Island Environment Blog

Some Good News for Coral

2008-04-25T16:00:00Z

I love getting National Geographic's photography email newsletter. I used to get the magazine as well, but realized that it was collecting dust more than anything else. But the emails - they are some of the very few that I actually take the time to go through and read. Why? They are usually filled with odd snippets about nature and the environment that are accompanied by beautiful photographs - exactly the sort of thing that I'm interested in, can quickly glance at and absorb, and then move on.

In the most recent edition that I perused today, was a pictorial story about an area of coral reef in the Marshall Islands that is apparently flourishing 50 years after being the test spot for an atom bomb. Working in the environmental field, it's not a regular occurrence to find stories that are actually *positive*, so this was a nice change of pace. It is absolutely incredible to imagine that in only half a century, a blink of an eye, coral and other marine life could begin to retake the area. This reality is, likely, due in large part to the remoteness of the area and the fact that, at least since the bombs were tested, it has been relatively undisturbed.

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Seacology is working on restoring reefs also - however, unlike this area in the Marshall Islands, the areas we work in do not get long respites from human interference. True, they are also not the test sites for nuclear weapons, but prolonged exposure to much more innocuous-seeming activities (such as dynamite fishing) can be equally as damaging, and sometimes the coral needs some help to thrive again. Usually a surface, any surface, for the coral to attach to is the primary ingredient missing in these desolated areas. Seacology has funded reef restoration projects in Indonesia and the Philippines with very exciting and hopeful results. The photos to the right show some of the new coral recruits on these "EcoReef" surfaces that Seacology has helped to put in place.

It's so encouraging to me to see that life will survive. No matter what we, as humans do to the earth, or what we end up doing to ourselves, as long as there is some medium left on or with which growth can take place, life will always return.

What Do Elvis and Lazarus Have in Common?

2008-04-24T16:00:00Z

Duane, our executive director, and I will be taking a group of donors on a Seacology expedition to Madagascar in a couple of weeks. We're going to check in on three of our conservation projects: two in the central highlands and one in the far south. We're only there for one week, but it will be a week of wild travel from the High Plateau to the East to the Southern Dry Forest (see map at right). We'll visit two preserves, an orchid mountain and several villages that are safeguarding the Madagascar flying fox.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, and I imagine it seems like a small continent when you're on it. To put it in perspective, if you've ever been to England, it doesn't really seem like an island when you visit. It feels like another charming European country, and the distances between its cities are long. Well, England is 95,000 square miles in total compared to Madagascar's 227,000 square miles, or roughly two and a half times the size of England.

]]> Yet, Madagascar has the genuine fragility that is the trademark of an island, namely no way to escape when you run out of land. With its extraordinary and threatened endemic biodiversity, Madagascar is a global conservation priority. Ed Stoddard of Reuters echoes that sentiment ("Magical Madagascar Worth Saving"). In doing research for Seacology's upcoming expedition, I uncovered fantastical creatures we have hopes of spotting while there. Lemurs, of course, and quite a variety. We plan to visit Andasibe, several hours from the capital, Antananarivo. This forest shelters the largest surviving lemur species, the Indri Indri, also known as "Babakoto" in Malagasy. Indris reach the size of a six year old child and are legendary for their eerie wailing cry.

While seeking info, I came across a new phrase that piqued my interest. I frequently research the taxonomy of animals for grant writing, which translates to discovering animals that are endangered, threatened or vulnerable. Which sometimes further translates into me being pretty forlorn about the state of the earth's environment. However, in this quest for the flora and fauna of "The Red Island," I fell upon Lazarus taxon, a term used often in paleontology, the study of dead organisms, and neontology, the study of living organisms. The term comes from the New Testament story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus, where a species once considered extinct reappears. This possibility gave me a resurgence of hope, especially when I discovered a species on Madagascar that reappeared after once considered extinct.

