Nature Sentinels: Citizen, digital and ecological observatory in French Guiana (2020 call)
Uncontrolled dumping of waste, polluting substances, destruction of natural habitats… so many attacks on the environment that citizens regularly witness in French Guiana, without having the necessary means and knowledge to act. The objective of “Nature Sentinels” is to provide Guyanese people with the appropriate tools to move from simple spectators to actors in the protection of the environment. The specificities of French Guiana (large surface area, diverse ecosystems, multiculturalism, difficult access to certain territories, etc.) make this civic ecological monitoring essential in order to work effectively for the conservation of biodiversity and systemic services, as well as to sustainably use natural resources.
Thanks to a website and an easy-to-use application, everyone will be able to become a “nature sentinel”, by reporting and contributing to the treatment of the attacks on nature they witness, but also by sharing positive local initiatives. Reports will be checked with the support of reference associations spread across the territory, and a response will be systematically given to each sentinel in order to provide them with the knowledge, tools and contacts necessary to correct the reported breach.
As a true citizen ecological observatory, the system, structured around Guyane Nature Environnement, will allow all stakeholders to record damage to the environment as well as identify significant or recurring damage requiring an appropriate response from the competent services. The capitalization of the information collected will provide a valuable decision-making tool for all actors working to protect nature in French Guiana.
