The Maya Biosphere Project (MBP)

The Maya Biosphere Project (MBP) was shaped around a participatory assessment process intended to help understand why past environmental education and communication bisophere reserve programmes implemented by international and national governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had fallen short of their aims. During a 3-week period in 2002, GreenCOM reviewed documents and materials provided by various MBR stakeholders, conducted in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and other USAID-funded technical assistance teams working in Guatemala City and the Peten. This research - in addition to the workshop held to share the results with various organisations that had been involved, as well as additional multi-sectoral workshops designed to gain their insights - informed the development of the strategy. Additional formative research was then conducted with 78 national, regional, and municipal opinion leaders.

The heart of the communication strategy was to build the capacity of "Ambassadors" to negotiate and implement sustainable solutions for the Maya Biosphere. These 78 men and women from 45 organisations engaged in five 3-day training sessions that focused on presentation skills, facilitating collaborative actions and coalition building, and working with the mass media. One theme that characterised the training was that of "ownership", which emerged from an analysis of 10 years of experience that demonstrated Guatemalans are more likely to protect and sustain the reserve if they feel a sense of ownership.

These ambassadors were equipped with a promotional kit including a 6-minute promotional video, a DVD, posters, a brochure, buttons, stickers, caps, a manual and guide, and several PowerPoint and overhead presentations (each designed for a specific audience). Developed by a local advertising agency with direction from GreenCOM and the director of the national park service's education and communication department, these materials were designed to have a unified message, and to "personalize the reserve". They feature a logo, a slogan, and a map of the country showing the reserve (at that time, no maps indicated its location). Using this kit, the Ambassadors trained others in their sectors about the benefits of the biosphere. Their goal was to motivate and facilitate collaboration and mutually beneficial actions in each sector.

In addition, billboards with artwork and messages from the posters were placed on roads leading to and inside the biosphere and on the 3 highways leading from the capital. These posters explained the benefits of the biosphere.

The mass media also got involved. Training was provided to 8 journalists representing 3 major newspapers and 3 national television stations. The journalists took a 2-day tour of the biosphere to learn more about its features and to interview different stakeholders. Also, for a 3-month period, a 30-second television spot aired during national TV newscasts, and 3 radio spots aired on 1 national and 3 regional radio stations.

Public events also shaped this effort to raise awareness and shift behaviour. Two traveling exhibits were held. In addition, the national protected area service sponsored 2 events to launch the campaign, which GreenCOM describes as "widely publicized and well-attended". These events featured the video and a presentation on the objectives, design, and other promotional materials of the campaign.

Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity.

GreenCOM explains that Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve covers 2.1 million hectares, representing 80% the country's protected areas and almost 20% of its total territory. Created in 1990, the Biosphere is home to 20 ecosystems, 220 species of birds, and 53 mammal species. It also highlights ancient Maya civilisation - with 175 archaeological sites, including Tikal, a United Nations World Heritage Site.