
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Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
February 2007
i Conduct study on pesticides effects on bivalves in estuary March 2007
i Conduct analysis of samples April-May
2007 i Publish final report, conduct stakeholder meetings to share results
OUTPUTS i Report on study of pesticides on bivalves in the estuary
3.4
Water quality monitoring for Cojimies Estuary
During Year 2, EcoCostas was awarded funds 42,000 by the PMRC to conduct water quality monitoring in the Cojimies Estuary for management purposes. Information will also be
collection on physical changes in the Estuary and species of fish, mollusks and crustaceans. EcoCostas will be using a water quality probe donated by the YSI company.
Water sampling methodology has been developed in coordination with the PMRC and a specialist from the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral ESPOL. A panel of experts will
assist in interpreting the results and making recommendations for management and outreach based on this information. The baseline information obtained from this study will be key to
biodiversity conservation, improving fisheries and aquaculture practices, and in preparing a management plan for the estuary. SUCCESS will provide support to this work by facilitating the
execution of the field work and with outreach to the local stakeholders. The final publication of the results will take the form of an Atlas of the Cojimies Estuary to be
used for outreach with schools, producers, fishers, municipalities and other organizations. Tasks, Milestones and Schedule
Tasks and Milestones Date
Conduct water sampling in Cojimies Estuary November
2006 and February
2007
Data analysis and preliminary draft of report March 2007
Final report May 2007
Atlas to conduct stakeholder meetings for sharing results July 2007
OUTPUTS i Report on water quality in the estuary
i Atlas for outreach to stakeholders
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