By Maria Eugenia Arreola | Director
Dear MAR Leadership friends:
We are happy to share with you our latest deveopments. I hope you find this report interesting.
New 2014 MAR Leadership cohort
We are proud to present the MAR Leadership 2014 Cohort. Their projects will focus on Sustainable Materials Management. 2014 MAR Fellows are: Tanya Barona from Punta Gorda Belize, Emerson Garcia from Belmopan, Belize, Mario Salazar, From Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, Joanna Giron from Guatemala City, Melissa Alvarez from Guatemala City, Laura Palmese from Tegucilgalpa, Honduras, Cindy Flores from Roatan Honduras, David Barahona from Roatan, Honduras, Lemuel Manases from Cozumel, Mexico, Monica Alba from Cancun, Mexico, Fernando del Valle from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Denise Solis from Kantunilkín, Mexico and Tzahyri Peraza from Holbox, Mexico.Check them out at http://liderazgosam.org/generation-2014-solid-waste-management/?lang=en
This year, the MAR Leadership Program has the "regional vision" of fostering integrated waste management systems and preventing environmental pollution. These actions will positively impact the reef and public health in five communities (Holbox and Cozumel in Mexico; Punta Gorda in Belize; Livingston in Guatemala, and Roatán in Honduras). In order to overcome this conservation challenge, 2014 MAR Fellows will use the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) approach which emphasizes source reduction, materials reuse, composting, recycling, job creation, and regional economic development as alternatives to ordinary disposal methods.
Monica and Lemuel’s project is: An Integrated Programe for Sustainable Materials Management in Cozumel Island. Denisse, Tzahyri and Fernando will design and implement the project: Integrated Waste Management Plan in the Natural Protected Area of Yum Balam (Which includes Holbox). Mario, Melissa and Joanna’s project is: Solid Waste Management in Livingston, a Pilot Project that can be Replicated in Coastal and Marine Areas. David, Laura and Cindy’s project is Sustainable Materials Management through economic political, educational and social development.
Successful Inception Workshop for the 2014 cohort, 22 – 28 June 2014 in Cozumel, México
During the workshop, Cristina Cortinas, Izarelly Rosillo, and the team from Syracuse Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, led by Mark Lichtenstein and Laura Cardoso assisted 2014 fellows in developing their project ideas and integrating them into one project for each selected community. Andrés Jorge González engaged all in an interactive storytelling course. Eda Roth (former Broadway actress and communication consultant) taught fellows how to ensure that the audience pays attention to their presentation and how to speak in public. A forum for solid waste management was also held. The objective of this forum was to open a space for government officials and members of the various sectors who are interested in integrated solid waste management system in Quintana Roo, exchange ideas and experiences with MAR Leadership consultants and fellows.
During the workshop, we took a field trip to visit Cozumel’s sanitary landfill and visited the transfer station where waste is collected and recycled. In the afternoon we embarked to Cozumel Reefs National Park. We visited Colombia Bajo Reef: this site, located within a Protected Area, is one of the island’s healthiest reefs. Various species of living coral, groups of fish, sea turtles and other species are present. Because the site is frequented by tourists, the implementation of good practices by tour operators and tourists alike is essential.
New MAR Leadership team
The MAR Leadership team has recently evolved. Elisa López joined us in April as Project Officer. Elisa studied her career in oceanography at the University of Vigo, Spain and at the Arctic University of Norway. She got a MSc in Marine Sciences and Limnology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). After some years travelling and enrrolled in oceanographic campaigns, Elisa has spent the last four years teaching and researching the Mesoamerican Reef. She worked for The School for Field Studies (SFS) in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Global Vision International (GVI) in Mahahual, Mexico. Thalia Medina is the new Program’s Administrative Assistant. Thalia earned her bachelor’s degree in Institutional Management at Universidad Panamericana, and she has a multidisciplinary background that has allowed her to develop in both public and private institutions. She has collaborated with IMPULSA JA Worldwide, organizing and coordinating educational programs for children and youth. We prize Thalia’s ability to solve problems so that the program runs smoothly, as well as her attention to detail. Alejandra Iñigo is supporting the program in the area of communication and social networks. Alejandra is currently studying Neurosciences and is teaching mathemathics. She is co-founder of Glía Centro de Aprendizaje where she develops communication strategies. Her passion is to share knowledge and continuous learning is the reason why she likes to work in the MAR Leadership Program.
To see the photos download the PDF report
¡THANK YOU DONORS!
The MAR Leadership Program thanks our donors, including individual donors fromGlobalGiving,for their support and generosity.
We hope you enjoy it and thank you very much for your continued support MAR Leadership Program!
Warm wishes,
The MAR Leadership Team
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