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Conserving the Jewels in the Crown of the High Andes

Final Project Report to the

Reporting period: 1 January 2011 – 31 December 2012

Hooded Grebe Colony - Buenos Aires Plateau

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Part 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Project Background The wetlands of the High Andes from Venezuela to Argentina play a vital role in providing water to ecosystems and human communities at lower elevations, and are of key importance for resident and migratory biodiversity, including significant numbers of highly threatened species such as Junín Grebe (CR), Titicaca Grebe (EN), Hooded Grebe (EN) and Andean Flamingo (VU). High Andean wetlands and the unique biodiversity they maintain are threatened through drainage, hydroelectric dams, changes in hydrological cycles, introduced species, overexploitation and incidental catch. These wetlands and the environmental services they provide are also expected to be severely affected by climate change. The Ramsar Convention’s “Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands” has identified the need to establish a regional, comprehensive management system for the High Andean Wetlands that helps protect their environmental goods and services and maintains the biodiversity associated with them. In 2011 BirdLife initiated a project, with the support of the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation, to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable development of priority wetlands through targeted protection, management, education activities and engagement with local communities at three sites. The target sites for this project are: 1. Buenos Aires Plateau1, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, 2. Llanganates National Park, Tungurahua, Napo and Pastaza provinces, Ecuador; and 3. Lago Junín, Junín Province, Peru. 1.2. Project Goal To advance the long-term conservation of key wetland sites in the High Andes through targeted protection, management and education activities and engagement with local communities, working within the Ramsar Convention’s “Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands”. 1.3 Overview of Conservation Achievements and Project Impact during its lifetime Significant project achievements included: Establishment of the High Andean Wetland conservation and management network based on

regular communications, annual meetings and conservation actions at project sites within a common framework.

Improved communications and regular contact with national Ramsar focal points resulting in a proposed extension to the Llanganati wetland complex in Ecuador, and incorporation of the “ecosystem services toolkit” (used by the project) within the Ramsar Convention’s proposal to the Global Environment Facility.

Successful evaluation of environmental services at three sites, including a pilot field assessment in Llanganates, Ecuador.

Identification of previously unexplored wetlands, important for resident and migratory birds, in Llanganates, Ecuador.

1 The project originally intended to work at the Strobel Plateau, but this was changed to the Buenos Aires Plateau due to an absence of the focal species in the wetlands of the Strobel Plateau (see the “Problems Encountered” section of the report for further details.)

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Positive promotion of the sustainable and alternative use of natural resources and training of Local Conservation Groups (LCGs) and local communities, with examples from Ecuador of birding tourism and the promotion of more efficient stoves using less natural fuel.

A bill of law for a new 52,000 ha national park centred on the Buenos Aires Plateau, aiming to ensure the protection of the major breeding population of Hooded Grebe. The creation of the national park was announced by the Head of the National Parks service in December 2012, and it is expected that the bill of law will be approved in March 2013.

Local Conservation Groups consolidated at Llanganates and Junín, and implementing monitoring and conservation actions at sites.

Environmental education program focused on the value of High Andean wetlands included as part of the local schools curriculum in Junín.

Part 2: ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT

2.1. Project progress during the reporting period Jan-Dec 2012 Progress made during the second year of the project is presented below, against the planned project outputs and activities. Output 1: Ramsar High Andean Wetlands Strategy is strengthened and implemented through more effective involvement of civil society organizations

a. Establish a High Andean Wetland conservation and management network

The network continues to share experiences and lessons learned, and, in doing so, to build and strengthen capacity in wetlands conservation. Seven local or national conservation organizations (listed in the first year report), plus the BirdLife Secretariat and the High Andean Flamingo Conservation Group actively participate in the network. Communications are facilitated through an e-mail group, monthly meetings via Skype and information shared via Dropbox. A special issue of the Birdlife Americas’ newsletter focused on High Andean wetland conservation experiences will be published during the first quarter of 2013 (link to the newsletter to be emailed separately). A second face-to-face meeting of network partners was held in November 2012 (see below). Links have continued to be built with the two wetlands networking initiatives created by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (Wetlands Link International and World Wetland Networks) including plans to collaborate in an international wetlands educators’ conference to be held in Chile in October 2013.

In the words of Constantino Aucca (Executive Director of ECOAN, the project partner in Peru) the value of the network is “In the constant communication and exchange of ideas, which helps each group to achieve their conservation targets, and garner recognition for their efforts”.

