INTRODUCTION TO THE PRODUCTION OF NATURE COURSE Reserva Natural Iberá (Corrientes, Argentina) 21th to 23th April 2015 Results Report Organized by: Financed by:
Justification In the last 30 years, there has been a massive exodus from rural to urban environments. This has led to many areas, formerly dedicated to extensive activities (i.e. livestock, coal production, subsistence hunting, etc.), to become available for intensive farming (i.e. soy, rice or conifers plantations) or, alternatively, for biodiversity production associated with ecotourism or environmental services. Corrientes (and the rest of the northern region of Argentina) is currently undergoing this transition; the same is happening with other regions of the world. A good example of this is the Esteros del Iberá region, where the old dominant production system (extensive livestock) is starting to share physical, political and economic space with conifers plantations and the Production of Nature. This latter type of production offers very interesting work, economic and social opportunities for the rural population. An excellent example of this is the town of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini in the Reserva Natural Iberá: 90% of the population depends on ecotourism. This town has one of the lowest unemployment rates of the province, and it has been gaining social and political relevance within the province. At the same time, the production of nature is emerging as an area which offers work opportunities for students who are doing courses of studies such as biology, veterinary, environmental sciences or who are training to become rangers. In Corrientes, and in the rest of Argentina, this type of production will continue increasing; this increase will generate a demand for trained professionals who should know how to produce and/or maintain biodiversity. For all the aforementioned reasons, this course aims to introduce the basic principles of the production of nature as well as to examine concrete examples of this type of production within the Reserva Natural Iberá and other places. The idea is that students learn how to include this type of production within their professional tool box", and are able to see it as a potential economic opportunity for themselves. Background The course was held in the Reserva Natural Iberá (Corrientes, Argentina) on Tuesday 21th, Wednesday 22th, and Thursday 23th April 2015. The first two days took place at the Casa Santa Ana in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini and the last day was spent at Estancia Rincón del Socorro owned by CLT. The total number of applicants for the course was 33. Eighteen of them attended to the course. Among the participants included there were biologists, professionals working within government agencies in managing protected areas, conservation NGOs, tourism agencies and cooperatives in the area (see Annex 1: list of participants). The learning activities were conducted and coordinated by Ignacio Pérez Jiménez. Anna Cufré and Jorge Mendieta, who are Rangers of the Reserve, were invited to attend to the course to share the history of the Provincial Reserve and their perception of the changes experienced by the area in the last years due to tourism increase. A model inn of the town was visited during the course. There, the students shared a pleasant chat with its managers Estrella Losada and Jose Martin (born and raised in Iberá), who recounted their
experience about how tourism changed their minds, and how their dreams came true in Eco Posada del Estero (http://www.ecoposadadelestero.com.ar/quienes-somos/). A visit to the camping zone in Pellegrini and an Iberá boat tour was made with experienced local guides, who told us about the natural history of the site and their personal experiences before becoming tour guides. The senator from the Corrientes province, Mr. Sergio Flinta, shared an afternoon with the participants of the course in which he commentated the work that the Corrientes government is doing, which is committed to development based on nature and cultural identity. The course schedule was the following: Tuesday April 21: Journey from Mercedes to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini. Introduction to the Production of Nature as a new and growing professional discipline. Its global and local (Corrientes and negiboring provinces) trends. Talk with the managers of Eco Posada Iberá. Wednesday April 22: The Five Vertexes of the Production of Nature: biodiversity, knowledge, public support, experience quality and social benefits. Case Study: The town of Pellegrini, a history of social and economic change associated with the production of biodiversity and ecotourism. A tour around the village. Boat excursion to the lagoon. Chat with an Iberá Reserve ranger. Thuesday April 23: Case study: Ibera CLT Project. Ecological restoration and protected areas management. A field tour. Return to Mercedes at 7.00 p.m. Students answered a course feedback questionnaire (see Annex 2). According to their opinion, interesting (100%) and new (57%) topics were treated in the course. The ability of the course to foster personal and professional ties was considered excellent or very good (90%). The teaching quality and the course organization were evaluated as excellent or very good by all the students. Among the students comments, the good organization and human side of the course and the importance of these meetings for interaction and ideas exchange among colleagues were highlighted (see Annex 3 for the questionnaire results).
Pictures of the Course - Classes at Casa Santa Ana. - Chat with the Province Senator Mr. Sergio Flinta.
