The effectiveness of the Iwokrama Ranger Training Program 2005, the importance and outcome of this essential training program and how it makes a difference to me.

The Iwokrama ranger training program that was held from February 1st to March 02 2005 at the Iwokrama Centre for Rainforest Conservation is a vital educational, capacity building, productive and interactive program. Nine participants from the primary user communities surrounding the proposed Shell Beach area participated in this program and have learnt a lot of new skills and techniques which when applied will be most effective. Some of these are methods to be used in approaching people in their communities, that is, how to address an audience whether it is a speech or a play that sends out messages of great significance and importance to those people who are willing to learn and cooperate, to form partnerships with each other, to build and strengthen on ideas and projects as it relates to community development, natural resource management and environmental education as a whole.

The Iwokrama training program has certainly transformed local individuals to become creative human beings who deal with difficult situations in such a way that everyone will be satisfied in the end results. The core of the training program was based on natural resource management, community development and sustainable development. It is indeed important to protect our natural resources and conserve them because the resources protected is not for the local people or a specific country alone but for the benefit of the entire earth and every single living organism on the face of it. The conservation of the forest trees is very vital since the forest is the lungs of the earth and if you have the forest trees removed you are not only destroying the forest but also natural eco-systems of important living organisms of that particular area of country or island. Most of these organisms may be endemic to that particular place and may have important values to the existing life cycle on the planet, so if they die out other organisms will be harmed. This can also contribute to the extinction of that particular organism.

The Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society and Iwokrama were the organizations that planned and organized this training program should be highly commended and also continue to promote more of such programs in the near future. Opportunities such as these afford more local people to be trained and equipped with the necessary knowledge that will be of a valuable resource to them as they are trained to work in the conserving and protecting of our natural resources. This will give more people myself included the opportunity to learn how to manage and control the resources around us in a sustainable manner.

This training program also enables more people to support conservation practices and complex resource management decisions on an informed basis rather than an emotional one. The Iwokrama ranger training program of 2005 was a great success. Classes from experienced rangers and tutors opened every participant’s appetite to work hard, be creative and to do their work more confidently and effectively in their respective communities ideally because of the valuable communication skills they acquired during the period of training.

Kevon Wong

Community Environmental Worker

Mabaruma

Region 1