The Madagascar Serpent eagle is a bird of prey rediscovered in 1993, sixty years since the previous sighting. This marked an important discovery because of the relative dearth of predators on the island. One of the rarest birds in the world, it was located by its unique vocalization. This beautiful raptor is still endangered. But dude, endangered is way better than extinct. I doubt if we'll be seeing this Lazarus taxon on our hikes, but I am comforted to know it's alive, protected and thriving.

I guess the most famous Lazarus taxon is the Coelacanth. This guy was missing in action for 80 million years before he resurfaced in 1938! When he turned up again, he contained the exact DNA of fossil records. As a counterpoint, an Elvis taxon is a species thought to be extinct, rediscovered, then found to be missing common DNA with the original organism. It's really a new species. I think one day they'll discover the Loch Ness monster and say it's a Lazarus taxon, which it might be. Or, it might just be an Elvis taxon impersonator.

Climate Change and Human Rights

2008-04-21T16:00:00Z

What I admire most about Seacology's work is that we help both island environments and island peoples. As an anthropology major, it has always been clear to me that what I value most in this world is the cultures of people--their social systems, family structures, arts, food, customs. Of course I know how important the land, sea, flora, and fauna are, but I recognize that I was attracted to Seacology because the organization works directly with people--to preserve their cultures, improve their communities, and protect their ecosystems.

So I was delighted to read that the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a study to examine the impact of climate change on human experience. The Maldives, Fiji, and Tuvalu were among those island nations that brought this proposal to the Human Rights Council. The decision promotes the same kind of culturally-aware environmentalism as Seacology's projects and is a landmark decision that will elevate the attention to climate change and all its effects.
]]> Both the International Herald and Reuters offered background on the UN's decision. The Associated Press noted that global warming will force island people to become "stateless people who have nowhere to go, no government to protect them or to deliver basic services." Laura MacInnis of Reuters writes, "Experts say global warming could cause rising sea levels and intense storms, droughts and floods which would restrict access to housing, food and clean water for millions of people." Both articles report the news of the study and capture the emotions of remote island peoples in the unique position of understanding the acute threats of rising sea levels.

At Seacology, humanitarianism and environmentalism are inextricably linked, and the United Nations Human Rights study is a triumph in promoting the critical relationship between the environment and the people.

Photo details: Above left are children in the Fijian village of Sila at the opening ceremony of their new community center. (Photo courtesy of Paul Cox) Above right is Pinasungkulan Village's 98-acre no-take mangrove and coral reef reserve off Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Arnaz Mehta)

Island Community Buildings Part 2

2008-04-16T21:00:00Z

In my last entry I talked about how important it is for many of the communities Seacology works with to create a community center or public building in exchange for the decision to establish a conservation area. In these cases, when the building is finished, an opening ceremony is held at the center followed by a celebration and shared meal. If Seacology expedition participants are able to attend one of these ceremonies during a Seacology trip, they often describe it as an incredibly significant and moving event.

Going back in time from this opening ceremony to when the project began we can understand how such an event can be so moving. Over the course of the previous year or more community members were discussing the project, thinking over the details, drawing plans, meeting with officials, and volunteering their own labor to make sure the construction and conservation process would result in a useful and successful change for their own generation and the next.

]]> The construction itself was headed by a general contractor and a project leader to organize activities, but a lot of the work was carried out by members of the community. Occasionally construction would have slowed down during important holidays or during seasonal fishing or farming activities.

In the end when all the plans have been realized and the opening ceremony is taking place, the community center stands beautiful and new. One large room is full of children playing and adults mingling, a small kitchen and small washroom stands to the side. Fresh drinking water is scarce in many island communities, so a water catchment tank is sometimes just outside for kitchen and washroom activities. Solar panels are sometimes on the roof to provide some light during future evening activities. The overall design is usually simple, but it provides the most necessary elements in a structure to allow people to meet as a group, discuss their present and future plans, and carry out daily community activities.

Ifoga: Samoan Atonement

2008-03-31T16:00:00Z

Samoan culture has strict ways of showing respect to one another, and the ifoga (pronounced ee-FONG-ah) is perhaps the best example of the severity of atoning for one's wrongdoing. The ifoga is a ritual apology where the offending party demonstrates remorse by begging for forgiveness.

