Monthly Archives: November 2014

I have been following a lot of events of the World Parks Congress via their Facebook page. One story that really choked me up and made me feel empowered, is the story of the Pacific Islanders sailing or taking their traditional canoes across the high seas. They braved the dangerous waters for 2 months. If that doesn’t mean much to you, that’s 60 days without a computer, a car, or a cozy bed to sleep in.

Why in the world would anyone want to do this, you may be wondering in wide eyed bewilderment? Because they have a story to share at this congress. They have a story of survival and they are determined to make their voices heard. The way that the world is heading at this point, could mean the demise of their islands, the places they call home. The point that makes climate change and the degradation of the world a heart wrenching topic for me is that these people from small islands probably don’t have much to do with the actions behind the degradation of this world, but unfortunately they are already feeling the consequences of other people’s actions.

Now I definitely see the irony of those words as I sit here on my iPad with the lights on and a small space heater running in the corner. This brings me to the larger idea of The World Parks Congress. It’s a Congress not only on protected areas, but also a chance for collaboration and the sharing of stories from all around the world. It creates this community of people from all around the world that will go home to their respective countries with other people’s stories to tell. It creates even more reasons to try and change legislature, to protect the environment around the world, and a better understanding of who is affected by our actions.

This world is more than just you and me. And my actions might not just affect me. This Congress is creating awareness of the importance of protecting our natural areas. These Pacific Islanders canoed and sailed for 2 months to share their story. I encourage you to share a story of a time spent in nature and why it was important to you. The imagine if you never had that opportunity. What will you do to make sure your voice is heard? What will you do for the environment today?

We’re on day 5 of 8, and there’s two things that stand out to me today as I reflect about WPC so far.

One is the focus on youth, which I mentioned before in a previous blog.  That topic still seems to have the edge over a multitude of topics here as far as what seems to have some grounding and traction day to day.  Almost 50% of the world’s population is below the age of 35, so it’s all making sense that many of us see that as an important conservation issue.  A few years ago in remote northern Kenya I had a project in which we asked community leaders to identify the conservation priorities of the region, a place in which rangeland is in poor condition for a pastoral-based community, clean water is hard to come by, trees provide the primary source of fuel and heat….and one of the top findings was youth and how to empower them to help sustain and improve the landscape there.  So, what I’m hearing here at the most global of discussions is consistent with what I heard a few years ago in the remoteness of northern Kenya by a group of about 20 Samburu.

Second, there’s a lot of buzz and talk about health and parks, a “healthy parks, healthy people” agenda. This runs the gamut from people needing wild places for spiritual health and renewal, to protected areas conserving forests that keep our air clean, and so on.  There’s aA lot of talk about this, and a lot of thoughts, theories, approaches and disagreements about how to quantify such benefits.  I can’t get my head around how you begin to value some of this stuff, like spiritual benefits. Some use approaches in which visitors are asked how much they would have paid for the experience they just had (this approach was used to measure value of spiritual benefits to visitors who reported spiritual renewal as a benefit of their experience), to calculating the costs of respiratory disease in an area (ER visits, pharmaceuticals for asthmas, etc.) to estimate how much value trees provide in air quality improvement, etc. I’m over-simplifying the examples, but hopefully you get the point.  Where my mind can’t go is this: we don’t pay for spiritual benefits (to go with that example for that moment) and asking me how much I WOULD pay, well, how do I know? I’ve never had to buy spiritual benefits, and the question is hypothetical so who knows if my monetary estimate is accurate,  and so on. I usually settle with a thought that some of this stuff just isn’t monetarily quantifiable.  But there’s where my colleague Kelly Jones comes in; she studies this stuff and maybe she can figure it out J

Australians, as an entire population, appear to have settled on aerosols for meetings their deoderant needs. I cannot find a roll-on deoderant around here to save my life.

How important are protected areas in our lives? In the United States, they have been an establishment for many generations, part of a tradition and history that we often take for granted. Interstates, railways, and air transportation make parks easily accessible for a large portion of the population. Parks in the U.S. are well established. Their presence is founded on generations of trailblazers and visionaries, outdoorsmen and laborers who encountered vivacity in America’s open spaces, who wore through boot soles to discover their soul elevated by the natural world around them; on park rangers, trail workers, and packers who pioneered pathways for the benefit of public access and enjoyment; and on visitors, photographers, and artists, who brought home impressive stories and images of spectacular sights to share with their friends and family. Protected areas do not only preserve nature, they preserve the continuum of all life and history, providing an opportunity for humans to foster a connection with that which enlivens their spirit and enables them to exist. It allows for that connection, once created, to be shared, fostering new human ties with nature.

