WiserEarth Governance

The ecological, social and economic importance of birds is well documented. Mexico provides a home for about 1,100 species of resident and migratory birds. Despite international conservation efforts, many bird populations are in dramatic decline. In most cases, this is due to the degradation or loss of the natural habitats upon which they depend.

 

Economic opportunities are limited in many rural communities. Facing poverty and a daily quest to meet their basic needs, many people remain unaware of the value of birds. Nor are they aware of the link between declining bird populations and habitat loss. Unlike a garden or cornfield, natural forest and savannah are not viewed locally as an economic asset. Large patches of natural habitat that do not have local stewards; can burn into oblivion without generating a sense of loss in the nearby communities.

The key to turning this situation around is to help rural people understand not only the ecological and social values of birds and their habitats but also the tremendous economic opportunities and ecotourism; dollars that birds can bring to the region. Bird-watching remains one of the fastest-growing pastimes in an aging, increasingly affluent and globe hopping human population. Simple bird identification training workshops, if conducted correctly and for an extended period of time, can help rural communities serve this tourism market while significantly improving both the local economy and the stewardship ethic of local residents.

 

The manual is divided into four separate sections:

• Part 1 provides information on the manual itself and the rationale for “bird guide training workshops”.
• Part 2 offers practical tips for setting up and instructing a workshop or a series of workshops.
• Part 3 is of primary interest to instructors. It covers the basics of selecting the topics to cover in the workshop(s), gives background information and suggests methods and activities to best deliver the information.
• Part 4, the Appendices, supplies varied helpful information mainly for Instructors.

We have created this manual to assist organizers and instructors of bird identification workshops in Latin American rural communities.The material in the manual is based on the author’s experience in conducting two and three-day “bird identification and guiding” workshops in rural communities, fishing villages and a Mayan forest community, all within protected natural areas on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.The workshops were conducted from 2000 to 2004.

This manual provides the building blocks for a series of successful workshops and represents a “guide” or
model to assist you.We encourage Coordinators and Instructors to add their own personal touch by customizing their program of study.