our projects
Building adaptive capacity in coastal communities to support nature-based social innovation and social-ecological resilience
Our projects target the Land-to-Sea ecosystem continuum with circularity transversal to all these projects. We use the restoration sites as classrooms for hands-on learning and awareness building
The conservation projects we lead are community-based and transdisciplinary. As such community engagement, transformative learning and participatory processes are central tenets of our project implementation contributing to project outcome sustainability.
GOALS
Building adaptive capacity in coastal communities to support nature-based social innovation and social-ecological resilience
Community-based
Implement research for restoration and build technical capacity towards resource monitoring, data analysis & coordination of regional adaptive community-led management efforts
experiential learning
Co-developing manuals and experiential learning curriculum for schools and professional and development enters (from forest to coral)
Nature-based solutions
Co-design "Nature-based solutions" alternative livelihood pathways and community events for social-ecological resilience
FOR-REST
Community-based tropical forest and terrestrial biodiversity restoration.
Goal
Increasing resilience of terrestrial ecosystems and the local communities depending on them, through increasing forest cover and habitat connectivity using ecological restoration and agroecology.
Key challenges
• Short-sighted housing development and land use
• Lack of solutions from local stakeholders, lack of incentives and coordinated action plans
• Conflicts short term gain and long term priorities
Project mid-term targets
- Monitor patterns & trends, establish tree nurseries and biodiversity corridors
- Collaborate with universities, local institutions and key community members for community-based forest management
- Engagement with schools, development of curriculum and test of experiential Forest restoration program
- Community workshops for alternative income business model development
Project outputs
- Restoration research, including framework species selection, nursery set up, forest monitoring
- Drone aerial surveys to inform Forest cover expansion and biodiversity corridor establishment via community planting campaigns
- Agroecological models for holistic food security and traditional Ecological knowledge revival
- Ethical carbon-offsetting program with regional and international organizations to finance the project and secure alternative livelihoods
- Integration of the program in Education, Eco-tourism and citizen science, including program development for schools, labelled program for ecotourism and educative tools for citizens.
- Online and offline project promotion and insights sharing through active communication to all stakeholders from policy makers to scientists and civil society
SEAGONG
Community-based seagrass and dugong conservation initiative
Goal
Set up a community-based sea grass and dugong conservation initiative in the Andaman region, safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable Andaman coastal communities in a changing climate.
Key challenges
- Economy based on unsustainable fishing and intensive tourism practices compromised by global pandemic
- Lack of education from local stakeholders, lack of incentives and coordinated action plans
- Conflicts short term gain and long term priorities, problem
Project mid-term targets
- Monitor patterns & trends, establish seagrass nurseries and increase seagrass cover
- Set up framework with university and local partners Training material development
- Engagement with schools, development of curriculum and test of experiential seagrass conservation program
- Community workshops for alternative income business model development.
Project outputs
- Participatory Design of conservation areas
- Technical expertise, including nursery facility set up, seagrass monitoring methodological tools development & training,
- Seagrass cover expansion
- Business models start up from inclusive ideation workshop to implementation with 3 local communities,
- Integration of the program in Education, Eco-tourism and citizen science, including program development for schools, labelled program for ecotourism and educative tools for citizens.
- Online and offline project promotion and insights sharing through active communication to all stakeholders from policy makers to scientists and civil society.
MAN-CORE
Community based mangrove ecological restoration
Goal
Initiating and coordinating a regional community-based mangrove restoration effort geared towards increased social ecological resilience.
Project-specific objectives
• Co-design, through participatory methodologies, of mangrove conservation areas co-managed by communities
• Technical capacity building and leadership related to mangrove nursery establishment, in situ propagation and monitoring and biodiversity assessment
• Alternative livelihood co-design, participatory assessment of market needs, and financial plans
Project mid-term target
- framework with local partners. Research material development. Initial mapping & monitoring
- Nursery set up Ecological diagnostic in selected sites and restoration strategy definition
- Engagement with schools, development of curriculum and test of experiential mangrove conservation program
- Community workshops for alternative income business model development.
Project outputs
- developing SoPs for mangrove ecological restoration focusing on
connectivity restoration ecosystem functions natural regeneration - building seed banks and nurseries to support the implementation of large
scale mangrove cover expansion informed by our restoration protocol and
supporting our carbon offsetting program - Co-development and contextualization of an Experiential Mangrove Ecology
& Restoration school curriculum grounded in communities local knowledge
in collaboration with local environmental groups and local schools - Engaging will community champions and various stakeholders across the
institutional landscape to enable lasting community ownership of the issue.
REEF
Community-based coral reef ecosystem restoration in Southern Thailand’s Andaman region
Goal
Initiating and coordinating a regional community-based coral reef restoration and sustainable fisheries effort geared towards increased social-ecological resilience.
Project-specific objectives
• Develop practical diagnostic tool and reef restauration protocols for adapted and contextualized community-based reef restoration,
• Establish a network of collaborative partners using the restoration protocols towards region-wide reef expansion and ecological restoration
• Develop experiential education material and professional trainings for local schools and community members willing to acquire new skills
Project mid-term targets
- Governmental and Non-governmental Institutional partnership established
- Nursery set up Ecological diagnostic in selected sites and restoration strategy definition.
- Engagement with schools, development of curriculum and test of experiential coral conservation program
Fishing community workshops for alternative income business model development.
Project outputs
- Research design development for optimal reef restoration through improved coral propagation techniques
- in situ coral nurseries creation and co-design of conservation areas through participatory mapping with local fishing communities
- Develop experiential education curriculum offered to local schools and learning centers as well as build community-based instruments used towards citizen science
- Engage with fishing communities to co-design sustainable fishing practices and resource management plans based on alternative livelihoods and win-win synergies towards financial, social and natural capital enhancement
WAST-ED
Integrated waste management & circularity education.
Goal
leading regional integrated waste management and circular economy in Krabi province
Project-specific objectives
• Developing an integrated waste management system and circularity education curriculum to be implemented with schools and key learning center
• Improving sorting systems and infrastructure, involving multiple actors across institutions and social organisations at different level
• Optimising disposal options towards efficient recycling or reusing or complete destruction, including operationalising an efficient composting system
Project mid-term target
- Creation of a community-based learning and development center
- Organizing awareness building & public consultation events and fostering partnerships
- Implement a pilot investigation of sorting, collection, disposal and redistribution system
Develop workshop and educational material for schools and businesses
Project outputs
- Research on plastic pollution to catalogue most commonly found items, identify provenance/production and identify pathways for proper disposal
- Improving sorting systems and infrastructure, involving multiple actors across institutions and social organizations at multiple levels.
- Identifying best disposal options towards efficient recycling or reusing or complete destruction, including operationalizing an efficient composting system
- organization of events, campaigns and communication material for awareness building and momentum creation
- working with the governor office to develop laws towards drastically reducing single use plastic consumption