Latin and America 'Day of the Protected Areas'

Day of the Protected Areas’.

 In 2019, a proposal requesting the declaration of 17th October as the Day of the Protected Areas of Latin America and the Caribbean was brought before the Executive Committee of the Third Latin America and the Caribbean Protected Area Congress (III CAPLAC). The Congress held in Lima, Peru, under the theme “Solutions for Welfare and Sustainable Development” provided an opportunity to highlight the actors linked to the management of protected areas. Learn more about the Caribbean’s participation in III CAPLAC.

During the closing ceremony of the Congress, the 17th of October was declared as the Day of Protected Areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Following up from the Lima Declaration, the week of 12th-18th October 2020 was dedicated to celebrating protected and conserved areas and the role they play across the region, their importance for the well-being of people and sustainable development in the region.

The concept of celebrating protected areas was not limited to those formally recognised for their conservation but includes everyone who appreciates spaces for their natural and cultural value. The effort of organisations and persons who care for and enjoy the natural and cultural diversity of the protected and conserved areas of Latin America and the Caribbean was also celebrated.

The Day of the Protected Areas received strong support from IUCN through its offices for South America and for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, as well as its commissions - WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas) and CEC (Commission on Education and Communication), RedParques (Latin American Network for Technical Cooperation in National Parks, others Protected Areas, Wild Flora, and Fauna), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and others.

On the occasion, the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway released a celebratory video message in collaboration with the following conservation supporters:
 

• Walkers Institute for Regeneration Research Education and Design Inc.
• The Welchman Hall Gully
• The Flower Forest
• The Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve
• Coco Hill Forest