Seacology Board of Directors Approves New Island Projects
The following projects were approved by Seacology's board of directors at their July 2001 meeting:
AMERICAN SAMOA - Operation of the National Park of American Samoa in keeping with fa'asamoa (Samoan tradition). Seacology played an important role in the formation of the National Park of American Samoa. This National Park leases land from eight villages. In order for the park to operate effectively, it is imperative that park staff meet with village leaders on a regular basis. Because it is part of the park's mandate to help preserve fa'asamoa, it is equally crucial that the meetings are conducted with the traditional Kava ceremonies that are a significant part of Samoan culture. With funding from Seacology, the National Park of American Samoa will be able to work more effectively with the villages, to maintain fa'asamoa and to help increase the park's credibility.
EAST TIMOR - Reforestation. Emerging from its turbulent history, East Timor, an island located off the coast of northern Australia, is about to become the world's youngest independent nation. While the country rejoices in its newfound freedom, it also faces serious environmental challenges. The Haburas Foundation, established by a group of East Timorese students, is dedicated to reforesting degraded areas. One such area in urgent need of rehabilitation is the coastal hills of Fatucama, an ancient sacred site located four miles from East Timor's capital of Dili. Serious erosion is threatening the hills. With funding from Seacology, Haburas will establish a participatory reforestation program. Local residents will plant tree species that are of great value to their communities, thereby improving the environment as well as the local economy.*
GALAPAGOS - Communication campaign for the establishment of no-take areas in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The Galapagos consists of 19 islands and 107 islets located 600 miles west of Ecuador. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is the second largest marine park in the world. Due to the large influx of recent immigrants and the lack of environmental understanding by Galapagos residents, the marine ecosystem is under severe pressure and fishing capacity is strained. Several no-take (no fishing) reserves are currently planned in the Galapagos, but these will only be successful with the support of the fishing community. With Seacology's assistance, the Charles Darwin Research Station will create and distribute printed materials, videos and radio spots aimed to increase Galapagos residents' understanding of the need to preserve their marine environment and of the benefits of no-take reserves.
MALAYSIA, Long Lawen, Sarawak - Micro-hydro energy system. The village of Long Lawen is located in Sarawak, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Borneo, the third largest island in the world, is home to some of the oldest, most biologically diverse tropical rainforests on earth. Like many remote island villages, Long Lawen is primarily dependent on diesel generators to provide electricity. Diesel fuel is expensive, noisy, pollutes the air and is inconvenient to obtain. Seacology is providing funding to The Borneo Project to enable Long Lawen to utilize micro-hydro technology. This technology harnesses the power of small streams that have significant vertical drop to generate electricity. Because the equipment is small scale, electricity is produced with benign environmental impacts. The micro-hydro project at Long Lawen will provide 12 kilowatts of electricity 24 hours a day for lighting a school, a local clinic and the refrigeration of medicines. It will save the community thousands of dollars annually in diesel fuel costs and will serve as a model for many other island villages.*
MEXICO, Quintana Roo - Protection of coral reefs and public health. Banco Chinchorro, a national park located 19 miles off the coast of Mexico's southeasterly state of Quintana Roo, is the largest atoll in the Caribbean. Its exceptional biodiversity, endemic and threatened species, and relative isolation make Banco Chinchorro an important area for conservation and sustainable use. The impacts of increased fishing, tourism and coastal development, however, are already being felt. Amigos de Sian Ka'An, a Cancun-based NGO (nonprofit), was founded in 1986 to help preserve the environment of the Chinchorro Reserve. Seacology support will enable Amigos to purchase mooring buoys that will help prevent damage to coral reefs as increasing boat traffic moves into the area. To thank the local community for their support of the mooring buoys project, Seacology is also paying for the installation of much-needed latrines at the fishermen's homes. This will have significant environmental and public health benefits for the island.
PALAU, MICRONESIA - Equipment and training for local rangers to establish new marine reserve. The island nation of Palau is famous for its coral reefs and incredibly diverse sea life. In 2000, Seacology funded demarcation buoys and training for rangers for the newly created Ngemai Marine Conservation Area. The Ngemai project proved highly successful and has inspired other villages to create their own marine conservation areas. Though modeled on the success of the Ngemai project, the recently established Ebiil Channel Marine Conservation Area is 15 times larger than Ngemai and is the most important grouper aggregation site in Palau. Like the Ngemai project, the harvesting of fish will be prohibited in the Ebiil marine reserve. Though the Ebiil Channel Marine Conservation Area is now legally established, the community lacks the resources needed to make the conservation area a reality. With Seacology's support, the Palau Conservation Society will work with the local village to purchase and install 13 demarcation buoys, purchase equipment for a patrol boat and for appropriate signage, and train two rangers from the local community to monitor the conservation area.
USA, Angoon, Alaska - Equipment for recycling and waste-streaming. Angoon, accessible solely by ferry and float plane, is the only permanent settlement within the Admiralty Island National Monument in Southeast Alaska. This community of 700 people is a stronghold of Tlingit culture and still relies upon subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering for its nutritional needs. Because of its isolation, the packaging waste from the consumer goods that arrive by barge seldom leaves Admiralty Island and is threatening this vital environment. In 1998, village students and teachers formed Angoon Beautification and Recycling Group! (ABARG!) to help prevent recyclables from entering the town's dump, and to keep the town litter-free. Seacology is assisting ABARG! in purchasing additional equipment that will aid in their increasing efforts at recycling, responsible waste-streaming and beautification.*
* Financial support for asterisked projects generously provided by the Nu Skin Enterprises Force for Good Foundation.
