A RANGERS station will be built on the southern boundary of the Iwokrama nature reserve to monitor the traffic on the newly improved road to Brazil which passes through the forest in the southern Rupununi region.

Iwokrama Centre is joining forces with UK charity Trekforce to build the rangers station, which is expected to open in late March.

Increased traffic through the reserve also raises the danger of unauthorised hunting, illegal logging and the destruction of rare plants.

Dr. Kathryn Monk, Director General of the Iwokrama Centre, said: "The road through the forest has improved vastly, meaning that there will be more traffic coming through.

"Because of the increased traffic, it will be necessary to monitor the road more thoroughly. That is why we gladly co-operate with Trekforce on this project."

Plans to build another ranger station on the northern boundary of the reserve are already under way.

British volunteers are undergoing intensive jungle training at the Iwokrama Field station preparing them for two months work in the forest.

The 23 Trekforce volunteers have set up their camp at Turtle Mountain.

The expedition is Trekforce's first project in Guyana, though the organisation has been working on conservation projects in Central America and South East Asia for more than 12 years.

Planning for another expedition in May is already under way.

The Iwokrama Programme is a collaborative initiative of Guyana and the international community, led by the Commonwealth, and is governed by an International Board of Trustees that includes Guyanese and international representatives.

Meanwhile, the communities around the reserve are preparing themselves for increased tourism once the road is open all the way to Brazil.

One aspect of the work of the Bina Institute in Annai is to try to prepare the local community for the benefits and challenges of the anticipated tourist influx.

In an interview, Sidney Allicock, co-ordinator of the Bina Institute, told the Chronicle that the institute is "now at a crossroads, either for good or bad".

"We have decided that the road will be good for our people. Now the institute will have to work to involve all those who are part of the region and our 14 communities."

Part of this drive involves the education and training of local youths so they can contribute towards the economic development of Annai and the other areas.

Two years ago the institute helped set up the local school, which is now educating more than 200 children.

But as there are few places at present for the youths to go when they are finished their schooling, Bina hopes to accommodate some of them as employees or even partners in their projects, while helping others to find jobs, Mr. Allicock said.

It is also giving evening classes for Caribbean Examinations Council Exams (CXC), with the hope being that the final exams will take place by 2005.

Training and workshops are being arranged to help foster a better understanding of the business opportunities that the road can bring.

"We at the institute believe that theory and practice must go together", said Mr. Allicock, speaking of their efforts.

"The community doesn't have small industries ready to take advantage of the opportunities, but we have great aspirations", he said.

"We have much to offer, much of it already in our hands, from honey, tapioca, farine, chicken and mutton, to eco-tourism, trekking, fishing and horse riding."

Allicock also hopes to develop trade links with Brazil, for instance by supplying them with meat and crops.

"We want to control our own business negotiations, be in a position to develop new technologies, and at the same time be sufficiently advanced to take care of our natural environment."

Other villages in the region, such as Surama, are also preparing for the expected tourism increase.

The villagers recently opened a guesthouse, providing accommodation for six overnight visitors.