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b. Annual meetings of the High Andean wetlands project partner network

The second annual meeting of the High Andean wetlands project partner network was held in Santiago, Chile, during 17-19 November 2012, hosted by the BirdLife Partner in Chile, CODEFF (Comité Nacional Pro Defensa de la Fauna y Flora). An additional meeting, just of the formal BirdLife Partners participating in the project, was held during the BirdLife Americas Regional Partnership meeting in the Dominican Republic in June 2012. These meetings served to consolidate and strengthen the network, through sharing experiences, discussing approaches to common issues, and creating an enabling environment for regionally co-ordinated actions. An example of the latter is a region-wide assessment of the importance of High Andean wetlands for North American-breeding shorebirds. Currently, the High Andes do not feature on the “conservation landscape” as a region of importance for shorebird conservation. However, the co-ordinated region-wide assessment has revealed that the wetlands of the region are of considerable significance for a number of species of conservation concern, opening-up new opportunities for funding and support. During the 2012 meeting, partners shared their experiences, results and challenges during the implementation of the project. A particular focus of discussion was the mining industry, which presents a significant threat at all of the sites. Partners discussed strategies to reduce the impact of mining on strategic habitats without diminishing the economic potential of the sites and these were incorporated into a new proposal to the US Fish & Wildlife Service – Neo-tropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (USFWS-NMBCA) for action at two of the current project sites (Llanganates and Junín) and two additional sites (Lago Poopó in Bolivia, and the Lagunas Altoandinas y Puneñas de Catamarca in Argentina). The two meetings held during 2012 represented the first chance for CODEFF to learn about BirdLife’s High Andean wetlands work, and to explore opportunities to initiate actions in Chilean High Andean wetlands (as part of a projected new phase of the work).

c. Regular communication/meetings with national Ramsar focal points and wetland committees and the Ramsar strategy contact group

Project partners maintained regular communications with the national Ramsar focal points. A report summarizing project activities and highlighting key results was prepared for national Ramsar focal points and shared with them prior to the 11th Ramsar Conference of the Parties held in Bucharest, Romania in July 2012 (see Annex I). The ninth meeting of the Ramsar Convention’s Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands was held in Chile in November 2012. Representatives from member countries attended the meeting, in addition to representatives from the NGO members of the contact group (including the High Andean Flamingo Conservation Group-GCFA, WWF and BirdLife). BirdLife presented its experience in implementing the ecosystem services evaluation tool as part of the current project, and offered the tool as a contribution to the conservation of High Andean wetlands within the framework of the Strategy. Several of the government representatives present (and in particular Colombia) and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat expressed their interest in the tool and the possibility of using it at other High Andean wetland sites.

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The second annual meeting of the High Andean wetlands project partner network was held immediately prior to the Ramsar strategy meeting, and project partners were able to attend the first two days of the strategy meeting, directly interacting with their national Ramsar focal points, and highlighting their site-based conservation actions within the context of the strategy. Output 2: Environmental services provided by three High Andean wetlands evaluated and documented

a. Baseline assessment of the state of each of the three wetlands Activity completed during the first year of the project and documented in the Annual Report submitted in 2012.

b. Evaluation of environmental services provided by each wetland

The evaluations of environmental services were carried out using a methodology developed by BirdLife International and other partners in a separate project (supported by the Aage V Jensen Charity Foundation). This methodology is easy to put into practice, keeps the cost of implementation to a minimum, and is accessible to non-experts, while delivering scientifically robust results (see Annex II for further details on the toolkit). The method identified the current state of environmental services and a 10-year future scenario. The methodology has two levels, a simple one (conducted at all three sites) and a detailed assessment (conducted at Llanganates).

Buenos Aires Plateau: Ecosystem services were evaluated in the context of the plateau becoming a protected area (a likely future scenario). Six services were identified as priorities. Of these, the only one whose value would decrease as a result of conservation action is wool from sheep, as livestock would be excluded from the area. The other services (water quality, erosion control, cultural values, genetic resources, recreation and tourism) were all identified as likely to increase with an increasing level of protection in the area. Llanganates: Five environmental services were considered as priorities: global climate regulation, water (human consumption, irrigation, and hydro-electricity), grass for livestock grazing, nature-based tourism and carbon storage. A full evaluation including field assessment was conducted, with the following results:

Grass sampling as part of environmental services evaulation – Llanganates National Park

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Global climate regulation: The total carbon (C) storage of the site was estimated at 3.8 million Mg C of which 2.1 million were estimated to be in the páramo (both undisturbed and grazed). The most plausible alternative state of the site (“business as usual”) would result in a three-fold increase of disturbed páramo area, with an accompanying reduction of 4% in stored carbon (representing a lost value, using US Government 2011 values, of US $13 million in total carbon stored). Under a more severe, but also likely, scenario of an overgrazed páramo, the reduction in total carbon storage would be 14% (or a loss of US $45 million in total carbon storage). Nature-based recreation: The estimated total value of nature-based recreation currently attributed to the site was US$ 49,000 per year. Under the alternative state (of business as usual), all tourism was expected to decrease by 68%, with the total value of nature-based recreation expected to reduce to US$ 20,000 per year.