- Visit to the Carlos Pellegrini campsite and excursion to the Iberá lagoon. - Visit to Eco Posada - Chat with Rangers
ANNEX 1. List of students. Name Profession Institution Place where they came from 1 Carlos Spagarino forester Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo Formosa 2 Celia Guerrero tourist guide Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo Formosa 3 Lucas Fonzo environmental Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo Formosa technician 4 Hada Irastorza cultural manager The Conservation Land Trust Corrientes 5 José Sosa tourist guide Fundación Yetapá Corrientes 6 Mariana Balestrini busniess adminitrator Fundación Yetapá Corrientes 7 Cristina Azzano accountant Emprendimiento Turística Privado Corrientes 8 Hernán Casañas naturalist Aves Argentinas Buenos Aires 9 Diana Friedrich student Aves Argentinas Buenos Aires 10 Carolina Llamedo social communication Toyota Argentina (área Buenos Aires Responsabilidad Empresarial) 11 Damasia Ezcurra environmental Ministerio de Educación, pcia. Buenos Aires educator Buenos Aires 12 Darío Rodriguez student Fundación Banco de Bosques Buenos Aires 13 Noelia Volpe biology The Conservation Land Trust Buenos Aires 14 Federico Kacoliris biologist Investigador Conicet Buenos Aires 15 Pablo Grilli biologist Estudiante Doctorado Conicet Buenos Aires 16 Tamara Rolla veterinary ONG Ribera Norte Buenos Aires 17 Juan Ignacio Ravina arquitect Pasante del Centro Iberá para el Buenos Aires Liderazgo en Conservación de la Biodiversidad -CLT 18 Marianela Masat biologist The Conservation Land Trust Santa Fé
ANNEXO 2. Course feedback questionnaire. 1. Didactic Aspects 1.1 The course contents were: - a) Very interesting b) Interesting c) Uninteresting - a) Very novel b) Novel c) Known 1.2 I have found the teaching quality (i.e. way to present the contents, activities, materials, etc.) of the course to be: a) Excellent b) Very good c) Good d) Poor e) Bad f) Very bad 1.3. Could you write any recommendations aimed at improving the teaching quality of future courses? 2. Human and organizational aspects 2.1 I have found the quality of the course in terms of the creation of personal and professional ties for my future work to be: a) Excellent b) Very good c) Good d) Poor e) Bad f) Very bad 2.2 The human side of the course was: a) Excellent b) Very good c) Good d) Poor e) Bad f) Very bad 2.3. Please write any recommendations aimed at improving the personal relationships quality of future courses: 2.4 In my opinion, the organization of the course (i.e. accommodation, food, communication prior to the course, mobility, etc.) has been: a) Excellent b) Very good c) Good d) Poor e) Bad f) Very bad 2.5. Please write any recommendations aimed at improving the organization of future courses: GENERAL COMMENTS: It is very important for us to receive students positive or negative feedback which shows their impressions on the course, and highlights both the positive aspects to be reinforced or maintained and the weaknesses to be improved. This feedback provides very relevant information which transcends the quantitative part of the survey. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! (Please write your answers overleaf).
ANNEXO 3. Course feedback survey results. Answers (expressed in %) corresponding to 14 questionnaires (78% of all students) Contents Very interesting 64 Very Novel 21 Interesting 36 Novel 36 Uninteresting 0 Known 0 Not answer 43 Excellent Very Good Good Poor Bad Very Bad Didactic quality 57 43 Course ability to promote personal and professional ties. 57 36 7 Personal and human treatment 100 Organization 93 7 Comments made by the course students: - The course was inspiring and motivating. Not only by itself, also for the enriching opportunity to known many participants of an innovative social change which includes conservation. - The course was revealing in several aspects and made me rethink the work I am carrying out. I found it incredibly positive. My deepest thanks. - The quality of relationships was especially "good". - Clarity on topics conveyed and a great ability to focus on. - Personal relationships between participants was inspiring and enriching not only for the different profiles of them, also for the atmosphere of the course that promoted links generation. - Communication and logistics have been excellent. I have only compliments. Congratulations to the team, each in their role. Congratulations organizers, coordinators, etc...you play a fundamental role. - Beautiful lodges! - The course was inspiring. I picked up a new vision related to how to talk about conservation with people who are not in the subject. - Training format: to make initial questions that will be answered by everyone at the course was very good. There were not only one way to approach the topics, it depended on the different views and how they were constructed among participants. - To present cases seems to me very valuable. - To use visual resources makes everything more dynamic and easy in terms of methodology. - It would be nice if more people could participate in the course. I think it might be more convenient do it more than just once per year.
- I'm satisfied. According to the presentation of the first day when we were all together telling stories about our origin and expectations, and the opinion of everyone about my situation was that this course would not give me tolos: I have to say that they were wrong. I have learned a lot, I will come back at home with an established framework and priorities work for my enterprise. I hope to return soon because these trainings provide insights that drive to start dreams of many entrepreneurs like me. Thank you very much. I felt at home. - I found surprisingly interesting, useful and valuable the experience of Pellegrini. I am a very biased but these days I have become a little less. Total Thanks! - Excellent course, very well teached, super-clear and dynamic. Human warmth of all coordinators. Excellent work. Congratulations!!. Suggestions aimed at improving the course: - Presentation of the all members of the course (including logistics) in a context that allows us to know they more and understand the aim from the start. - More group work activities. - To include contrasting cases (cases of failures). - More activities to show and discuss personal cases of work. - Very often people (especially politicians and administrators) were mentioned assuming that everyone in the room knew who they were. It made difficult to follow some conversations. - To give printed material to reinforce ideas and concepts with literature. - It could be useful to have the story in first person (including video) of actors that can be considered "opposites" to the production of nature position. - Making more explicit and extend the stories of each participant. This allow us to learn, contribute and receive experiences. - It would have been interesting to use more participatory strategies in relation with the territory of each participant. - Could be organized breaks in which small groups of participants talk, for encourage them to create ties of friendship. - It would be useful to present other portals of Iberá to know how local people think and also other cases from Argentina which have reached similar results but from different start conditions. - To build a network of participants of this course, of past and future editions too in Facebook. - To rental more vans for the comfort of passengers for the trip Mercedes-Pellegrini. - I find important to include the topic "Birdwatching" in the course content. There are numerous examples available that it is one segment of tourism that has been growing over the past 20 years.