The binational WCS Honduras-Nicaragua program was created in 2018 and is the only binational program in the Mesoamerican region. The program's mission is to conserve La Moskitia forests of Honduras and Nicaragua through science, conservation and law enforcement actions and strengthening the livelihoods of indigenous and rural communities living in these forests; as well as technical and logistical assistance to authorities in charge of Protected Area management and environmental law enforcement.
To accomplish this mission, WCS in Honduras has focused in recent years on strengthening collaboration with the Institute of Forest Conservation, Protected Areas and Wildlife (ICF), with the Miskito Indigenous Territorial Councils where WCS has a presence, and with other Honduran government law enforcement agencies; through a "more boots on the ground" strategy to improve governance in the territories of La Moskitia, establish the rule of law and achieve better management of Forest Resources and Biodiversity at the Landscape Level.
We promote sustainable economic alternatives to extensive cattle ranching in protected areas, which is the main responsible for deforestation in La Moskitia; such as agroforestry systems, especially with Cocoa under shade, as well as other farm management techniques to generate income for indigenous communities.
In Nicaragua we have been collaborating with the Territorial Governments of the Upper Wangki for more than a decade, supporting them in agroforestry activities as well as in activities to protect their territories, in coordination with the national authorities; and in parallel we have developed scientific research on birds and mammals to document the conservation status of these species and the measurement of indicators of success of our conservation projects.