The results of the field assessments for the other environmental services are still being analysed; a full report will be completed by early March 2013 and will be shared with the local and national authorities and decision-makers. Junín: Six services were prioritized as the most susceptible to change in the next 10 years. The benefits/values of wild food (birds, fish), energy (hydroelectric), water for human consumption, recreation and tourism, aesthetic benefits, and local climate regulation were all considered as likely to decrease. Field assessments of the services are needed in order to generate information of the current state of the services to prepare sustainability plans for the site and economic alternatives for its management and protection (i.e. payment for ecosystem services).

c. Assessment and evaluation of the state of water resources associated with each wetland

All three sites are facing a similar situation: a decrease in the provision of water for human consumption and irrigation, due to deforestation, climate change and hydroelectric projects; pollution of water by mining activities; and changes in water conditions due to invasive species affecting native species. The results of the full field assessment on the provision of water in Llanganates are still under analysis and will be available by March 2013. Full field assessments of the environmental services provided by the Buenos Aires Plateau and Junín will be carried out as follow-up work to the current project. Output 3: Biodiversity value of three key wetlands protected, maintained and improved

a. Preparation of a conservation plan for the Buenos Aires Plateau, Argentina and promotion of the creation of a protected area.

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The conservation plan for the Buenos Aires plateau has focused on the creation of a protected area (“Patagonia National Park”). Aves Argentinas in collaboration with the National Parks Authority and advisors to the Provincial Representative (Congressman) Oscar Sandoval, drafted a bill of law for the province to transfer land to the national government and the representative presented it to all the relevant government commissions (who approved it). In parallel, Aves Argentinas and local conservation group, Ambiente Sur, presented a justification to the Commission for Tourism and the Environment of the House of Representatives for the creation of a protected area on the Buenos Aires plateau. The bill of law for the creation of a national park was due to be presented in the House of Representatives on 22 November, but it was postponed until March 2013. However, the president of the National Parks Authority publicly announced the creation of “Patagonia National Park” on the Buenos Aires plateau. The new national park will be formed by three properties, two of them fiscally-owned land and one that was purchased by the NGO Flora y Fauna Argentina, as the result of a cooperative agreement between them, Aves Argentinas and Ambiente Sur. The property has now been transferred to the national government for the creation of the national park, the total area of which is 52,000 ha. The property that was purchased includes the El Cervecero lagoon, which is currently the most important breeding colony of Hooded Grebes. The fiscally-owned land includes two other important lagoons (El Sello and Tolderías). The project team continues to look for additional land purchase opportunities to be able to expand the new park.

b. Implementation of priority conservation activities in existing conservation plans for Llanganates National Park and Lago Junín.

Llanganates: In February 2012 fieldwork was carried out to assess the importance of wetlands (including many never visited before) for the conservation of waterbirds. Wetlands in the southwest of the park were found to be important for resident and migratory birds and especially important as a source of irrigation water for communities downstream. An extension of the Ramsar site to the southwest and north of its current range is being proposed as part of the results of this project. This proposal will be presented to the national authorities in April 2013. In 2011, National Park rangers were trained in how to conduct monitoring surveys on the ecology and natural history of waterbirds as part of their daily patrol activities and monthly surveys were initiated in 2012. Junín: Through the re-activated Local Management Committee an “emergency response” plan was developed, both to address some of the existing threats and to build capacity to tackle new threats. Environmental education activities were implemented to promote interest in wetland conservation between local authorities and the general public, to reduce and mitigate current threats. ECOAN has also continued implementing monitoring activities for both resident and migratory bird species.

Buenos Aires Plateau

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c. Identification of sustainable uses of natural resources in each of the three wetlands and promote their implementation.

Buenos Aires Plateau: Aves Argentinas and Ambiente Sur have worked with local shepherds to determine and implement low intensity grazing regimes, in addition to grazing-free areas, in sites were the Hooded Grebe Podiceps gallardoi breeds. This has involved working closely with them to raise awareness of the uniqueness of Hooded Grebe and to identify areas where grazing can be increased without negatively impacting on the grebe or other biodiversity of conservation concern. Llanganates: Aves y Conservación and the Ministry of Tourism have actively promoted birding tourism activities as a sustainable economic alternative in the area, through the development of the “Eco-route Kuri Pishku”. The eco-route aims to generate alternative income for families, community-based organizations and local businesses by providing services to tourists visiting the Llanganates area. Aves y Conservación has been working with local people to train them as guides and to build capacity for “servicing” tourists (through provision of accommodation and food). Junín: One of the significant threats to natural habitats in the area is the use of “champa”, native grass for cooking. To reduce the impact on this habitat, improved stoves, that use less champa and a combination of dry cow dung and firewood as fuel, were built. 30 stoves were installed in local communities and people from eight communities were trained in the construction of such stoves. In addition to using less champa (about 50%), the stoves release 82% fewer emissions thereby contributing to improving the quality of life for local populations through decreasing the frequency of respiratory problems.

d. Promote the use of mechanisms for conflict resolution related to land-use planning and water use in all three wetlands.

