International
Tropical
Marine
Ecosystems
Management
Symposium

ITMEMS 3
Global Problems, Local Solutions
Cozumel, Mexico
16-20 October 2006

• Thursday 12 October
  • Visit Muyil (arrive at 10.00 A.M)

    Muyil is one of the entries to Sian Ka'an and are a part of the 200,000 hectares of wetlands of Sian Ka'an. It is located at 20 Km South of Tulum (near the main road linking the North and the South of Quintana Roo State). The main activities are: Visiting the archeological ruins of Muyil, a interpretation path, two lakes and 14 km of channels (observing flora, fish and petenes), visiting Xlapak ("Mayan customs"). Floating in the channels is a really unique experience. The whole visit takes about 3 hours.
    The visitors will be guided by Mayan members of a local organization called "Muyil, Conjunto de aluxes", financed by COMPACT. They were peasants who became rustic furniture carpenters, and gradually started an eco-tourism business. They are now professional workers in community tourism

    

  • 1:00 PM: Lunch in a small restaurant in Muyil

  • 2.30 PM: Depart to Punta Allen through the Sian Ka'an Reserve (2 hours aprox. by car)

  • 5.00 PM (approx.): Arrive to Playon and 10 minutes in boats to Punta Allen.

  • Greeting by local leaders and members of Punta Allen community tourism cooperatives. Planning of the next day activities. Dinner at a Cooperative's restaurant (8.00 PM)

  • Overnight in Punta Allen/Punta Cuzan, in shared cabanas.

• Friday 13 October
  • Tour (approx. 3 hours.) in Punta Allen, visiting:
    1. Mangroves
    2. Bird Island
    3. Snorkel in the reefs
    4. See fishing shadows

    

  • 2.00 PM: Lunch at a restaurant of one of the cooperatives

  • 6:30 PM: Meeting with members of fishermen and tourism cooperatives

    In this meeting, ITMEMS3 visitors will speak directly with representatives of 5 organizations: Fishermen cooperative, 3 tourism organizations and a Civil Association coordinating the monitoring of reefs called "Herencia Punta Allen".

  • 8:00 PM: Dinner at one of the cooperatives restaurant

  • Overnight in Punta Allen/Punta Cuzan, in shared cabanas.

  Saturday 14 October

  • Breakfast at Punta Cuzan Cabanas

  • Return by boat to Playón (10 minutes) and by car to Playa del Carmen (3 hours) and return to Cozumel early afternoon by ferry.

• Costs

  The cost of the field trip is US $300 per participant ($150 per day), to cover accommodation, all meals and transport in and around Sian Ka'an. The cost of the ferry between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen is about US $10 dollars.

• Contact

  For more information or to reserve a place on the field trip, please contact: Penny Stock, ITMEMS3 Coordinator: pstock@icran.org.

• ICRAN and the GEF Small Grants Programme

  Since 2000, ICRAN has been working at the global, regional and local level in over 35 coral reef countries providing small grants for activities that focus on the prevention and mitigation of the ecological degradation of coral reefs through management, monitoring and public awareness actions. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, implemented by UNDP, was launched in 1992 to support the activities of non-governmental and community based organisations in developing countries. Working in 95 countries, the GEF SGP has focussed primarily on capacity development, local participatory activities, education and alternative livelihoods.

  In order to enhance the existing GEF SGP portfolio and expand the range and diversity of coral related projects, ICRAN is working alongside the GEF Small Grants Programme, with the help of UN Foundation, to develop a coral reef specific small grants facility, combining the proven delivery mechanism of the GEF SGP and the technical expertise and experience within ICRAN. This partnership aims to close the distance between ideas and action in the funding of small-scale projects in support of globally significant coral reef areas, and will link management and conservation needs with the interests of local communities, implementing site-based activities for the attainment of visible benefits. At a global level, the coral reef small grants programme will also help to achieve two of the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals to: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Ensure environmental sustainability.

  This grass roots approach will improve the accessibility of small, low cost funding opportunities for local organizations/NGOs/CBOs and communities and will make significant steps to empower local communities and organizations to have greater stewardship and management over their coral reef resources, creating much needed opportunities for community leadership.