Letter from the Chairman
Sometimes I am asked by reporters to describe Seacology. I respond that Seacology is a small nonprofit foundation that channels 100% of all donated funds to protect island cultures and ecosystems. Reporters are astonished to learn Seacology has never paid a salary or honorarium to any of the board members, scientists, or office staff; in fact, all of these people are donors themselves.
Reporters are also surprised to learn that Seacology has never ever used donated funds for office expenses, telephone charges, or other administrative overhead. Good friends in the business and professional communities provide for these services so that Seacology can focus on its mission of saving island ecosystems, one village at a time.
At its core Seacology is about friendship, about people of goodwill who reach across cultural barriers to work together to protect the fragile places of this planet. The photos throughout this newsletter illustrate the Seacology spirit of cross-cultural friendship. Betty Sung, an ardent Seacology supporter from Taiwan stands with a young man from Falealupo village. Together with other major Seacology donors, they worked in building trails and placing interpretative signs in the Falealupo rainforest preserve. To the right is a photo of the new solar-powered well that Seacology built with funds from the Nu Skin Force for Good campaign in La Serre village, Haiti. Seacology donor Alexandra Paul, who is trilingual in Haitian Creole, French, and English, travelled from New York City to help the 2,000 villagers, who have lacked a nearby source of drinking water, to build this well.
Inside this newsletter, you will read of our presentation to the King of Tonga the Indigenous Conservationist of the Year Award for 1996 in recognition of his efforts to protect the flying foxes of Tonga. You will also read of the upcoming dedication of the National Park of American Samoa. Seacology donors Verne and Marion Read, Bat Conservation International President Merlin Tuttle, US Congressman Eni Faleolemavaega and Seacology scientists worked long and hard together with American Samoan Governor A.P. Lutali to make the dream of this National Park become a reality.
Because 100% of donated funds are channeled into conservation, every single Seacology donor makes a difference. From large businesses such as Nature's Way and Nu Skin, to small businesses such as Daniel Pouesi's La Pacifika magazine, from major donors such as Kathy and C.C. Shih or Sonja Brotman to school children such as Andrew Beck, from royal monarchs such as the King of Tonga to humble villagers such as Ulu Taufa'asisina, each of us have a contribution to make. Whether your donations to Seacology average $1 or $10,000, whether you (like Bill Marre and Ken Murdock) provide administrative grants to run the entire Seacology office, or you provide (like photographer John Telford or cultural specialist Fine Nau) your own special talent, each member of the Seacology family is valued and appreciated.
As we approach the upcoming holiday season, I thank you for your support of Seacology. Your contribution, whether large or small, does make a difference. At Seacology, we have discovered that good people working together can save a rain forest, protect a coral reef, or improve the life of a village. Thank you for everything you have done to make this world a better place.
Warm regards,
Nafanua Paul Alan Cox, Ph.D.
Chairman
