Conservation is a difficult concept to sell, especially in developing countries where it is perceived by many as a barrier to progress and human development. Humans have distinct perceptions about conservation and the environment – what to one person is a spectacular forest landscape, to another is land ripe for clearance and cultivation.

 

This manual attempts to promote a practical approach to conservation by creating jobs, generating income for protected areas and educating visitors. As the manual’s principal authors, we do not profess to be experts on the planning, development, or construction of trails. However, we are convinced that high-quality trails will play a vital role in the future of conservation of protected areas in developing countries.

Step by Step Guide to

 

• Chapter 1 Determining Visitor Perceptions and Preferences p34
• Chapter 2 Creating a Vision p101
• Chapter 3 Siting and Surveying p125
• Chapter 4 Calculating Costs and Benefits p153
• Chapter 5 Preparing a Funding Proposal p177
• Chapter 6 Commencing Construction p199
• Chapter 7 Provoking Conservation: How to Interpret Your Trail p267
• Chapter 8 Establishing and Monitoring Limits of Acceptable Change p335
• Chapter 9 Marketing Your Trail p365
• Chapter 10 Managing Trail Finances p413

Trails Manual can be downloaded here (29MB)

 

• In St. Lucia, the Des Cartier trail produced nearly $100,000 for the local economy over a six month period. Captured through the sale of package tours, this revenue supported tour operators, bus drivers, and food providers. The Forestry Department also generated $19,654 in entry fees to the trail. After paying local guides and maintenance workers, Forestry realized a profit of $12,697, doubling the Department’s income- generating capacity.

 

In four months, the Little Water Cay trail in Turks and Caicos generated nearly $13,000 in revenue for the Turks and Caicos National Trust. Other trails established have produced similar results.

These two case studies are documents from p21 in the manual.

To our knowledge, this manual has not yet been used by the members of a community group to develop a trail on communal land. In recent years, however, Rare’s Nature Guide Training Program has collaborated with diverse communities in Mexico where we believe that a manual such as this one could be very useful. Despite the fact that rural communities often do not have the computer resources necessary to carry out certain steps outlined in the manual, the planning experience and academic level of the NGO’s who assist these communities can be equally or even more effective than computers. We firmly believe that if the manual is used by an enthusiastic and well-supported community group the steps described in this manual will be helpful in creating a successful community based trail.

 

Of course, not every trail will realize each of these goals. In order to complement your efforts we recommend that you consider the following suggestions:

 

DESIGN YOUR TRAIL CLOSE TO THE TOURISTS: Never assume you know what tourists want without having first conducted an adequate market study. The fact that some visitors actually use poorly designed, muddy trails does not mean that they wouldn’t prefer to visit an improved trail, or that, if the conditions were improved, more tourists wouldn’t visit the site. If the market study shows that potential visitors prefer a short and easy trail, design your trail within these parameters. If, on the other hand, your market study shows that they want a more challenging trail, then design one that appeals to a more adventurous crowd.

 

THE LONGER THE TRAIL, THE LESS PROFIT IT IS LIKELY TO MAKE: In general, a longer trail requires more maintenance which consumes more time and resources,thereby reducing profit. Generally you can charge the same user fee for a short trail (2 km or less) as you can for a longer one.

 

REHABILITATING AN EXISTING TRAIL IS USUALLY SMARTER THAN CONSTRUCTING A NEW ONE: If you have a trail with established visitation, it is generally preferable to rehabilitate and improve this trail, rather than design and construct a completely new one. A new trail requires extensive planning, more labor for construction, and more marketing. The rehabilitation of an existing trail, which might only require some improvements or modifications, requires a smaller investment and, if it already has visitors, less marketing.

 

IT IS WORTHWHILE TO INVEST $10 IN INTERPRETATION FOR EVERY $100 IN CONSTRUCTION: Visitors come to your trail for an enjoyable experience. Most come for recreation and learning, and a sense of adventure in nature. If the trail has friendly, enthusiastic, professional guides, it is more likely that the visitor will appreciate the site and internalize the conservation message. No matter how perfectly the trail has been designed and constructed, the majority of first-time visitors to a new region observe and learn very little without the assistance of a guide.

 

A GOOD TRAIL TELLS A STORY: Your trail should be designed around a central theme and should unite several points of interest. It should not simply be a walk through an interesting ecosystem. Panoramic views, wildlife, waterfalls and archaeological sites are examples of points of interest which convert a walk through the trail into a memorable experience.

 

IF VISITORS ARE UNAWARE THAT THE TRAIL EXISTS, THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO VISIT IT: Promotion and marketing are the keys to success. The trail needs to be promoted through the press, travel agents, and tour operators who earn a commission for selling trips to the trail. At the same time, the roads leading to the trail should have signs pointing the way, and the trail should be clearly marked on tourist maps.

 

THE MORE COMMITTED THE ORGANIZATION, THE BETTER THE TRAIL: The community or organization involved in designing and constructing the trail should be genuinely committed to its success. Construction is generally the simplest part, while managing operations and finance require more dedication and work. Letter from the Authors 6 Introduction

 

THIS MANUAL IS ONLY A GUIDE: The purpose of this manual is to provide an orientation and serve as a base of information for your work. It is not necessary to use every chapter or to follow each suggestion exactly as it is written. At some point, you may need to seek out experts who can clarify doubts or answer questions that develop during the planning, construction or operation of the trail.

 

MORE TRAILS DO NOT NECESSARILY MEAN MORE MONEY: Begin with one trail and open others only after the first has proven successful and is close to reaching its maximum carrying capacity. In general, it is better to have a few high-quality trails that can be managed and monitored efficiently rather than many trails which are rarely monitored and lack routine maintenance.

 

CHARGE AN APPROPRIATE ENTRANCE FEE: Do not be afraid to charge an entrance fee. Many international tourists are accustomed to paying for high-quality tourism services. For example, the entrance fee at a cloud forest in Costa Rica can be as much as US$ 15.00 per person. If visitors have already invested hundreds of dollars in travel, hotels, restaurants and rental cars, they won’t hesitate to pay a reasonable entrance fee to a firstclass nature trail.

 

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES: This manual is not perfect, and most likely your trail won’t be either. However, put forth your best effort. It is always better to light a candle than to remain in darkness.

 

Photo Source for Trails Icon here