CUSO Volunteer Prepares for Trip to Central America
Canadian Model Forest Network - August 30, 2007

On July 9th, 2007, a CUSO cooperant and a CUSO employee visited the International Model Forest Network Secretariat (IMFNS), Canadian Model Forest Network Secretariat (CMFNS), and the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) as part of preparations for a placement abroad with Model Forests. This session was the first of its kind and was created in order to provide cooperants with information on the IMFN and CMFN as well as contacts they can use during their term abroad. The meeting was attended by Kristie Kelly a CUSO employee, and Bob Sutton, cooperant. A partnership between CUSO and IMFN developed in the 1990’s when CUSO sent a cooperant to a Model Forest for the first time. "For CUSO, cooperation with model forests is an opportunity to foster improvement in local level capacity for management of natural resources" says Chelsia Moraes, Community Base Natural Resources Management Project Unit Officer for Central America. "This will benefit the environmental and economic sustainability of communities."

Bob Sutton will be working with the Atlántida Model Forest in Honduras as an advisor on model forest development. He will be taking over from Christina Polzot, a current CUSO cooperant working with the Atlántida stakeholders. His primary duties will be in helping stakeholders continue to build an effective model forest which can address their local needs and link to national forest development priorities. Mr. Sutton was first involved with model forests during the development of the Prince Albert Model Forest (Canada) in the early to mid 1990's and has maintained a keen interest in the model forest concept since then.

CUSO is one of Canada’s largest and oldest volunteer-sending agencies working in 24 countries to address poverty, human rights, HIV/AIDS, inequality, culture loss and environmental degradation. These 24 different countries are located in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas and Caribbean. Since 1961 CUSO has sent more than 11,000 Canadian volunteers overseas for development work. Several other CUSO cooperants have been previously assigned for two year terms to Model Forests in the Americas and Caribbean region including the Reventazón Model Forest in Costa Rica and Araucarias del Alto Malleco Model Forest in Chile. Cooperants have worked in many different capacities, such as Model Forest coordinator, project advisor and system technician.

CUSO is currently reviewing candidates for a similar position as Bob Sutton’s in the Yoro Model Forest, which is also in Honduras. Additionally, two other cooperants are currently being recruited for model forest placements as Marketing Specialist for Forest Products and Fund Raising and Project Proposal Expert in both the Chiquitano Model Forest in Bolivia.

Sources: IMFN, CUSO, Bob Sutton

For more information, please contact:
Brian Bonnell imfn@nrcan.gc.ca