Buenos Aires Plateau: Aves Argentinas worked closely with landowners, national and provincial authorities and local conservation organizations to avoid conflicts regarding the creation of a protected area to help conserve the Hooded Grebe and other unique biodiversity. This included helping to identify government-owned lands on the Buenos Aires plateau, and a land purchase campaign to create a core area for the new protected area. At the same time, the project team sought to raise awareness among landowners regarding the impacts of introduced trout to the ecology of the plateau’s lagoons, a process which has been facilitated by parallel research on these impacts as part of a Ph.D. thesis.

Hooded Grebe Display

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Llanganates: Discussions continued with the local authorities and other stakeholders regarding the use of water resources. The evaluation of environmental services helped to open communication channels and identify mechanisms to resolve conflicts. These primarily relate to a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of local, provincial and national government agencies, and who the appropriate people are to contact in these agencies. Junín: ECOAN continued to hold meetings with mining companies and local authorities regarding a more sustainable use of the lake’s resources and progress is gradually being made in terms of their willingness to identify and implement solutions. However, this is a process which needs an on-going effort as it effectively requires a change in corporate culture, plus a solid business case (demonstrating that changes can be made at no long-term financial cost to the mining operations). In this context, the lake’s management committee, which was reactivated by ECOAN during the course of the project, has played an important role in building awareness and lobbying for a sustainable use of natural resources. Output 4: Local and national governments and business leaders informed of the value and the environmental services provided by the wetlands As a result of the reduced budget available for this project, cuts had to be made to the activities planned under this output. It was agreed with the project partners that the regional communications strategy would focus on informing and engaging with the Ramsar Convention’s Regional Strategy for High Andean wetlands, while each project partner would target communications to support conservation/management decisions for each site. Regular communications have been maintained both with national Ramsar focal points and with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Project activities have been formally reported on an annual basis against the objectives and targets in the Ramsar Strategy, and special reports summarizing project activities within the framework of the Ramsar strategy were prepared for each national Ramsar focal point, and one overall report for the Convention Secretariat. Both BirdLife and project partner staff have also had the opportunity to report on project activities during the annual meeting of the Ramsar Strategy contact group. In Argentina, the project partners used information on the value of environmental services to help promote among provincial authorities the creation of a National Park. At the end of 2012, the head of the National Parks Authority officially announced the creation of a new National Park, covering lagoons on the Buenos Aires plateau which provide key breeding habitat for Hooded Grebe. In Ecuador, the project succeeded in promoting the value of the wetlands in Llanganates, resulting in the Ramsar Site being included on the list of priority wetlands in Ecuador, which should result in more resources and attention available for the conservation of this site. Also, using information obtained through the project, Aves y Conservación is working closely with the national Ramsar focal point on a proposal to extend the boundaries of the Ramsar site to include other important wetlands in Llanganates.

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Through promotion of the value of Junín Lake, ECOAN was able to re-activate the reserve management committee and achieve recognition, by local and national authorities, of the committee as an important environmental authority for the protected area. Output 5: Strengthened local and national institutional capacity and technical tools for the sustainable use and management of High Andean wetlands.

a. Support partner organizations to strengthen and work with existing local conservation groups On the Buenos Aires plateau, partners identified the local stakeholders with an interest in conserving the IBA and who could form the basis for the creation of a Local Conservation Group. These include 6 landowners, 13 ranch administrators, 4 representatives of local authorities and 4 representatives of public services. Participants from four local birding clubs (CoAs, Clubes de Observadores de Aves) and rangers of protected areas in Patagonia have volunteered in the field activities. Owners of land containing wetlands of importance for Hooded Grebe, the provincial protected areas authority, research groups and universities working in the area were also approached leading to important logistical and financial support for project activities, and helping to create a broader constituency of local organizations promoting the creation of a protected area. At Llanganates National Park, strengthening of the Local Conservation Group (LCG) continued during the second year of the project, and in particular their skills in bird census and monitoring and environmental education activities were improved. Eight members of the LCG participated in the 3rd Ecuadorian Ornithological Meeting, giving presentations and participating in birdwatching and monitoring activities. Training of the new LCGs established during the first year of the project in Pillaro, Baños and Salcedo continued, including through exchanges with the Llanganates LCG. At Lago Junín, the reactivated management committee has become the lead local conservation group for the area. The project has built the capacity of the committee, in part through the development of annual work plans and agreements for the sustainable use of natural resources. It has also worked to raise awareness and recognition for the committee among public and private organizations in the Junín area. The committee has led the development of an “emergency response” plan to new and emerging threats, and has prioritized the actions required in the most important areas of the lake (from a biodiversity conservation perspective).

b. Establish annual work plans for local conservation groups Simple annual work plans based on the priority actions required at each site, and the interests and capacity of each group were developed with the LCG at Llanganates and the management committee at Junín. As a LCG on the Buenos Aires Plateau has yet to be established, annual work plans have not been developed. However, Aves Argentinas does have a detailed annual work plan with its local

