Community awareness-raising activities are an
important component of most protected area
community
outreach programmes, and provide a means of
informing the community about the values and functions
of
the area concerned, gaining the community’s
support for crucial management strategies, and raising the
profile
of protected area managers in the community. In
addition, these awareness activities also provide an
important
mechanism through which communities can raise
issues of concern, and can provide feedback on
management initiatives and other relevant issues.
Although the awareness activities implemented under
this
action will need to respond to issues as the
emerge during the 10-year implementation period of this plan,
the
MMNR Plan Community Working Group has suggested
that the initial focus should include improving
community awareness of the potential costs of
losing the MMNR’s wildlife dispersal areas and the
benefits
that can be derived from maintaining them, and
raising awareness of respective roles and responsibilities
of
MMNR managers, KWS, councils and other security
agents (in particular with regard responsibility for
addressing
specific problems such as banditry, problem animal
or human-wildlife conflict incidences). Because
of the extent of the MMNR dispersal areas and the
dispersed nature of the Mara community, it is
anticipated
that awareness activities will primarily focus on
schools, any adult education establishments, and/or
other
appropriate meetings or forums located around the
MMNR where presentations or talks could take
place
(see also Action 1.4 below). Activities initiated
could capitalise on local events such as school sports days
or
open days, and could also be linked to other
international events, such as World Environment Day in
June
or World Tourism Day in
September.