Before dawn, the guilty party arrives at the home of the person whom he has offended and kneels outside the home. An important part of the ifoga is the fine mat, or 'ie toga, considered of the highest value in Samoan culture (pictured at right). 'Ie toga (ee-ah TONG-ah) are woven with pandanus leaves (pictured at left) and take months, if not years, to complete. Fine mats represent the wealth of the weavers' community and are presented as gifts. 'Ie toga are so labor-intensive that they will never be used on the floor. Once those receiving ifoga have forgiven the guilty party, they accept the 'ie toga as a symbol of the atonement and forgiveness. Regardless of any legal action taken by a court, the ifoga remains an essential part of Samoan culture as a demonstration of sincere remorse and respect. More information is available from Samoan Sa'o and Te Papa Online.

On February 20 Samoan police presented ifoga to the family of a 69-year-old man who was killed by a police officer who was driving away from Salelologa Market on Savai'i Island. The family accepted the ifoga and the police officer will also stand trial for the crime.

In 1976 the Samoan ifoga came close to Seacology's Bay Area home. In early September of that year Herb Caen, the famous San Francisco Chronicle columnist who coined the term "beatnik" and wrote in 'three-dot journalism," angered the entire Bay Area Samoan community.

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Caen's administrative assistant confessed there had been no greater response to a Herb Caen column before the incident. And so Herb Caen, the mighty San Francisco icon, apologized in a Bay Area-style ifoga, as documented in "Herb Caen's Samoan Waterloo." Caen apologized to the Samoan Chiefs Council of Northern California in the editorial conference room of the Chronicle.

Just as Herb Caen adapted the Samoan culture to apologize in a culturally-sensitive manner, so Seacology adapts to the cultures of the people with whom we work. We do not assume to know the needs of an island village. We approach our work without selfish interest or ethnocentrism and we collaborate to stem the tide of species extinction, to upgrade the quality of life in island villages, and to share knowledge regarding environmental threats and conservation solutions.

Island Community Buildings

2008-03-26T21:30:00Z

As Karen wrote in her last entry, we have a very small staff here at Seacology - only six of us. The result is a pretty efficient group of individuals who all take care of more tasks than what our official titles would reveal. While I spend a little over half my work day processing all things financial, I spend almost about as much time reviewing projects in process and communicating with field representatives and project leaders about the current state of their programs.

One thing I have found fascinating over the years is the frequent request from project partners from widely different cultural regions to have Seacology provide a public meeting space in exchange for their decision to conserve their environment. The design of these buildings is planned at the site by community members in conjunction with hired contractors and either a Seacology field representative or a project leader. This planning process involves a high degree of cultural knowledge of building techniques that are appropriate for the extreme weather in the particular area as well as what makes sense in terms of community size and purpose. (Above right: Niakokokoro, Fiji Center; Left: Sarinbuana, Indonesia Center)

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Once built, community-wide ceremonies occur at the center throughout the lifetime of the building. But on a daily and weekly basis, this center is used for a variety of tasks and events. It's used as a place for children to do their homework, especially if electricity is not available within households. It is sometimes used as a sleeping space for guests coming in from other areas when room in individual households is not available. Most often the center is used for public meetings to discuss issues that involve the entire community. This includes discussions over the management and protection of the conservation area they are in the process of establishing and enforcing. (Above right: Rizal, Philippines Center; Right: Mt. Bosavi Area, Papua New Guinea Center)

I am personally very inspired by the variety of designs used to create these public spaces. People have to take into account extreme weather, a variety of practical needs for its use, as well as what would make sense culturally for the activities and ceremonies that take place in such a center (Left: Sanoa, Vanuatu). I think the six of us at Seacology all look forward to seeing more centers in the future and how they reflect each community.

You Have Questions? Just Email Us... I Might Have Answers...

2008-03-19T19:12:22Z

Many people are surprised to learn that Seacology has a very small Berkeley-based staff. There are only six of us. That, and the fact that I was Seacology's first paid employee (I beat Duane by a week), is the reason that my job description is a little odd by some standards.