Capacity Building Workshop for Local Conservation Group Members – Llanganates NP

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partner organization, Ambiente Sur. The annual work plan of the LCG in Llanganates includes regular participation in the environmental awareness raising activities, reforestation, bird monitoring, and capacity building of other LCGs. The management committee at Junín includes regular meetings to supervise the sustainable use of natural resources agreements, participation in the environmental education activities and fundraising. Project partners meet on a regular basis with the LCGs to review the progress against the annual work plans.

c. Establish a standardized monitoring protocol for all sites and train LCGs in its implementation Regular monitoring is on-going at all three sites using the standardized monitoring protocol that was agreed upon at the beginning of the project. At the Buenos Aires plateau this monitoring is primarily conducted during the austral spring and summer, given the difficulties of access during the winter. However, one monitoring visit was made during the austral winter of 2012.

In the absence of a LCG here, monitoring is undertaken by technical staff from Aves Argentinas and their local partner NGO (Ambiente Sur) with the help of volunteers from four CoAs (local birdwatching clubs) from elsewhere in the province. At Llanganates and Junín, LCG members were trained in the standardized monitoring protocol at the end of the first year and beginning of the second, and they now lead the regular monitoring at both sites.

d. Provide training and mentoring to LCG leaders in the Ramsar High Andean wetland strategy

The Ramsar Strategy was used as the framework for all of the activities implemented by the LCGs in Llanganates and Junín. LCG leaders and members were trained in the relevance of the strategy to their activities, and vice versa during meetings between the project partners and the LCGs, and on-going mentoring was then provided, including in terms of reporting local actions to Ramsar and environmental authorities. Output 6: Local population sensitized about conservation issues through education activities.

a. Development and implementation of an environmental education plan for at least three age groups at each site; preparing education material for teachers and students for use in local schools

Bird Monitoring – Llanganates NP

Monitoring - Buenos Aires Plateau

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At Llanganates, Aves y Conservación continued to implement an education program focused on children and teenagers in the communities surrounding (and inside) the park. The program has used different teaching/learning techniques such as recreational activities, games and videos to teach the children about the unique birds of the area, the Ramsar site and the importance of its conservation, and has involved participation in reforestation activities. During the course of the project a significant increase was observed in the number of school children participating in events and celebrations such as International Migratory Bird Day, World Wetlands Day and World Bird watch.

At Lago Junín, ECOAN worked with schools and colleges to prepare educational materials targeting primary and high school children. As a result of the project, the environmental education program will form part of the official school curriculum as of the 2013 school year.

As there are no permanent residents on the Buenos Aires plateau, environmental education plans were not developed there. Nevertheless, Ambiente Sur worked closely with schools in Río Gallegos (one of the principal wintering sites for the grebe) to integrate environmental themes, including the needs of the Hooded Grebe, into school curricula. All of the project partners undertook a series of actions to raise awareness, including activities as part of the World Bird Festival celebrations (October 2011 and 2012), World Wetland Day (February 2012) and activities with local media.

Environmental Education at local schools – Lago Junín

World Bird Festival Parade – Llanganates NP

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b. Preparing education material on endangered birds for site visitors to all sites Aves y Conservation together with the Ministry of Tourism developed and placed 60 information signs along the Eco-route Kuri Pishku. Signs include maps and representative bird species of the trails. Posters promoting nature-based tourism in Llanganates, conservation of birds and high Andean wetlands were prepared and shared at national level. In Junín, ECOAN prepared graphic displays and posters regarding the importance of conserving the area’s natural resources which were shared at different events and meetings of the management committee and visits of ECOAN to other institutions and regions of Peru. As there are very few visitors to the Buenos Aires plateau, and few permanent residents, producing education materials specific to the plateau was not identified as a priority project activity for this site. However, a documentary about the plight of the Hooded Grebe, entitled “Twilight of the Hooded Grebe” was produced in both Spanish and English, with the support of the Argentine Ministry of Tourism and the National Parks Service, and can be viewed (in English) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0taBiJB35c An information brochure about Hooded Grebe was also produced and shared with communities in Santa Cruz province (see Annex 3). AVJCF funding did not support these publications directly. However AVJCF project funds supported the Aves Argentina staff who produced them.

c. Building and strengthening a network of teachers trained in Environmental Education in Rural Areas in or near High Andean Wetlands.

After careful analysis it was agreed with project partners that building a network of teachers trained in environmental education would be better left until a future stage of the initiative. Priority was given during the current project to building awareness among teachers, schools and education authorities to the importance of “their wetlands”. Local partners felt that once this has been fully integrated across the school curricula, there would be a better, more strategic, opportunity to build an international network. Part 3: PROJECT COMPLETION OVERVIEW 3.1 Overall project achievements and impact

Improved conservation status and biodiversity value of 3 priority high Andean wetland IBAs, through enhanced protection, wise management and restoration of key habitats for globally threatened species.

