Renovations to the Helen Reef Ranger Station
OneReef Micronesia’s renovations to the Helen Reef Ranger Station/Multipurpose Learning Center in Palau are now complete! OneReef Micronesia has been supporting the Hatohobei State to
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Building the Next Generation of Stewards
Traditional Stewardship skills are important to the identity of Micronesian communities and also for helping protect their oceans in the face of climate change and other global threats. The success of the Stewardship Skills Youth Summer Camp supported by OneReef last year has set the foundation for ongoing camps and classes. In the summer of 2021, OneReef supported and facilitated two different Stewardship Skills camps for youth which are helping preserve and pass on traditional knowledge.
Pohnpei and Helen Reef teams have independently imaged their reefs!
In March 2019, OneReef, in collaboration with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, trained three teams of local islanders in cutting edge imaging technology used by scientists to monitor reef health over time. In June and October (2020), the teams from Pohnpei and Helen Reef independently imaged multiple sites in their area, putting their training into action! (The team from Ngarchelong, a Northern state of Palau, independently imaged six sites in March 2020).
OneReef is 10 years old – and celebrating a 10 year community partnership!
We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the first OneReef community partnership agreement! OneReef signed this formative agreement with the Tobi community (Hatohobei) in Palau, Micronesia, in 2010 to steward the community-owned Helen Reef Atoll.
The success of the Tobi partnership has sparked nine additional communities to join OneReef in our mission of vibrant reefs and thriving communities. To learn more about the history and inspiration behind OneReef’s community partnership agreements, read on.
A 10 year partnership – conservation success at Helen Reef (Palau)
OneReef’s first Partnership agreement, 10 years ago, was with the Tobi community to support their efforts to protect and recover the marine ecosystem of Helen Reef, including its iconic turtle population. To honor World Oceans Day (June 8th), and World Sea Turtle Day (June 18th), we want to share the achievements of the Helen Reef Turtle monitoring and tagging program and celebrate this incredible community whose efforts have ensured that there have been no illegal poachers at Helen Reef since the last incident in 2014! Read on for the history of this program and its successful conservation efforts.
Community Steward Spotlight: Rosania Victor, Helen Reef (Palau)
Rosania Victor exemplifies how women in the Micronesia region play integral roles in protecting and managing their marine protected areas.
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“Solving the problems associated with coral reef loss in the Pacific Island region requires more than just throwing resources at the problem. We must partner with communities that have deep-rooted and culturally significant relationships with the ocean.”
Christopher LaFranchi
Founder and President – OneReef