I work with our field representatives to help identify good island projects around the world; I reign over our ever-expanding photo library; I create PowerPoint presentations for staff to show to a wide variety of audiences; I am responsible for editing and producing Seacology's annual report and newsletters; and I also maintain our computer network.

One additional duty is to monitor our general email account, islands@seacology.org. While our spam-blocker catches the vast array of messages touting deals on OEM software, events at Las Vegas nightclubs, and messages from people who have lost their loved ones in tragic accidents and need a US bank account to hold vast sums of money, we get a number of very interesting inquiries and questions.
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I did a bit of research to find out just how widespread the word is regarding the inappropriateness of purchasing jewelry that exploits coral reefs. I have a personal interest as well, as jewelry-making is one of my (too) many hobbies. I found that the word is definitely out: the Ethical Metalsmiths blog addresses it, as does About.com's jewelry-making section. SeaWeb has an entire campaign, entitled Too Precious to Wear, devoted to the issue.

So what to do with those coral strands one might own that are beautiful, yet represent the sad decline of planet's most endangered ecosystem? One could sell them, and donate the proceeds to an organization such as Seacology that is working with communities to protect their own reefs. Or just keep them in a drawer as a reminder that every personal choice we make as consumers, whether it is where our food comes from, what we choose to adorn ourselves with, what personal care and cleaning products we use, etc., matters when it comes to the health of our fragile planet.

I truly appreciate the thoughtful person who submitted this morning's email! Now I have to figure out how to respond to the guy who emailed because he wants his representative to come to our warehouse and pick up several cases of olive oil... I wonder who he has us confused with?

Movement in Egypt: Soccer and Dance

2008-02-25T19:00:00Z

Last month Karen's post described Seacology's ten new island projects. Among these, Egypt represents a new geographic location for Seacology. Well-known for its ancient pyramids and rich cultural history, Egypt also boasts a successful soccer team and alluring belly dance.

As with most non-American countries, Egypt's most-watched sport is football--soccer to us Americans. This month Egypt's soccer team, the Pharaohs, won its record sixth Africa Cup of Nations and its second consecutive title. A crowd of 35,500 and no doubt countless fans all over the continent tuned in to watch the dominant Pharaohs edge the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 1-0. Steve Vickers of BBC Sport notes that coach Hassan Shehata is only the second coach to win successive cups.

At left are Egypt's Mohammed Said and Cameroon's Gilles Binya.

Middle Eastern dance, more commonly referred to as belly dancing, incorporates movements of the hips, torso, and arms to communicate the dancer's emotions and reactions to the music.

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As a young hula dancer in a company that also hosted Middle Eastern dance classes, I remember being backstage as the beautifully-clad dancers would congregate before their performance. I can recall their trilling voices and finger cymbals, or zills (pictured at right), exciting the audience as their torsos undulated in ways mine could not. Today belly dance may be better known as a new-age fitness regimen and Shakira's show-stopping shaking. But this historic dance can be traced to Mesopotamian depictions from 1000 BCE. This excellent Middle Eastern Dance website gives everything from history to physical movements, and care of zills to a call to preserve this ancient tradition.

Seacology will be installing mooring buoys in Wadi El Gemal National Park to protect coral reefs in the area. The reefs are among the most diverse in the Red Sea and are host to a great diversity of fish and marine invertebrates, in addition to mangroves and seagrass beds. Unchecked development and tourism has left the marine biodiversity in peril, and Seacology's mooring buoys will help reverse this damage.

Ailuk Community Marshall Islands Project Update

2008-02-22T17:55:57Z

Seacology Field Representative Simon Ellis and project leader Frankie Harriss sent us some wonderful photos and a report from the Ailuk Community, Marshall Islands. The Ailuk Community established a 160-acre marine protected area and a 55-acre terrestrial/marine protected area for a period of ten years.

In exchange, Seacology funded the construction of a solar-powered airport terminal and guest lodge. The project began in July 2007. In spite of some setbacks due to a lack of shipping options for materials to this remote area, the construction phase of the project was completed in January 2008 (photo of building under construction and completed below).