Buenos Aires Plateau: One of the most significant project achievements was the declaration of a 52,000 ha national park on the Buenos Aires plateau. Project partners were instrumental in building political support for this declaration. Although the bill of law creating the park has yet to be presented to the House of Representatives, the Head of the National Parks Service announced the creation of the park in December 2012. This is the first time in Argentina that an IBA has received state protection through designation of a national park thanks to the efforts of an environmental NGO. The new national park

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will be formed by three properties, two of them fiscally-owned land and one that was purchased by the NGO Flora y Fauna Argentina, as the result of a cooperative agreement between them, Aves Argentinas and Ambiente Sur. The new protected area includes the “El Cervecero” lagoon, the most important breeding colony currently for Hooded Grebe. During the course of the project, current and historical information on the status and threats to Hooded Grebe and other biodiversity was gathered, enabling targeted conservation actions to be planned and implemented, particularly those aimed at increasing annual recruitment rates of this Critically Endangered species. Among the major threats identified were invasive species such as American Mink, Kelp Gulls and Rainbow Trout. The American Mink and Kelp Gulls predate on adult and young Hooded Grebes, while the presence of trout changes the water conditions eliminating or greatly reducing a native plant species which the grebes need for breeding (to build their nests).

A new approach for the protection of the breeding colonies of Hooded Grebes was trialed: “Colony Guardians”, who were present during all the stages of the breeding season to protect the breeding colony from gulls and mink. As a result, 60% of the nests were successful, with most of the young reaching the juvenile stage. This is a higher reproductive success than has been historically recorded for the species anywhere else. Adult and juvenile individuals were tagged and monitored during the breeding season and later on at the wintering grounds to better understand the species movements (both on a daily and seasonal basis).

All of the information gathered was compiled into a technical document as a “blueprint” for management and conservation actions for Hooded Grebe. The document includes maps of the distribution of Hooded Grebes, IBAs and information on land tenure in the Patagonian plateaus. Llanganates: As a result of project activities, the Llanganati wetland complex Ramsar site was included on the official list of priority wetlands in Ecuador. This will help ensure more effective protection of the area through the allocation of greater resources to the protected area. The project also contributed to plans to expand the Ramsar site to the southwest and north of its current definition, to include additional important wetlands within Llanganates National Park. Project activities also generated the opportunity to promote the creation of six locally protected areas, covering a total of 870 ha of wetlands and forest. While the areas have yet to be established, the project to create them is currently being evaluated by the relevant government agencies. Junín: One of the major challenges to the conservation of Lago Junín is the diverse array of stakeholders who are dependent on the natural resources of the lake and surrounding area. To help overcome this challenge, project activities focused on re-activating the multi-sectorial local management committee.

Colony Guardian at El Cervecero

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This committee, promoted by the national Protected Areas authority, consists of relevant government and private institutions. ECOAN has trained and guided the committee regarding its role as the local environmental authority, which has included the creation of a discussion forum regarding the management of the protected area. To date, 12 (monthly) meetings of the committee have been held, with over 50

participants from 40 registered member institutions. An executive board has been elected, a technical subcommittee created to assess issues, and an annual work plan has been developed. A fundraising plan to secure funds to cover the committee’s expenses has also been drafted and is awaiting formal approval by the executive board. Importantly, the committee has validated the activities being undertaken by ECOAN to conserve Lago Junín. As a direct project activity, the committee has also drafted an “emergency response plan” (entitled a “contingency plan” in Spanish) which presents guidelines regarding the priority actions required for the conservation of Lago Junin’s threatened biodiversity, with a particular focus on Junín Grebe and Junín Rail Laterallus tuerosi (EN). The plan is due to be reviewed and approved by the committee during its first meeting of 2013. Key local and national decision makers, business leaders, local communities and conservation

groups aware of the value of the environmental services and water resources provided by the three wetlands, increasing their willingness to support the conservation of such wetlands.

Through the environmental services evaluations implemented at the three sites the value of the services and water resources have been recognized and enhanced, firstly by the direct users (local communities) and secondly by local and regional government and environmental authorities. This was achieved through the different stages of the evaluations (prioritization workshop, community workshop, field assessment). In Argentina, the results of the prioritization workshop contributed to informing members of the scientific community and officials of the national protected areas system of the environmental services provided by the Buenos Aires Plateau. The results of this prioritization of environmental services were also essential in demonstrating to the provincial authorities the importance of protecting the area, to prevent the deterioration of those services if it remained unprotected. In Ecuador, due to the recognition by local and national government of the importance of the Ramsar site in providing primary services to local communities, and supplying energy to the national grid, the Ramsar site was included on the list of the country’s priority wetlands and a proposed expansion of the site is being considered by the relevant authorities. In Peru, increased awareness amongst the regional and national authorities of the importance of the water and other

Local Management Committee - Lago Junin

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services provided by Lago Junín led to their support for the reactivation of the management committee and development of plans for a more sustainable use of the lake’s natural resources. Increased capacity of national conservation organizations and local civil society groups helps ensure

the long-term sustainability of conservation at the project sites.

