The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), in partnership with the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), is presently conducting a monitoring mission under the Tenure Facility-supported project aimed at strengthening land and environmental governance in the North Rupununi District. This ongoing collaboration underscores the critical importance of preserving the ecological and cultural heritage of the Machusi peoples and addressing the unique challenges faced by their communities.
Recognising the rich biodiversity of the North Rupununi and the need for conservation and community-led development, the APA partnered with the NRDDB in 2022 to provide the critical support.
In December 2023, an initial mapping and monitoring training workshop was held with District representatives. This session equipped local monitors and data managers with essential data collection, mapping, and environmental tracking skills. Since then, monitoring trips have been carried out covering 10 of the 20 communities in the District, enabling the team to gather valuable data and build community capacity in land and resource monitoring.
The current exercise, which began in May 2025, is the first monitoring trip for the year and seeks to complete the monitoring process in the remaining communities. Nine of the 10 remaining villages will be visited over a period of approximately 44 days.
A key innovation in this latest monitoring activity is the shift from paper-based surveys to the Kobo Toolbox, a mobile data collection platform. With Kobo Toolbox, digital questionnaires can be deployed via smartphones or tablets, allowing for quicker and more efficient data capture and analysis.
The monitoring exercise focuses on two primary areas: farming and land use, and well-being and governance.
APA Mapping and Monitoring Coordinator Linburg Pearson and Mapping Technician Jalen Frank joined the team for the initial leg of the journey.
This collaborative effort between APA and the NRDDB highlights the power of community-led monitoring and the importance of supporting Indigenous institutions to lead in safeguarding their territories and ways of life.