Public Awareness, Education, and Outreach

The future survival of wild iguana populations rests with the local communities with whom they share their habitat. The IIF believes and is committed to the vision that wild iguanas and people can comfortably live side-by-side. By identifying local champions who are dedicated to protecting iguanas and empowering them with the tools necessary to become effective stewards, the future of both people, iguanas, and the entire ecosystem in which they live will benefit. Likewise, by increasing awareness and understanding of iguanas and their habitats among younger generations, we can promote a sense of pride and value for iguanas in the community and inspire future conservationists.

IIF has supported training workshops and capacity-building opportunities for local conservation groups throughout iguana range countries, giving priority to grants that include a strong community-based approach, such as in Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. The IIF supports conservation workshops that bring together iguana champions from all over the world to learn conservation and management theory and field techniques for studying iguanas. 

One of the longest-running outreach events is the Anegada IguanaFest, which started in 2012. This event centers around the release of iguanas back into the wild and brings all the school children on the island together for a fun-filled day of iguana activities. The IIF also supports outreach and education events on Utila Island in Honduras, an ongoing school program in Guatemala, and a student environmental program in Jamaica. The IIF is proud to support the annual meeting of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group, which brings iguana conservation experts and researchers together to exchange ideas, plan strategies and projects, and inspire new conservation initiatives.