Assessing the potential for effective collaborative resource management of Costa Rica\u27s Central Pacific scarlet macaw population

Establishing protected areas is one of the primary methods of protecting wildlife and preserving biodiversity and habitat worldwide. However, in recent years it has been recognized that not all protected areas are successful, for reasons ranging from a lack of resources to properly manage them, to the fact that areas are often too small to sustain animal populations, with many animals ranging beyond the borders of the protected areas. These issues have been addressed in a number of ways, including encouraging community involvement in management efforts and the development of conservation corridors and buffer zones to increase habitat availability. Collaborations between community members, university researchers, government agencies charged with managing protected areas and other interested parties including local non-profits, are an intriguing option for trying to meet the needs of the largest number of people while protecting endangered resources. This project is a case study of collaborative resource management, specifically the management of a population of Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) and their habitat, in and around Carara National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area of Costa Rica. Because so much of the habitat for Scarlet Macaws is located outside of Carara National Park\u27s boundaries, park staff has been working to develop partnerships with local communities and a local non-profit to improve management efforts. This thesis looks at the intersection of biogeography and human geography using a two pronged approach to assess the potential for collaborative resource management of the Central Pacific Scarlet Macaw population. I use common-pool resource theory as a framework to explore the current status of the Central Pacific Scarlet Macaw population and the local community members that live in the area. I also use value-belief-norm theory as a framework to assess the beliefs of the pilot study project participants and the potential for support of, and active involvement in, future collaborative resource management efforts. Data gathered through background research, participant observation and responses to a questionnaire showed the Central Pacific Scarlet Macaw resource system, which includes the local community members along with the Scarlet Macaws and their habitat, shares many of the attributes associated with the emergence of cooperation. The pilot project participants expressed interest in future participation and acknowledged the importance of community involvement in conservation and management efforts of the Scarlet Macaw resource system and the environment in general. The success of such collaborative resource management strategies is contingent upon their impact on the residents of communities where outreach occurs and this research shows that outreach efforts have had an impact

Macaw Cam: Exploratory Camera Trap Techniques for Monitoring and Conservation of Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) Nests

In this study, we explored new, low-cost camera trap techniques to monitor Scarlet Macaws in one of their last two self-sustaining habitats in Costa Rica. Camera trap monitors have begun to produce new insights in avian research and we use them not only because Macaws are threatened, but their imagery can be used to enhance the public’s understanding of the connections between science and conservation efforts. We mounted camera units on two trees with nesting Macaws in Costa Rica’s Carara National Park and monitored one nest remotely for seven consecutive months

Borders, Barriers, and Breakthroughs in the Cascadia Corridor

This project focused on dilemmas of political biogeography through a case study of wildlife conservation and management efforts in the transboundary Cascadia region. Our team examined the interface of political science and biogeography, or “political biogeography,” through its manifestations in the evolving opportunities and barriers to regional wildlife conservation in the shared terrestrial ecosystems of British Columbia and Washington. Our research combined content analysis of policy documents and semi-structured stakeholder interviews and questionnaires

Borders, Barriers, and Breakthroughs in the Cascadia Corridor

This project focused on dilemmas of political biogeography through a case study of wildlife conservation and management efforts in the transboundary Cascadia region. Our team examined the interface of political science and biogeography, or “political biogeography,” through its manifestations in the evolving opportunities and barriers to regional wildlife conservation in the shared terrestrial ecosystems of British Columbia and Washington. Our research combined content analysis of policy documents and semi-structured stakeholder interviews and questionnaires. We also produced a series of maps and GIS data layers that provide useful spatial information about the wildlife commons in the Cascadia region. The results of the content analysis and surveys present a picture of uneven management with fragmentation on both sides of the border and as a result, very few efforts in civic ecosystem management. In short, the Cascadia wildlife corridor needs some CPR, or the resource, institutional, and stakeholder characteristics that have been identified as essential to the successful management of Common Pool Resources (CPR). Our research leads to several policy prescriptions including: (1) communication efforts that begin to establish a geographic identity for the Cascadia wildlife corridor; (2) participatory efforts that foster civic environmentalism; and (3) institutional governance building at multiple scales

Privacy versus care--The shifting balance in mental health.

Mental health professionals are now debating client confidentiality and its relationship to care coordination. History tells us there is a need to protect the privacy of people who are diagnosed with mental health issues in a world filled with stigma and misperceptions. People with mental illness and substance use problems may be legitimately concerned that employers, insurance companies, financial institutions, medical practices, and educational institutions could use their health information to discriminate against them, often without their knowledge. The protection of jobs and health information is a real, justifiable benefit of privacy legislation. However, there are also a host of negative consequences, including fragmented health care, lack of prevention, uninformed families, and even early death, because of a lack of coordination with medical treatment. The legal situation can be very confusing, but the upshot is that we are shifting from an environment of strict confidentiality to one of better care coordination. In short, we are moving toward a system that allows for better coordination because it improves the quality of care for our clients. At the policy level, we must lead the change process and actively support the revision and reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations. These changes will require earning the trust of the people being served. Many are wary, and some even scared, of their perceived loss of privacy. Health-care professionals must commit to the concept of coordinating care, making communication about shared care plans a priority