Madison Nena to Receive Seacology Prize
Madison Nena of Kosrae, a small Micronesian island, has been selected as the 1999 recipient of the Indigenous Conservationist of the Year Award. The Award, also known throughout the world as the Seacology Prize, is given annually to an indigenous islander for outstanding achievement in preserving the environment and culture of any of the world's 100,000-plus islands.
For over 13 years, Nena was the administrator of the Kosrae Division of Tourism, where he ensured that government decision makers always considered the environmental impact of any proposed development, and promoted ecotourism focusing on Kosrae's unique natural and cultural heritage. In 1996 he left to work more directly on preserving Kosrae's environment.
That same year, Nena played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Utwa-Walung Conservation Area, comprised of several rivers, extensive and diverse mangrove swamps, pristine coral reefs and an abundance of marine resources.
Planning for a future based on sustainability and conservation often means deferring immediate gains or benefits, not an easy decision to make for islands with few sources of income. Recently outside investors tried to convince landowners in the Utwa-Walung Conservation Area to allow the development of a tourist facility in one of the richest areas of the lagoon. No plans were provided for facilities to deal with sewage, which would have spilled into the lagoon and destroyed the marine life vital to the subsistence of many residents. Through Madison Nena's facilitation of community education and input, the landowners saw that the long-term negative effects outweighed the short-term gains, and the development proposal was rejected. A consensus-driven Community Based Resource Management Plan is being drafted to insure that the Conservation Area is protected, while allowing for carefully controlled sustainable development.
Nena has also worked with island elders to revitalize historic methods of Kosraen house construction. Fourteen structures have been built, combining traditional exteriors constructed with local materials with modern interiors. There is now a core group of young builders trained in the traditional skills, insuring that more of these structures reflecting Kosrae's past will be constructed. Traditional canoe-building techniques have also been resurrected, and the boats are now used for fishing and recreation throughout the lagoon area.
"Madison Nena, the 1999 Indigenous Conservationist of the Year, has had a long and distinguished career serving Kosrae and its environment as a government official, but I particularly laude his efforts as a private citizen - involving the entire island in the establishment of a nature preserve and developing an environmentally sensitive commercial enterprise - which show his deep love for his culture and for the natural habitats of his beautiful home island," said Dr. Paul Cox, chairman of Seacology. "There are too few examples of people turning down the short term economic gains of a questionable development in order to preserve the environment for future generations. The fact that Madison not only was willing to make this enormous sacrifice but was able to convince others to do so is an extraordinary achievement," stated Cox.
According to Madison Nena, "I am thrilled with this wonderful recognition from Seacology. I strongly believe community-based conservation can only work effectively if all the stakeholders participate in the initial planning stage. Local awareness and education programs require a lot of time but must be done in order to get full support from the affected communities."
Nena will be awarded the $5,000 Seacology Prize at a December 2 ceremony at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii. Costs for the Seacology Prize have been generously underwritten by Nature's Way.
Past winners of the Seacology Prize include King Taufa'ahua Tupou IV for his efforts to preserve fruit bats in Tonga, the late Chief Fuiono Senio for his work to preserve a 30,000 tropical rainforest near the village of Falealupo in Samoa, and Saula Vondonaivalu for his discovery of 30 new species of plants in Fiji and working for the conservation of endangered ecosystems.
