Masungi Georeserve wins international award

The Masungi Georeserve in the Rizal province, popular for its trails peppered with Instagrammable spots including a giant "spider web" sprawled over a majestic landscape, has been hailed a global model for conservation innovation and excellence during the 14th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity held in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt this month.

 

 

 

 

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Jul 31, 2018 at 4:25am PDT

The Masungi Georeserve Foundation which handles the local conservation of the geopark in Baras, Rizal received the 2018 Pathfinder Award Special Commendation after it bested over 200 international nominees.

Local and foreign tourists visit the Masungi Georeserve for its karst landscape, rich biodiversity and enhanced with "non-invasive" and eco-friendly structures for tourist activities including hammocks, viewing decks, bridges and rope courses floating above a tropical rainforest canopy.

Masungi's conservation financing was lauded by the judges. It uses geotourism to fund its sustainable conservation objectives for the 430-hectare local conservation area.

Costa Rica Minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez and Masungi trustees Ann and Billie Dumaliang

After two decades of conservation efforts, more than 400 species of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the Philippines and Luzon, now thrive in the area previously threatened by environmental degradation.

The effort of the foundation to develop the attractiveness of the park without putting too much pressure on the environment also received the nod of the jury.

The award was presented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and WildArk.

“The nomination by Masungi Georeserve Foundation describes an innovative approach to ecotourism, based on the pillars of conservation, education/research and sustainable development, and using “mindful engineering” through tourism infrastructure that mimics nature, e.g. spider webs,” the award presenters said in a joint statement.

They added that the best practices of Masungi shall be replicated by other protected and conserved areas in the world.

 

 

 

 

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The resting area in the Legacy Trail, what we call Amihan, is inspired by the cool winds brought to us in the latter part of the year. It is designed to ensure safety and sustainability through the use of low-impact materials befitting the area. Be a part of the Legacy by requesting for a visit today: http://www.masungigeoreserve.com/trailvisitrequest/legacytrail For queries and concerns, don’t hesitate to call us: 09088887002/09951869911

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Sep 8, 2018 at 3:51am PDT

The conservation initiative in Masungi was led by the Masungi Georeserve Foundation in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“This singular honor from the UN and IUCN will boost the spirit of our team on the ground, and those in government, private sector and civil society who tirelessly toil for the environment and even risk their lives protecting it, and inspire others to follow in their footsteps and join our movement,” said Ann Adeline
Dumaliang, trustee and project manager of Masungi Georeserve.

Reforesting the denuded mountains around the georeserve is the project's latest mission.

Quarrying, illegal logging, kaingin, treasure-hunting, and land speculation were among the threats to this 3,000-hectare range of mountains. — LA, GMA News