Grupo Jaragua was created in 1987 to provide support from civil society for the implementation and comanagement of Jaragua National Park.  This Park had been established in 1983 and its management plan was drafted in 1986.

In 1989 Grupo Jaragua received legal status as a non-profit organization under Dominican Republic´s laws. The same year it became the first NGO to sign a co-management agreement of a protected area with the Dominican Government. In 2004, Jaragua National Park, along with two other Parks from the region, became part of the first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for the DR, named Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo.

Grupo Jaragua, has worked with emphasis on Jaragua National park, but through time, its expanding its work, in terms of area to the Biosphere Reserve and in terms of environmental advocacy and policy, to the national and international level.

Part of the root causes that originally motivated the creation of Grupo Jaragua in 1987 persist today. The main strength of Grupo has been its institutional stability.  Since 1987 it has worked without interruption on fulfilling its institutional mission.  This has allowed Grupo strengthen its institutionality, gobernance, community participation, scientific research and environmental education activities. 

Currently Grupo Jaragua is a member of the Dominican Environmental Consortium (CAD); the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is the national partner of  BirdLife International. Part of its directive board members are national representatives in important regional and international expert groups dealing with biodiversity conservation, such as the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST).
 

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Updated: 24 Ago 2010

Send questions or comments about this page to:   gjaragua[arroba]codetel.net.do

or Yolanda León (ymleon[arroba]gmail.com)