The standardized monitoring protocol agreed upon at the beginning of the project and the training of project partners and their local collaborators in its use, proved to be an excellent mechanism to set monitoring objectives at a regional scale, and to generate the abilities and interest needed to gather biological information in the long-term as a basis for measuring the impacts of the conservation actions taking place.

National partners built capacities among local conservation groups and promoted the creation of birding and conservation groups. In Llanganates, Aves y Conservation had previously established (through a prior project) one Local Conservation Group (LCG) in one municipality. Through the current project, this LCG was strengthened and their skills in bird census and monitoring and environmental education activities were improved. Eight members of the LCG participated in the 3rd Ecuadorian Ornithological Meeting, where they demonstrated their increased skills. New LGCs were created at Pillaro, Baños and Salcedo and their members trained in bird watching and identification techniques and the importance of biodiversity conservation. Training will continue as part of the development of the Eco-route Kuri Pishku. Llanganates National Park rangers also acquired skills in birdwatching, bird ecology and bird monitoring techniques. The interest and new skills of the park rangers and LCG members will help ensure the long-term monitoring of the bird populations and ecosystems of the site. At Lago Junín, training provided by ECOAN plus support provided by the Protected Areas authority to the Local Management Committee has proven central to the local communities developing mechanisms to self-regulate their

use of the lake’s natural resources, and consequently of its conservation, thereby helping to build long-term sustainability. An LCG has not been formed at the Buenos Aires Plateau due to the low number of people living in the area. However, members of LCGs from other parts of the province (and elsewhere in Argentina) have participated as volunteers in project activities, indirectly helping to build the capacity of those LCGs. These same people have also been effective “champions” for the conservation of the Hooded Grebe and the Buenos Aires plateau, helping to raise awareness throughout the province and nationally.

Capacity Building Workshop for Rangers – Llanganates National Park

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Replicable and sustainable approach to the conservation of key wetland sites developed through working with local communities and decision- and policy-makers.

The long term conservation of the three project sites is ultimately dependent on the local communities and decision- and policy-makers valuing the natural resources of the site in such a way that they commit to their long term conservation and sustainable use. Key to achieving this has been the environmental services evaluations, which have greatly increased local community and leader awareness and appreciation of the services provided by the wetlands. The project has succeeded in building local and national capacity to evaluate environmental services in a participatory way, and some project partners (e.g. Aves y Conservación) are already planning to replicate the approach at other high priority wetland sites. Another important focus of the project has been on building local conservation capacity. In Ecuador this has taken the form of establishing and training three new Local Conservation Groups (LCGs), including through exchanges of experiences and support from an LCG established through a prior project in the area. In Peru, building local capacity focused on the reactivation of the Local Management Committee and providing it with the tools and skill-set necessary to fulfill better its role as a local environmental authority. Although conditions at the site in Argentina are not appropriate for the creation of a LCG (there being few residents or even visitors to the area), four other LCGs from the same province, and the local conservation NGO, Ambiente Sur, have all had their capacity increased through participation in the project. Key to the success of the project, and an important factor in terms of seeking long-term sustainability has been building close relationships with local authorities and communities, who were fully involved from the very beginning in the planning and implementation of project activities at each site. The training provided, the experience gained, and the detailed knowledge that has been developed mean that project partners are in a position to develop similar initiatives at other High Andean wetlands with minimum external support. Although not an immediate project partner, the BirdLife Partner in Chile (CODEFF) joined the network during 2012 (hosting the meeting that was held in Santiago in November 2012) and was able to benefit from the lessons learned and recommendations shared by the project partners to help guide its future activities in Chilean High Andean wetlands.

Implementation of project within the framework of the Ramsar Convention’s “Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands” helps ensure long-term sustainability and replicability through garnering support at the highest political levels, nationally, regionally and globally.

Framing the activities of this project within the Ramsar Convention’s “Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands” helped secure political support for the initiative, and for conservation of the project sites, at national, regional and global levels.