]]> On January 29th, the recently elected Ailuk Local Government held an inauguration ceremony and a celebration. With assistance from the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, the conservation areas have now become part of the fisheries management plan for Ailuk Atoll. These plans have been approved by the Ailuk Ook Fisheries Committee and the Ailuk Local Government Council.

Fishies: Brightening Oceans and Aquariums

2008-02-20T21:49:17Z

I used to have a tropical fish aquarium. Fresh water - I always found salt water aquariums absolutely beautiful but was intimidated by the amount of work they seemed to require. Not only did I keep this 20 gallon aquarium, I transported it across numerous state lines - with the fish kept "securely" in a big ice chest filled with a few inches of water. Some of my fish moved from Florida to Arizona (2 different locations) and then to California. These trips were quite an ordeal - and not only caused my fish stress, but made me a nervous wreck as well. Keeping those fish alive during the multi-day car trip from Florida to Arizona, as you can imagine, was difficult. And as I have an affinity for ALL animals, letting "just a fish" die, wasn't something I could bear.

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The last time I moved - from the east side of the San Francisco Bay to the peninsula south of San Francisco itself, I gave up my fish tank. After all the moves and money and stress I had put into this hobby, I was through - at least for the time being. These factors, as well as the fact that I could never be *sure* whether I was supporting an industry or store where the fish were bred for aquarium life or had been pulled directly from the ocean, led to my decision. The report "From Ocean to Aquarium" published in 2003 by the United Nations Environment Programme details the numbers of fish harvested from the wild for aquarium use; it turns out the figure is over 20 million tropical fish annually. A guide to your best bet for captive bred fish can be found here.

I miss my tank though. As does my cat. We would both spend large chunks of the day just sitting and staring at the peaceful (usually) goings on within that water. The variety and exceptional color that could be found on aquarium fish - even fresh water - was always astounding to me. The article, "The secret language of fish" by Roger Highfield appearing on the Telegraph.co.uk website, briefly explores the conundrum of why fish are so brightly and strangely colored. Some modifications are seemingly obvious - a dark spot by the tail while the eye is camouflaged by a stripe will lead predators to go for the wrong end. But why the, in some cases, such shockingly bright scales - especially colors that don't reflect well in water? The answer remains a mystery.

All photos © Sylvia Earle.

Movies, Monsters and a Mongoose

2008-02-08T17:32:38Z

In pondering my path to Seacology, I thought about my first venture to a tropical island. It was a month spent on St. Croix in the Caribbean in 1977. I was working for an entertainment company training exotic animals for the movie The Island of Dr. Moreau, starring Burt Lancaster (a living legend in one of his last movies) and Michael York (a fine actor and really nice guy). Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, the sci-fi monster movie was filmed on a spectacular swath of the island privately owned by and leased from the Rockefeller family.

To bring in tigers, lions, bears, and various other exotic animals to the island was an enormous undertaking. We set up a compound in the lush forest about a quarter mile from the beach, where the weather made everyone happy. Since the property was guarded and very secluded, we frequently took the animals for long beach walks ending in a riotous swim in the bath water sea. Paradise, right?

]]> Well, sort of. Spending one month on a small island, I had plenty of chances to explore by taking hikes, horseback rides and visiting hideaways for Key Lime pie or the local catch. One thing was conspicuously missing throughout: wildlife, other than what I brought to the island. What's up with that?

This was the beginning of my education on the fragility of island ecosystems. I soon learned that in the late 1800's, the Indian mongoose was brought to the islands to kill rats and save sugar cane plantations. It was a bust because the mongoose is diurnal and rats are nocturnal. The rat infestation continues to this day, and with no natural predators, the mongoose has become worse. They are widely considered responsible for devastating insect, bird and ground animal populations. On St. Croix alone, they've wiped out indigenous snakes while driving endemic lizards to near extinction.

Seacology works so diligently to reverse the trend toward extinction of island species. It's difficult in places like the Caribbean and Hawaii where invasive species have thrived for years. But it will never get any easier, so now is the time to address it. Seacology has made great headway with its preservation model of helping islanders with their community challenges, and in return they set aside whole tracts of island habitat to be left alone and thrive.

