Learning for Conserva tion and Revi talisation of Natural and Cultural Resources the project is currently managed with a zero budget, relying exclusively on stakeholders’ resources. Around 30 organisations are enrolled: municipalities, landowners, forestry, environmental and social non-governmental organisations, companies, governmental organisations, education institutions and political parties. Several of these organisations are officially in charge of woodland management, allowing the project a good degree of sustainability. During the planning period it could be observed that mutual acknowledgment of the responsibilities, available resources, difficulties and opportunities took place and exchange between actors increased (projects, ideas, etc.). In addition, the debate about making the project happen and the role each organisation would play in it generated a collective learning and action process, based on dialogue and collaboration. The few initial gaps were figured out and, as a result of this process, the regional social capital grew richer. Several of the previously diffuse activities of tree-planting and caring were upgraded and integrated. Public participation in the project has been surprisingly positive. Around 1,900 participation records (800 individual volunteers) were registered in tree planting and caring (160 hours) and 76 people made a long term commitment to give 40 hours per year to these activities. Besides this, more than 100 people attended the Forest Ambassadors training course and 49 completed it. Some of these Forest Ambassadors offered woodland related ideas and initiatives. One such case is the kindergarten (Casa do Cuco) which created a cork collection programme for children to help recycle this tree product and learn about trees and forest, planted 32 native trees in a nearby riverside area with the help of families and created a task calendar for subsequent tree caring activities (watering, weeding). The 100,000 trees project is being replicated elsewhere in the country as of 2012. The Common Forest Project (a nationwide project promoted by a nongovernmental 34 organisation and the government office for nature protection and forests) was launched in March 2012 and its guidelines and procedures reflect the lessons learned over the development of this project. Experience to date shows that moving towards sustainability through a two-prong approach (simultaneous enhancement of social and natural capital) anchored on an agreed tangible goal is desirable and possible. Progress, however, has been achieved in small steps and more data needs to be collected. The project’s qualitative assessment is based on semistructured interviews to be conducted amongst partners, volunteers and Forest Ambassadors. With this assessment, complemented with the quantitative results already presented, an understanding can be reached about how the project makes a difference, both in people’s awareness and practical knowledge about trees and woods and in terms of social change, long-lasting public participation and social capital improvement. References AFN, 2010. 5º Inventário Florestal Nacional 2010. Available through: http://www.afn.min-agricultura.pt/portal/ifn/relatorio-final-ifn5-florestat-1 Accessed 19 July 2011. Dige, 2011. Green Infrastructure and Territorial Cohesion. The Concept of Green Infrastructure and its Integration into Policies using Monitoring Systems. EEA Technical Report No. 18/2011. Copenhagen. pp.132. Dwyer, J. F., McPherson, E. G., Schroeder, H. W. and Rowntree, R. A., 1992. Assessing the Benefits and Costs of the Urban Forest. Journal of Arboriculture 18(5): 227-234. GEA – Grupo de Estudos Ambientais, 2006. Diagnósticos Ambientais Regionais – Fase 1 do Futuro Sustentável. Available through: http://www.futurosustentavel.org/plano/?id=9 Accessed 19 July 2011 GEA – Grupo de Estudos Ambientais, 2008. Diagnósticos Ambientais Regionais – Fase 1 do Futuro Sustentável. Available through: http://www.futurosustentavel.org/plano/?id=9 Accessed 19 July 2011 INE, 2011. Dados Preliminares dos Censos 2011. Available through: http://censos.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=CENSOS&xpgid=censos2011 _apresentacao Accessed 19 July 2011. Konijnendijk, C.C, 2003. A Decade of Urban Forestry in Europe. Forest Policy and Economics, 5 173–186. Putnam, R.D., 1993. The Prosperous Community. The American Prospect, 4(13):35-42. Reed, M., Evely, A. C., Cundill, G., Fazey, I. R. A., Glass, J., Laing, A., Newig, J., Parrish, B., Prell, C., Raymond, C., Stringer, L., 2010. What is Social Learning?. Ecology and Society, 15(4): 1. Available through: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol15/iss4/resp1/ Accessed 24 May 2012. Tàbara, J. D. and Pahl-Wostl, C., 2007. Sustainability Learning in Natural Resource Use and Management. Ecology and Society 12(2): 3. Available through: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss2/art3/ Accessed 24 May 2012. Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests Task Force 2011. Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests Report. Available through: http://vibrantcities.org/ Accessed 12 January 2012. 2
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
To see the actual publication please follow the link above