Protecting our World Heritage:

How can we save the world’s most important places_
For the 300 natural sites around the world inscribed on the United Nation’s World Heritage List, there are certainly no easy solutions. However, the World Heritage Partnership, a four-year demonstration project, aims to uncover how ecotourism strategies can make a significant contribution. It represents a unique partnership among Rare, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UN Environment Programme, United Nations Foundation, and Aveda Corporation, in addition to dedicated park managers, local government agencies, and dozens of collaborating organizations.


MEXICO:

El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Rising from the sea on Baja’s eastern shore, El Vizcaíno is a paradise of mountain and ocean. From the gulf coast to the Sierra mountains of the Sonoran desert, the reserve encompasses the bays and lagoons of the sea, and the cultural and archeological sites of the mountains. The coastal lagoons of Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio are important breeding and wintering sites for the grey whale, harbor seal, California sea lion, northern elephant-seal and blue whale. The area is also home to four species of the endangered sea turtle. But the region’s marine resources have been declining due to unsustainable fishing practices and illegal wildlife extraction. RARE is training nature guides in the reserve and running an ecotourism promoters course in order to create a strong base for community development efforts.


Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
In the language of the Maya people, Sian Ka’an means “Where the sky is born.” Its deep blue waters are studded with mangroves, a variety of marine life, and part of the second largest coral barrier reef in the world. The reserve is also home to a range of wildlife from Giant Sperm Whales and Leatherback Turtles to flocks of Roseate Spoonbills and Jabiru Storks. Nearby communities, many of whose residents are descendants of the ancient Maya, depend upon a healthy fishery to make a living: fishing and lobstering are the mainstays the local economy. But as the metropolitan sprawl of Cancun expands its boundaries, development pressures increase on the protected area and its surroundings. RARE is currently training a corps of nature guides and ecotourism promoters based in the reserve, and creating a strong constituency for the environment through a Pride campaign.

INDONESIA:

Komodo National Park
Famous around the world for their aggressive behavior and curious appearance, Komodo dragons, the word’s largest monitor lizards, inhabit the rugged hillsides and dry savannah of this World Heritage site. The site also includes a vast marine reserve with one of the richest marine environments in the world, formed of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and semi-enclosed bays. These habitats contain more than 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of reef-building coral, and 70 species of sponges. Dugong, sharks, manta rays, at least 14 species of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles also inhabit the park. Current projects include a year-long Pride campaign dedicated to raising awareness among island communities about the value and extent of regional natural resources, nature guide and ecotourism promoters training, and the development of visitor use and impact mitigation plans for the protected area.

Ujung Kulon National Park
Located in the south-western tip of Java, the 197,600 acre site includes the Ujung Kulon peninsula, several offshore islands and the natural volcanic reserve of Krakatoa. The park is also home to one of the last communities of Java rhinos in the world, with only 50-60 individuals remaining. Encompassing the largest area of lowland rainforest left in the Java plain, habitats within the protected area are diverse, made up of not only rainforest, but swamp, mangrove and beach forest, as well as lava islands, and beneath the water, staggeringly beautiful coral reefs with an array of aquatic species. RARE is currently working on an environmental awareness campaign to spread the message of conservation among the communities surrounding the park and is working together with park staff to strengthen management capabilities and conservation initiatives.

GUATEMALA:

 Tikal National Park
Tikal is a breathtaking combination of man and nature, its ancient Maya temples rising dramatically from lush tropical forest. Named as much for its cultural value as its natural treasures, Tikal contains a vast swath of tropical rainforest and over 3,000 Mayan buildings dating from 600 BC to 900 AD. The park is also home to 333 species of avifauna including the Ocellated Turkey, Red Macaw, and Crested Eagle, as well as 54 species of mammal, such as the mantled howler monkey, the jaguar and the three-toed sloth. Threats to the region include the illegal extraction of xate (pronounced “sha-tay”)—an endangered species of jade palm used in the international floral industry—and wildlife poaching. RARE has trained a corps of nature guides and ecotourism promoters within the park, and is launching a Pride campaign focused on creating a strong environmental constituency within the region.
 
 


HONDURAS:

Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve
The largest remaining tract of natural forest in Honduras, the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve is home to an extensive mangrove ecosystem, mountainous highlands, Caribbean coast and the Plátano river. An estimated 2,000 vascular plants can be found in the reserve and as the region is perhaps the least studied of Honduras, the potential for discovering more is extremely high. Tapir and peccaries, howler and spider monkeys, and eagles and macaws populate the forests, and 200 amphibian and reptiles species have been observed. The region is also inhabited by over 2,000 indigenous people whose traditional lifestyles are threatened by encroaching settlements and commercial and agricultural developments. RARE is working together with communities in the biosphere reserve to strengthen ecotourism offerings, train nature guides and ecotourism promoters and run a year-long environmental education campaign