I'm not picking on the mongoose. They're awesome in India where their numbers are kept in check by their natural predator, the cobra. Lest I be accused of bringing yet more invasive species to St. Croix, you may be relieved to know that, when the filming was over in 1977, we removed all of our wildlife from the lovely island, including these two on the left.

Seacology board of directors approves 10 new island projects

2008-01-31T15:57:08Z

January and June are exciting times around the Seacology office, as those are the typical months for our board meetings. As I wrote in this post, the months leading up to the meetings are busy times for me as I work with our field representatives to gather information for potential projects to be presented to the board for approval.

This time around, our board of directors approved 10 new projects. I am especially excited that Seacology is expanding into a new region by funding a project in the Red Sea.

Following are short descriptions of the projects passed by Seacology's board of directors at their January 21 meeting. You can find full descriptions on our website.

Above left: Seacology is assisting Egypt's Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Organization in the installation of 25 mooring buoys around the islands of Wadi El Gemal National Park, Red Sea. (Photo credit: HEPCA.)
]]> COOK ISLANDS, Mitiaro Island - Renovation of eight community water tanks, purchase of 60 household waste bins and construction of paths and hand rails in exchange for the establishment of a 2,965-acre forest protected area for a duration of 10 years.

EGYPT, Wadi El Gemal National Park Area, Southern Red Sea - Installation and implementation of mooring buoy network.

FIJI, Levukai Daku Village, Matuku Island, Lau Group - Community center in exchange for the establishment of a 19,200-acre no-take marine reserve for a duration of 10 years.

FIJI, Nakaugasele Village, Kadavu - Flush toilets and community center renovation in exchange for the establishment of an 8,320-acre marine protected area for a duration of 10 years.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Karu, New Ireland Province - Village agriculture project in exchange for the establishment of a 297-acre no-take coastal marine conservation area.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA, West Manus, southwestern Manus Province - Village water and school supplies project in exchange for the establishment of a 49,421 acre coastal forest conservation area. *

PHILIPPINES, Barangay Manamoc, Municipality of Cuyo, Northeastern Palawan - Solar power supply systems for schools and health centers in support of a 267-acre marine protected area.

PHILIPPINES, Municipality of Murcia, Negros Occidental - Hydraulic ram pump water system in support of the protection of 4,942 acres of forest. *

VANUATU, Nasawa Community, Maewo Island - Renovation of three historical school buildings in exchange for the protection of all bird species and hardwood trees in a 1,339-acre area, as well as a 62-acre no-take marine reserve for a duration of 15 years. *

VANUATU, Sunae Village, Moso Island, Northwest Efate - Provision of a water supply and solar pump in exchange for the establishment of a 92-acre no-take marine reserve and a seven-acre mangrove reserve for minimum of 11 years. (Marine reserve pictured above left.) *

* Support for asterisked projects is provided fully or in part by the Nu Skin Enterprises Force for Good Foundation.

Where in the world are Seacology's projects?

2008-01-25T21:30:00Z

I often find myself out of the loop, popular culture-wise. I don't have television, didn't know what Pink Berry was until recently, and still have no idea who "Jamie Lynn" is (other than she is on all the covers of grocery aisle magazines). So when I was looking for a reference to Vanuatu on the internet, where Seacology is about to launch two new projects (on Maewo and Moso islands), I was shocked to read that there was a Survivor series there. Not only that--Seacology has projects in nine of the sixteen countries deemed remote and exotic enough to merit a full season of reality TV. (These are Australia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Malaysia, Micronesia, Palau, Thailand, and Vanuatu.)

What fascinated me is that this television series--which has similar shows in nine other countries--is giving attention to these remote places. Of the 42 countries in which Seacology has projects, the United Nations classifies 37 as Developing or Least Developed. Seacology is working where people have the most trouble refusing the tempting offers of developers and keeping poachers away from critically endangered Leatherback turtles.

So just where are Seacology's projects?

