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Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR) Survey/Demarcation
In 1987, the Pohnpei Watershed and Mangrove Act (IL-128-87) was created to protect Pohnpei’s fragile WFR area. In an effort to create more public awareness and visual boundaries around the reserve, CSP with several partners, started the WFR boundary line survey and delineation. Starting 2001,a survey team completed the demarcation in U and Madolenihmw. The survey and demarcation team placed reference points, permanent concrete markers, and signs at all entrance points to the WFR. The visible demarcation of the WFR boundary line has proven to be an effective strategy in lessening encroachers in the watershed area. CSP’s terrestrial team has been working with government partners to secure funding to complete the WRF boundary line in the Kitti, Sokehs and Nett municipalities.
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Grow Low Sakau Campaign
From a terrestrial standpoint, the greatest threat to biodiversity in Pohnpei is the illegal growing of sakau (Kava or Pipe methysticum) in the Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR). Sakau is used to produce a traditional beverage with a calming effect, which has been widely consumed in Pohnpei and other South Pacific islands for centuries. Once restricted only to the aristocracy, this root drink has become so popular in Pohnpei it is drunk nightly all over the island. Traditionally the crop was grown mainly in the lowlands, however the demand for this crop has become so high that people are increasingly moving illegally into the WFR and clearing trees to plant sakau. Sakau farmers move to the WFR because Sakau grows faster there than in the low lands enabling farmers to meet the high demand for the crop more quickly.
In 2002, CSP spearheaded an alternative income-generating program call the “Grow Low Campaign” in an effort to reduce farming of sakau in the upland WRF. Farmers are taught techniques for growing sakau in the lowlands and are given sakau seedlings to start their lowland farms. The incentives offered by this program, in conjunction with a strong compliance program have proven to be very effective in decreasing the new number of new forest clearings from over 600 in 2002 to only 5 in 2007. In 2004, CSP put the Campaign on hold to assess its effectiveness. In 2007, with generous support provided by the Micronesia Small Grant program, CSP restarted the Campaign adding the element of vegetable seedling distribution to hard core sakau farmers as a means of generating income in a shorter period of time. It is envisaged that this project will bring sufficient income and better nutrition to sakau farmers, as well as significantly reduce the number and size of forest clearings in the Watershed Forest Reserve.
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Watershed Forest Monitoring
The watershed forest monitoring program focuses on 13 forest areas representing the most ecologically important components of the Pohnpei WFR. A few community members from each section in the municipalities together with our staff and municipal police, are responsible for quarterly monitoring of forest activities in these areas. They are taught measuring and evaluation skills and are responsible for the recording of the number of sakau plots. One to two days are spent in the forest measuring the plots using several measuring techniques including GPS. Recent monitoring results have clearly shown that CSP’s terrestrial strategies are having a positive effect. Within the first year there was a 50% decrease in forest clearing. The most impressive results were apparent in the areas where the watershed boundary lines were already demarcated, U and Madolenihmw. This shows that having signs and permanent markers demarcating the watershed boundary line is an effective strategy to lessen intrusion into the watershed. Plots were down from 28 in January 2004 to just 1 forest clearing in April 2005. This huge decline has been a great success for CSP and it’s local partner agencies. In 2006, the total number of new forest clearings was 8 compared to only 5 new clearings in 2007. This is still a significant reeducation as the demand for Sakau continues to increase. This remarkable achievement was made possible with the support and participation of the local communities, traditional leaders, and the state and local governments.
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Enpein Watershed Management Plan
In 2005 CSP began a collaborative project with the University of Guam, Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) and CSP to develope a management strategy for protecting the Enipien Watershed. The objectives were to install stream flow, sediment, and rain gauges for selected sites within the Enipein Watershed and monitor the gauges to develop a rating curve for selected sites. The studies showed correlations between stream flow, sediment load and rainfall. This information will be used to develop a database of the Enipein watershed environment and to compare with other nearby watersheds that are less influenced by human activity.
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Rain fall and stream flow monitoring and sedimentation study
In 2005, experts from WERI (Dr. Shahram Khosrowpanah and Dr. Leroy Heitz) and CSP installed stream flow level measurement devices with the existing rain gauges inside the Enipein Watershed and at selected sites around the island. These will monitor the variation of the flow inside the river, the amount of rain that falls over the watershed, and the sediment level of the river for a period of one year. The results will reveal the impact of the various activities such as land clearing, land sliding/slope failures, and population growth on the quality of the watershed. This information will help various parties such as CSP, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Pohnpei EPA, and local government executives to implement plans for protecting the watersheds in Pohnpei. As part of the Enipein watershed management, CSP is also working with the Palau International Coral Reef Centre (PICRC), University of Guam (UOG), the University of Hawaii-Hilo (UOH) and the Australia Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) on a mangrove sedimentation project. The project goal is to integrate land-use practices with coastal resource protection by examining the mediating effects of mangroves on sedimentation to coastal environments. CSP is currently collecting data in order to support formulation of mediating actions, to reduce sedimentation flow into the Enipein Mangrove Forest Reserve and the Nahtik Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Based on the success of this project CSP and WERI have replicated it in two more watersheds Senpehn and Nanpil. 5 rain gauges, two up on Nahna Laud, two in Nahnpil and one in Senpehn were set up to record the quantity and frequency of precipitation the two watersheds. In addition two separate stream measuring devises were also installed in the Nahpil and Senpehn Rivers to monitor the stream flow variability’s. Both watershed studies are designed for us to compare watersheds and determine a sustainable land use plan for Pohnpei’s upland forest. CSP will also use the data collected to develop its future conservation strategies. The success of CSP’s contribution in this project in 2007 has secured a continuation of the existing project for 8 more years. The results of the watershed comparison studies will be shared in technical report early by WERI and CSP in early 2008.