Visiting a protected area today in the U.S. may expose the faint reminders of the hard work invested in its establishment via interpretative signage. In other parts of the world, however, protected areas are relatively new and have not been afforded the opportunity to have an extensive history or experience trial and error. In this increasingly complex modern world with strong outside pressures from resource extraction companies, social-political strife, and government wills, protected area managers in developing countries are having to accomplish a lot more with much less. Limited budgets, and at times, no budget at all, forces developing protected area systems to face conservation challenges with creativity, dedication, and a mentality of deep resolution to crusade for conservation in the face of diversity no matter the outcome. This very story of the new generation of protected area managers was reflected in the experiences shared by 24 Latin American and African conservation professionals that I had the pleasure to work with during this past summer. At the end of the protected area management seminar that gave them the opportunity to collectively work through common challenges, network, and share resources, this ultimate sentiment was unanimously shared: “We may have little resources to work with, but we have the drive, passion, and desire to work for the advancement of our protected areas and will continue to do so no matter the challenges we face.” In my opinion, these are our modern day trailblazers of conservation.

The World Parks Congress provides the opportunity to connect our modern day trailblazers with conservationists throughout the world. It acknowledges that problems occurring in one part of the world are not unique but a set of common challenges that we must collectively resolve together. It provides an opportunity for protected areas to enter into the forefront of the global conscious.  It acknowledges our past by setting goals for a better and brighter future. It reminds us that protected areas are important for the lives of everyone, not just the species that they are protecting. Complexities, often-ominous towering walls almost seemingly insurmountable, are brought into focus.  It has the potential to bring new populations into the conversation, providing the opportunity for new contributors of solutions.  It provides a nexus between conservation practitioners and concerned citizens.

The IUCN’s utilization of social media hopes to advance this connection. Their use of social media to promote the World Parks Congress is forward thinking. However, the simple use of social media is not sufficient in itself to bring new populations into the conversation. So far streaming videos invite global audiences to  peek into World Parks Congress dialogues. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feature long uncorrelated and unsorted feeds of pictures and brief headlines. An extremely hidden link transfers users to another website to access an open solutions forum. However, the World Parks Congress does not appear to provide a virtual venue to unite and connect communities, involve schools, inspire businesses, and move the everyday individual into collective action for the preservation of biodiversity. A website, in this modern day, has the power to truly incorporate citizen participation (think about any large popular culture campaigns where viewers are invited to vote or interact electronically). In addition, partnerships need to be forged across all sectors of our global society. If a conference happens once every ten years, then the preparation, partnership forming, and online interface needs to reflect the magnitude of importance that the World Parks Congress occupies for conservationists, protected area managers, indigenous people, and world citizens. It should reflect a more cohesive and organized movement that directs online viewers to clarified topics, inviting them to be virtual participants in a well defined international discussion. The World Parks Congress should be a trailblazer in the conservation movement, reflecting the dedication that all generations have invested in the effort to preserve nature, biodiversity, or simply just a beautiful view.

Following the IUCN World Parks Congress from the opposite side of the world poses some challenges. I look at the program, get excited about my favorite topics and the option of live streaming and even the option of Google Hangout and then realize that even though it’s 10:59 am my time, it’s 4:59 am at the Congress in Sydney, Australia. Hmm, how do I find a way to still feel like I am participating in the Congress? And what about all the side sessions, where the real discussions and the heated debates happen? Do I miss out on those too?

So I look at my options: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube.. That’s an overwhelming list of outlets – especially when you don’t have an account with any. YouTube seems like the obvious choice considering that the Congress consists of a lot of talking and pictures of people talking probably won’t tell me much about the content – as a fellow blogger has already implied regarding Instagram. The YouTube page is fairly straightforward, with a video for each key speaker as well as daily highlights and some promotional ads. But I still feel like I am missing out on the gritty details and discussions, where the real ideas surface and progress is made. I can comment on the YouTube page but no one else has so that seems like a dead end since connecting with other opinionated conservationists is my goal.

With a few videos now digested about recognizing indigenous voices and traditional knowledge, I head over to Google+ to see if there are any sort of discussion forums and click Google Hangout under one stream topic, but basically nothing happens – probably because it’s around 5:00 am over there. Am I missing out on everyone’s thoughts and ideas because I have no Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook account? And if that’s the case, what about low-income stakeholders of these protected area issues who don’t even have access to a computer or the internet?! I decide to return to square one: worldparkscongress.org.