]]> map of our projects on Seacology's website.

Caribbean/Latin America - Belize, Dominica, Grand Cayman, U.S. Virgin Islands
Eastern Atlantic/Mediterranean - Cape Verde Islands, Madeira, Principe
Indian Ocean - Andaman Islands, India, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Micronesia - Chuuk, Kosrae, Marshall Islands, Palau, Pohnpei, Yap
North Atlantic - Iceland
Pacific Northwest - Alaska, California
Pacific Ocean - Galapagos, Hawai'i, Mexico, Taiwan
Polynesia/Melanesia - American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu
Southeast Asia - China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

So I may not know who wins Survivor's upcoming Micronesia season, but I am happy that the show is at least providing a geography lesson for viewers--and that I work for an organization that is affecting the very neediest of environments.

Filipino Food and Celebrating the New Year

2008-01-11T17:00:00Z

Last August Seacology's Philippines field representative Ferdie Marcelo attended the opening ceremony of Barangay Rizal's Seacology-funded multipurpose building. The barangay (the Filipino term for "village") requested this community building in exchange for preserving 247 acres of a mangrove forest park (185 acres of which are now a no-take zone) for a minimum of 20 years. Seacology has seven projects in the Philippines and this post is dedicated to the food of this Southeast Asia country.

Last June I attended a family party to celebrate a couple's 45th wedding anniversary. The food spread was enormous, representing the delicious food of their homeland, the Philippines. There was pork adobo (pork stew) and mechado (beef stew) that went quickly, two full roast pigs (lechon), pancit (a noodle dish with vegetables, chicken, and pork), salads, rice, and a huge batch of lumpia, the traditional Filipino egg roll.

Although I, a vegetarian, couldn't eat the lumpia, I was serving the rolls to the masses and many people asked for them to be heaped on top of their already-full plates. Lumpia traditionally contains ground pork, garlic, onion, carrots, and cabbage, and I am lucky enough to have a Filipino auntie who eliminates the pork so that I may partake of the delicious pastries.

Both lechon and lumpia are traditional celebratory foods of the Philippines. An eHow article on "How to Celebrate New Year's Eve the Filipino Way" says the celebration should end by roasting a pig on New Year's Day to serve with pancit, adobo, and lumpia. I hope that the multipurpose building in Barangay Rizal is the site of many such celebrations, allowing the local people a gathering place for their community. Maligayang Bagong Taon! (Happy New Year!)

Island News from Samoa and Zanzibar

2007-12-26T22:12:03Z

The project that originally launched Seacology took place in Falealupo, Samoa and has remained a wonderful example of Seacology's win-win strategy. In the early 1990s the Samoan government told this remote village that if they did not build a better school, teachers would be removed and their children would not be educated. Having no other source of revenue, the villagers sold logging rights to their rainforests. Before this could happen, however, Seacology co-founder and chairman Paul Cox worked with the village chiefs and raised the funds for the school in exchange for a covenant protecting the 30,000 acre rainforest. The Falealupo Rainforest School was constructed, and since that time Seacology has had a close relationship with the village.

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In 2006, Seacology provided another grant to Falealupo Village to restore the village's white sand beach that was destroyed in the tsunami waves generated by Hurricanes Ofa and Val. The white sand areas were covered with organic material from the hurricanes, and as a result weed-like trees grew and covered the area. In return for funds to restore the former village area and beach and build a small trail and observation platform, the village is preserving for 50 years the unique Falealupo wetland area which is home to threatened wild fowl species. As of December 2007 the project was coming to completion, with final structures being built.

On to Zanzibar, where Dr. Bakari S. Asseid of the Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry of Zanzibar, Tanzania sent us a brief but informative report on recent news at the project site. They have just completed construction of one of the flying fox visitor centers at Kidike and have also completed installation of Flying Fox interpretive signs and trail construction at one of the nature trails at Kojani. Dr. Bakari Notes that their next step is to start constructing the second visitor center and begin developing informational materials and ecotourism initiatives in support of the Pemba Flying Fox community conservation campaign.