At a national level, undertaking project activities within the framework of the Ramsar Strategy helped raise the profile of the project sites among government agencies. In the case of Llanganates, this led to the listing of the site among the highest priority wetlands in Ecuador (resulting in increased

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government funding for the protected area) and a proposal to expand the limits of the Ramsar site to cover additional wetlands within the park. At Junín, the Ramsar focus helped garner political support for the reactivation of the Management Committee. And at the Buenos Aires plateau, the Ramsar Strategy context helped justify the creation of a protected area. Once the legislation creating the new National Park has been approved, designation of the wetlands of the plateau as a Ramsar site will also be sought. The Argentine National Parks service advised the project partner that it would be best to first obtain national park status, before declaring a Ramsar site. At the regional level, the project has provided examples of how a multi-disciplinary approach to site conservation, focused on species of high conservation concern, but working with local communities and authorities to build capacity, raise awareness and equip them with new tools and knowledge (e.g. through the assessment of ecosystem services) can lead to a more sustainable use of wetland resources. As such, the project has helped demonstrate the validity of the approach proposed in the Ramsar Strategy. By working closely with national Ramsar focal points and the Ramsar Strategy’s Contact Group, project partners have been able to embed site conservation and monitoring activities within local and national authority work plans, and share how the project is helping countries to meet international obligations. At a global level, the project has helped to demonstrate the validity of the “regional initiatives” approach being implemented by the Ramsar Convention, enabling the Convention Secretariat and the Strategy Contact Group to justify better a proposal under development with the United National Environment Programme for the Global Environment Facility. Project sites and activities have been included within the proposal, including the use of the environmental services toolkit trialed at Llanganates. 3.2. Problems Encountered The only significant problem encountered was at the beginning of the project when an initial visit to the Strobel Plateau in Argentina revealed Hooded Grebe to be absent from the area (which was once the species’ stronghold). This extreme situation necessitated a change in project site, and the Buenos Aires Plateau was selected given that it still holds breeding colonies of Hooded Grebe. Fortunately, the majority of the activities planned for the Strobel Plateau were directly transferable to the Buenos Aires Plateau as the threats, needs and opportunities are broadly similar at both. The one exception was activities targeting local communities: so few people live on the Buenos Aires plateau that such activities are not relevant. 3.3. Long term sustainability and next steps Ultimately, sustainability of conservation actions at the three sites will be dependent on local communities, businesses and decision-makers incorporating the conservation of wetlands within their productive activities. This has been sought through building the technical capacity of key stakeholders (including local communities, businesses and government staff) in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management, and increasing public awareness of the importance of wetlands at local, national and regional levels. The ecosystem services component has sought to develop understanding among decision-makers of the value of the services provided by the wetlands at the project sites. These activities have already helped to build a greater enabling environment for sustained

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conservation efforts. This is being facilitated by undertaking the project within the framework of the Ramsar Convention’s “Regional Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of High Andean Wetlands”. The Ramsar Convention Secretariat is developing a GEF proposal to support the High Andean Wetland strategy. If successful this would help fund follow-up activities at the project sites. Undertaking the project within the framework of the convention’s strategy, and providing clear examples of how wetland conservation can benefit both people and biodiversity, has also helped to garner support at the highest political levels, nationally, regionally and globally. However, it is anticipated that a second phase of the project with further external support will be required to ensure the sustainability of conservation actions in the short to medium term. Additional support for conservation action at two of the project sites (Llanganates National Park and Lago Junín) has been sought through a proposal to the USFWS’s Neo-tropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and opportunities are being explored through a number of other donors (including the Fondation Ensemble). Priority next steps for the initiative include: - Supporting the proposed extension of the Llanganati wetland complex Ramsar site at Llanganates. - Implementation of the priority activities in the “contingency plan” developed by the Local

Management Committee at Junín. - Continuing support for the creation and expansion of the national park on the Buenos Aires

plateau. - Securing and training additional colony guardians to protect Hooded Grebe breeding colonies on

the Buenos Aires plateau. 3.4 Lessons learnt and closing remarks Among the key lessons learnt by project partners were: - The importance of working closely with local and national authorities, and in particular national

Ramsar focal points during project design and implementation. This helped to build an enabling environment both for short-term conservation actions and the longer-term sustainable use of the natural resources at the project sites.

- Building the capacity of local people to implement conservation actions was crucial to the project’s success, especially given the remoteness of the project sites (which limited the number of direct interventions that could be made by project partners).

- The value of building greater awareness regarding the environmental services provided by wetlands among local communities and authorities, and the importance of participatory processes (such as the toolkit) in building that awareness. While the toolkit does not provide “accurate hard cash values” for the environmental services, it adopts a participatory approach which significantly increases appreciation of the environmental services among participants (in potentially a more meaningful way than simply informing them of the monetary value for the services).

- Working with local people to find simple solutions to the problems that they, and the species of conservation concern, face (i.e. win-win scenarios). A good example is the introduction of more fuel efficient stoves to communities around Junín, which greatly reduce the use of a key natural resource (“champa” grass), benefiting biodiversity and also local people, who need to invest less time in harvesting it and have stoves that produce less smoke, giving additional health benefits.

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- On-going monitoring, both of species of conservation concern and the overall state of the site, is important in terms of adaptive management, keeping local authorities (and communities) informed, and planning for the future. Involving local community members in the monitoring is particularly effective as it helps engage local communities, provides an income source for them (and is more cost effective than continually bringing in outside experts), plus increases their awareness about the importance of the site and changes in their local environment.