I’m in the “Respecting Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and Culture” Stream Session and see a “Join the Conversation” option. Click. I get a page long summary of Sydney’s Promise and then a comment box. But there are no other posted comments. I backtrack to the top of the home page and go to “Get Involved” and then, literally, “How can I be a part of the Congress”. They suggest attending the actual congress, creating an event, or following social media. I’m about to give up when I happen upon the Panorama section of the website, where people have been sharing solutions and ideas and I can add my own as well. FINALLY! I found something. But, you have to navigate through 5 different pages to get to it: Home page > Promise of Sydney: Have your say > Solutions > www.panorama.solutions > Explore Solutions.

But why did take me so long to find a means of participating? I spent much more time and effort than the average person to navigate the social media and website and still am not entirely sure I found a way to participate, share, or at least hear from others. It seems there may be too many media outlets. In order to streamline this, it would have been helpful to funnel each social media site back to the website, where you don’t need an account to comment and all comments can merge and be seen together, rather than spread out among Twitter, Facebook, Google + and Instagram. Speaking for those of us who don’t have the plane ticket to get to Sydney, can we please have a central media outlet or forum for discussion?!

I cringed when I heard I was going to have to blog about the World Parks Congress (WPC) and their use of multi-medias. I’m not very adverse with anything technological and social media is no exception. I’m thoroughly convinced my phone hates me, my computer thinks I’m stupid and my GPS messes with me by making me travel 7 miles in the opposite direction before re-routing me. So how am I to follow the various ways on how the WPC disseminates there information to inspire and educate to the rest of us who can’t be in Australia?

Well, after navigating through their website and looking over their facebook page, I noticed a trend in the things that were captivating my attention. It was through their imagery. Photos of nature, various types of species, and people immersed in the environment that seemed untouched by human influences. It got me thinking, even though I love the stories of conservation, hearing about experiences of innovative conservation engagement and practices and how the interactions of scientists, government leaders, and community members and groups of all ages do come together to protect the worlds special areas, it was the images about what we all love that I looked at and studied first. Imagery can be so powerful. They used it during the opening ceremonies and it was a common theme in the the promotional youtube videos. It all started with an image, followed by another image with heartfelt music. These images allowed anybody watching to make a personal connection, whether it is from the colors themselves, the animals pictured or the places they were taken. Every picture made me either remember an experience of my own or made me feel emotion. That connection is what I held onto; it made me want to see and learn more. I suppose that is how it is for others out there too? Noticing that the WPC website is only translatable in three languages (English, Spanish and French), it’s possible that the images shown will allow other website visitors to understand and make connections of their own through the photographs. The values I associate with one picture may resonate completely different with someone else, but the idea that it could have equally as much impact to make us go out and be better stewards within our environment makes that image invaluable.

WPC even held a photo contest so that any individual from around the world could express how they view nature and share their appreciation and love of it with others. That inclusiveness allows people like me who can’t be directly involved be a part of something special to be heard. It reinforces that this is an open event to anyone who wants to participate in protecting what is in our world, from the smallest little snail to the health of a large urban area.

So how do I stay captured in wanting to delve deeper into the “nitty-gritty” of the World Parks Congress and not get lost in so many conservation topics? It all started with images. Those images became imprinted. They make me observe, wonder and push me beyond where I may not have gone before.

Australia took the global stage this week with the assembly of delegates and leaders from around the world for the annual G20 summit in Brisbane and the once-a-decade World Parks Congress being held in the capitol city of Sydney. It seems ironic that an assembly of world powers is meeting to discuss the future of the global economy right down the road from the congress set to discuss the future of protected areas and parks worldwide.

The symbolism and parallels between these two meetings are uncanny despite differences in their constituencies. In case you aren’t familiar the G20 or ‘Group of 20’ (which is entirely justified), it is exactly as the name implies; a group of nineteen powerhouse countries plus the European Union who meet annually in an international forum to discuss the state of the global economy. Here’s what’s on the agenda this year:

• Promoting stronger economic growth and employment outcomes
• Making the global economy more resilient to deal with future shocks
• Strengthening global institutions to ensure they reflect the new realities of the global economy.