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Community-based Mangrove Forest Reserves
CSP worked with the German Forestry Project (GTZ) and the Pohnpei State Division of Forestry on the Enipein Mangrove Reserve project. CSP facilitated participatory workshops to encourage a more community-based management approach. With GTZ, CSP facilitated zoning workshops with the Enipein Community and key stake holders. As a result, the Enipein Mangrove Reserve has been divided into two different levels of safeguarding or zones. A Subsistence-use area, in which the community could utilize and self manage in a sustainable way and a No-take area in which the community allows only minimal access. CSP then worked to ensure that the management plan is enforced, raised awareness, and will help to develope a long term biophysical monitoring mechanism and help develop potential compatible enterprises (i.e Ecotourism). The Enipein Watershed Management plan proved to be a successful case of participatory community-led management.
Considering the success of the Enipein Project, CSP secured sufficient funding to establish two other community managed mangrove forest reserves (Senpehn /Lehdau and Pwudoi mangrove forest reserves).
In 2007 CSP started, following the same process as with the Enipein community, working with the Senpehn and Lehdau communities to establish the Senpehn/Lehdau Mangrove Forest Reserve. Through a short Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) process, the community identified three zones; sustainable-logging zone, sustainable-use zone and no-take zone. Next CSP invited the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to help facilitate the GPS training workshop. In June 2007 the trained community members and CSP delineated the Senpehn/Lehdau mangrove forest reserve.
In 2008, CSP has plans to start the process with the Pwudoi community. Do to the success of our mangrove forest reserves CSP’s education program has decided to incorporate the idea into their Youth Environmental Ambassador (YEA) club. Using the process of establishing a mangrove reserve in the Pwudoi community as a model YEA club members will adopt a small section of mangrove forest near their school. The goal of this programs is to better prepare Pohnpei’s students for environmental careers. CSP is currently working on funding the Adopt a Mangrove project.
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Invasive Species
Over the past few years, CSP has worked with the Pohnpei State Invasive Species Task Force on a number of projects to raise awareness on the most invasive plant species in Pohnpei. We are presently working to eradicate False Sakau (Piper Arithrium), which was introduced from Hawaii, and are developing an emergency plan to stop the Guam Brown Tree Snake from establishing itself in Pohnpei. We hope that through this work we will strengthen our working partnerships with other local organizations, and transfer knowledge and technical skills, while also raising awareness on invasive species, and building eradication and control skills amongst involved individuals.
CSP have also been on top of its weed eradication in Pohnpei on the False sakau -Piper auritum, Ivy Gourd –Coccinia grandis, Chain of love- Antigonon leptopus and recently the mile-a-minute- mikania micrantha. The above are the four target species selected for CSP. Because the rate of spreading and extensive coverage of the false sakau is so high, CSP places more emphasis on the false sakau. At the end of 2006 there were 28 false sakau plants sited and sprayed while at the end of 2007 there were only 10 plants sited and eradicated. Surprisingly, at the end of 2005 t10, 900+ plants were sprayed CSP’s maintains its goal of eradicating 100% of the false sakau. We hope to also eradicate 100% of the other targeted species by the end of 2008.
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Rat Eradication Demonstration Project
The Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) in partnership with a California based NGO, Island Conservation (IC), and New Zealand based Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII) is developing a plan to eradicate rats from Ahnd Atoll, thus allowing natural recolonization and augmentation of seabird, forestbird, terrestrial reptile, terrestrial invertebrate and bat populations. Aside from restoring integrity to Ahnd Atoll’s terrestrial ecosystem, this project will provide safe habitat for many species that are threatened or nearly threatened on nearby Pohnpei.
From January 24 to February 26, 2007, CSP in partnership with Island Conservation (IC) initiated the And Atoll eradication project by conducting a trial eradication on 5 small islands in the Madolenihmw Municipality to test and perfect rat eradication methods that will later be used for the And Atoll rat eradication. Conservationists from Kosrae, Yap, Guam, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia, and Tahiti joined the CSP-IC team and conduct the trial eradication. This project offered significant learning opportunities for local and regional conservation entities, as well as economic, social, and environmental benefit for Pohnpeians. Through this project, knowledge gained by local and regional conservation groups can be used to eradicate rats from other islands in Micronesia.
At the end of 2007, CSP staff went back to the baited island in Madolenihmw to do a rat reinvasion survey. After a week of survey on small island also known as Peinmal and Dekehtik, CSP concluded that Dekehtik island and Small island are rat free.
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Community Water Quality
In 2007 CSP received generous financial support form the Canadian Government to do a collaborative project entitled “Healthy Waters for the Future”. CSP selected the Mand River in Madolenimw municipality to be the pilot river. The project was officially started in June 2007. Consultation meetings were made with the Pohnpei Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mand community to introduce the project and identify community members to form the water quality testing team. After receiving training the team tested the water quality and reported the results to the community. CSP also identified the sources of pollution, which are forest clearing, peig pens, toilets and dump sites on the river bank. All the sources of pollution were surveyed and a map was developed. The source of pollution survey revealed that there are 40 sources of pollution in the area most of which are located within 50 feet of the river. At present CSP and EPA will prioritize which sources of pollution are to be relocated or improved to better the water quality. The water quality testing team will continue to test the water and report to the community. Due to our presence and several education efforts in the area, the Mand community has already shown increased concern for the health of their river and a desire to participate in CSP’s project and develop their own clean up projects in the future. CSP is already in the process of seeking funding for replicating this project with another community.
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Micronesia Ethnobotany Project
Click here to read more about this new project
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