Iwokrama and Drexel University Launch Bird Guide Training Course

The Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development has partnered with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA, to deliver a six-day Birding Tour Guide training course, held from January 7 to 12, 2024, at the Iwokrama River and Surama Eco Lodges.

Discussions between Iwokrama and Drexel University began in 2024, aiming to foster collaborations in research and training. The Bird Guide course marked the first of these collaborative efforts, bringing together birding naturalists and guides from a wide range of organisations, communities, and partner lodges, including Surama Ecolodge, Atta Rainforest Lodge, Karanambu Lodge, Yupukari-Caiman House, Protected Areas Commission, Guyana Tourism Authority, University of Guyana, Environmental Management Consultants, Kanashen Village, Katoonarib Village, Toka Village, South Rupununi Conservation Society, Sophia Point Research Centre, along with Iwokrama’s guides, rangers, and one volunteer.

The course was expertly facilitated by Dr. Jason Weckstein (Drexel University), Dr. Brian O’Shea (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), Mr. Josh Engel (Red Hill Birding), and local top birding and tourism guide Waldyke Prince. Participants engaged in bird identification sessions and learned about bird ecology, diversity, and families, as well as tourism-related skills such as guiding techniques, the use of birding apps, and strategies for promoting Guyana as a birding destination.

Dr. Weckstein praised the participants, saying, “I had so much fun co-teaching this talented and diverse group of naturalists from around Guyana. Their enthusiasm, knowledge and love for nature was infectious.”

Waldyke Prince added, “Whatever was the original intention of the course, it surpassed that in the objectives due to camaraderie and wealth of knowledge that the participants brought with them. Both the trainees and the trainers learnt a lot from each other, and from Day 2, it was realized that it was a ‘Train the Trainers’ course for some participants.”

Dr. Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management and Training at Iwokrama, expressed excitement about the partnership: “This is just the beginning of a long-term collaboration with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University on training and research. In March, we expect an International Course Abroad (ICA) also to be run at Iwokrama and later this month (January) a team to explore research cooperation will visit.”

Dr. Thomas also noted the high demand for the course: “There was huge interest in this Birding Tourism course but unfortunately we only could accommodate 20 participants. We will definitely explore the possibility of offering this course again in 2027, funding permitting. This initiative also supports the Guyana Tourism Authority’s accreditation process for Guiding in Guyana.”

Participants highlighted the networking benefits of the course, which connected tour guides from different regions and sparked discussions on establishing a Tour Guides Association of Guyana, expected to gain traction in 2026.

The Centre expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) for their continued partnership. Iwokrama has had a Memorandum of Understanding with the GTA since 2023.

Iwokrama was formally established in 1996 following a landmark initiative by then-President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, who in 1989 offered nearly one million acres of Guyana’s intact rainforest to the international community at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. This initiative laid the foundation for Iwokrama as a model for balancing rainforest conservation with sustainable development, later formalized through the Iwokrama Act, assented to by Dr. Cheddi Jagan in 1996.

This year, 2026, also marks the 30th anniversary of the Iwokrama Act, and the Centre has announced that the media will be kept updated on planned celebrations for this milestone.