The Fitches Creek Residents Association (FCRA) has announced the appointment
of Britney McDonald as the Project Management Consultant for the project
“Building a Community Constituency for Conservation of Fitches Creek Bay and
the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA)”.
This project, funded by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI),
seeks to foster a constituency for biodiversity conservation that strengthens
community ‘ownership’ of the NEMMA and Fitches Creek Bay. It aims to
stimulate community and collective actions that prevent further erosion of its
protected area status, whilst also strengthening protected area governance through
the use of collaborative social accountability approaches.
McDonald will be instrumental in driving the execution of this important initiative.
Her role will primarily involve ensuring that the project meets its objectives
through the application of inclusive participation methods. These methods are
focused on engaging and empowering targeted communities along with poor and
marginalized populations, especially women, youth, the disabled, and ethnic
minorities, who are particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of biodiversity
degradation and climate change resilience.
“Our goal is to create a sustainable protective ecosystem that the community feels
invested in, said McDonald. We aim to facilitate change from the grassroots
level, enabling community members to take collective action to preserve their
environment. We believe that this community-centric approach is critical in
preventing further erosion of the area’s protective status and promoting a healthier
ecosystem.
The FCRA said it is confident that with McDonald’s wealth of experience and
dedication to sustainable development and community engagement, she will prove
invaluable in bringing this project to fruition. “We look forward to seeing the
positive impact her leadership will have on the NEMMA and Fitches Creek Bay
conservation efforts,” the FCRA said in a media release.