Surprisingly, discussions on climate change were not on the docket; a point protesters emphasize by burying their heads in the sand of a local Sydney beach. Just down the road is the sixth meeting of the World Parks Congress which assembles once every ten years to discuss the future of protected areas and parks around the globe. In attendance are over 5,000 delegates from 160 countries. This year’s theme is Parks, People, Planet: Inspiring Solutions.

I can’t help but feel that sustaining biodiversity and cultural and natural history and heritage plays an important role in the long-term viability of the global economy while allowing for more sustainable conservation based development and growth models. Unlike at the G20, climate change is a challenge delegates at the Parks Congress have been actively discussing. It remains to be seen how solutions fleshed out by the congress will take shape, though one thing’s for sure; it’s been a symbolic week Down Under for the future of the world economy and the environment.

One of the things that caught my eye from the World Park’s Congress feed thus far was the report by the IUCN and the Ranger Federation dedicated to the world’s park rangers that have lost their lives or have been severely injured in the field. This hit home in an impactful way since watching the newly released Netflix documentary “Virunga,” directed by Orlando von Einsiedel. This story is about the gorillas of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the rangers that protect them. SOCO, a British oil company was discovered by journalists to be supporting a rebel faction known as M23 to force the DRC army out of Virunga. This was done so that SOCO could move in to drill for oil in one of the world’s last sanctuaries for the wild Mountain Gorilla, a World Heritage Site and National Park. This movie reveals the day-to-day dangers that park Rangers face and why they continue to risk their lives. This movie struck me for a number of reasons; not only was the cinematography incredible and the story telling powerful, it gave a voice to the rangers and journalists that put their lives on the line for their moral beliefs in an intimate and emotional way.

This brings me to my long-winded point… the importance of underrepresented storytelling and the complacency of media in our society. The world over contains people that risk their lives everyday for a greater cause, whether that’s for gorillas in Virunga National Park, the rights and safety of sex slaves in Nepal or for those that lack a political voice in Tibet. And most go unrecognized. We live in a country and in a time with the amazing opportunity to freely share our stories, our political opinions, even our most vulnerable and sensitive thoughts across the world whenever we feel inclined to do so. It is in this opportunity that I ask our generation to take a moment, step back and really try to understand what that means. Why do we waste countless hours and millions of dollars on reality TV shows like “the Jersey Shore?” Even Discovery Channel and National Geographic, channels that have traditionally supported education and exploration, have shifted their foundations in order to jump on the lucrative reality show bandwagon. These meaningless and shameful dramas take up valuable airspace, too much money and portray a culture that values surface interactions, un-empowering judgments, and complacency. Why is it that “Toddlers and Tiaras” get their own reality show and Emmanuel de Merode (director of Virunga National Park shot multiple times trying to expose SOCO’s exploitation story), and Andre Bauma (caretaker for gorillas at the rehabilitation center in Virunga) are given so little attention?

If we do not witness and share these valuable and empowering stories, we are wasting an opportunity to make this world a better place. Today, please, turn off “the Kardashians,” and take ninety minutes to watch “Virunga.” Share this story with those around you. We all don’t need to drop everything, get up and move to the DRC in order to risk our lives to protect Mountain Gorillas to make a difference. But, spend some time today thinking about someone that inspires you through their voice or work, ask yourself why they do what they do, and consider how you may exemplify similar traits to the people and things around you in a way that matters. Post a comment, share your underrepresented heroes with us! We want to hear their story!

Winter has officially hit Fort Collins. Snow has been steadily falling and temperatures don’t seem to want to rise above 30 degrees. It’s a prime time for me to curl up on my couch, boil some tea and binge watch Netflix. But instead of watching episodes of The Office for the 1 millionth time, I discovered that the Congress has set up live streams of discussion panels!

Here’s what I’m tuning into:
1. World leaders’ dialogue: Stand up for your rights- parks and social equality. In one of our classes we recently completed a protected area simulation where we worked in groups to set up a system of protected areas for a fictional country. A major theme throughout our discussions was how to include local communities within this new system of protected areas. This panel is going to look at social equality and how the integration of local knowledge and traditions can play a role in achieving conservation goals.
2. World leaders’ dialogue: Health, naturally. I’m really excited/intrigued about the connection between human health and the environment. This discussion panel is going to explore how parks and protected areas can be better managed to promote healthy environments that can be beneficial for human populations (hellllooo ecosystem services!).

To explore other topics and tune in yourself, check out the WPC live stream schedule:
http://www.worldparkscongress.org/programme/streaming.html