Marine Based Summer Camp

There are few better ways to spend the last of summer vacation, then relaxing on an island, having fun with your friends. That is just what twenty-four local youths got to do at the beginning of this month at the Conservation Society of Pohnpei’s first environmental summer camp.  The week long camp focused on the marine environment, where students learned about Pohnpei’s reefs, the important role they play, and what we can do to protect them.

The first two days of camp were spent on Lenger Island, where the participants toured the historical World War II Japanese ruins, explored the Sapwitik Marine Protected Area (MPA) and spent the afternoons snorkeling and playing in the water.  Presentations were given by CSP staff, Selihno Maxin, Ben Namakin, and Carla Taylor on coral reef ecology and the significance of Pohnpei’s MPAs. These workshops taught the students basic knowledge of corals and how to monitor the reefs. Campers were also able to get in the water and explore a sponge farm with Walden Lohn an aquaculture extension agent, where they planted and cleaned sponges.  The sponge farm was created as an alternative income generating option, aside from fishing, which local communities can utilize.

The campers spent the remainder of the week at Black Coral, where they met some Community Conservation Officers (CCO’s) who volunteer their time to preserving the resources of the Nahtik MPA in Kitti.  The CCO’s taught the students fish monitoring and identification techniques, which they then performed within the Black Coral MPA, Kehpara.  Mr. Eugene Joseph, the CSP marine program manager explained the importance of Kehpara as an MPA was because of its location as a spawning and aggregation site for groupers. This vital area allows the grouper population to reproduce and replenish its population, yearly.  Eugene also introduced the students to GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, which is used to map and mark the MPA areas. Enforcing rules and regulations on these designated areas is also integral to their success.  Therefore, Mr. Ricky Carl from the State Office of the Attorney General came to convey to the students how these laws are employed by the Marine Conservation Enforcement Officers, who patrol the areas and the penalties entailed for those who get caught fishing within the MPAs.

CSP’s upcoming RARE campaign, which is being directed by Mr. Bradley Phillip, the MPA network coordinator, was also included in the activities. RARE is an international non-government organization that protects globally significant wild lands by inspiring people to embrace conservation.  This campaign will help support marine conservation in Pohnpei by promoting cooperation and increasing public awareness of the MPAs. The aim of this project is to choose a particular wildlife species as a flagship species and to help build knowledge and concern around this, as a living symbol of Pohnpei to promote a marine conservation message. Target audiences will include local schools, municipal and state authorities, tourists and local citizens. This is the second RARE campaign in Pohnpei, the first RARE campaign was held in the 1990’s on the watershed areas, which supported the Serehd becoming Pohnpei’s state bird. The campers where introduced to the RARE campaign and participated in questionnaire surveys. Over the next month, these campers will be helping CSP staff ask your communities questions about the marine environment.

Amidst all these activities was time for the campers to relax and have fun with their friends, watching nightly movies and even night snorkeling. It is through events like these, that CSP hopes to encourage our youth to become involved in preserving our surrounding environment.  Interested youth can join the environmental club this school year, where they will participate in radio programs, movie making, composing environmental songs, mural painting, community outreaches, the RARE campaign, and other environmental events such as Clean Up the World Day and Earth Day. The environmental club is an organization run by environmentally conscientious high school students from PICS, SDA, and CCA.  The club intends to do its best to preserve Pohnpei’s natural heritage for future generations. We thank the principals and teachers from these schools for being great supporters, the campers and all the presenters for their hard work and effort in supporting and making the camp a successful and fun one.

Terrestrial Based Summer Camp

Pohnpei’s Watershed Forest Reserve is home to lush forest with an extensive variety of flora and fuana. In the summer of  2007 the YEA  Club from Madolenihmw High School (MHS) experianced first hand this wonderful place when they hiked Nahnalaud, the highest peak on Pohnpei, for the first CSP terrestrial summer camp.

On the first day of the camp, the MHS YEA club members all met in Temwen, Madolenihmw. The first day was filled with introductions, rules of the camp, pre-test on terrestrial issues, schedule overview, and the opening ceremony. Mr. Patterson Shed, Director of CSP, and Mr. Petrick Ringlen, Chief Magistrate of Madolenihmw Municipal Government, were present during the opening ceremony.

The second day the students visited the Pilot Farm at Pohnlangas to learn the importance of agriculture and agroforestry practiced on the island. Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP) also presented on the conservation of rare banana varieties, diseases and importance of eating local foods. After all these activities in Madolenihmw, the students moved on to Salapwuk, Kitti.

With the guidance of the local community in Salapwuk, the participants and the staff were able to make it up to Nahnalaud. Although it was a challenging hike all of the students made it to the top and were rewarded with a beautiful 360 degree view of their island home. While up on the mountain, they learned about bird surveying, the watershed forests reserve and the significance and stories of Nahnalaud.

Upon returning from Nahnalaud to Salapwuk on the fourth day, the participants were welcomed again by the Salapwuk community with a sakau ceremony. After well deserved good night sleep the participants continued on with their schedule. On the fifth day, the topics covered were the role of Forestry in Pohnpei which was presented by their staff attending the camp, a presentation on the need of the delineation of the watershed forest reserve in Kitti and why it is very important for the Pohnpei community, and last but not least was about the ethnobotany program; the importance of the program and how to collect and preserve the plants to be analyzed at the New York Botanical Garden.

In the afternoon, the students were guided to the Sawartik and Sawalap twin falls. It was a time for them to relax and enjoy after a long hike to Nahnalaud and a number of presentations. Before they went to bed, they had a big debate about the Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR). The debate was not about the students going against the idea but to understand both sides of the issues and develop good responses about the importance of the watershed. The local community was also able to voice their opinions in the debate and listen to the student’s ideas. This allowed the students to here the point of views of people directly affected by the WFR and allowed the community to understand the WFR’s importance from the students.

While the program was being wrapped up on the last day, the students were surprised when the local community held a big feast for the summer camp participants. The students were presented with certificates from CSP. The students all had a wonderful and growing experience. One participant had this to say about hiking Nahnalaud;

“Painful and yet one of the most gainful and rewarding experiences that I shall not forget... It opened my eyes to care for Pohnpei and it’s a journey that all Pohnpeians need to take.”

The club would not have been successful without the support of the Temwen Community and especially the Salapwuk Community for guiding and helping to carry the participants stuff up Nahnalaud. The Youth Environmental Ambassadors and CSP thank them for all their generous support.

[CSP] [About us] [News] [Education] [Camp] [Marine] [Terrestrial] [Job Opening] [Join CSP]