Cross-site sharing of conservation lessons is vital to maximizing outcomes. OneReef’s partner, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), annually brings together all the Pohnpei State communities that manage their Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) so they can share information and best practices. The discussions at this cross-site meeting help OneReef change our programs and better support our partner communities.
In 2020, OneReef formalized its Community Partnership Agreement with the five communities that manage Nanwap MPA. Shortly after that, MLMDA, a collaborative organization that the communities had created to help manage Nanwap, was revived, and a fundraising effort was launched. In our experience working with communities to manage MPAs, initiatives like these are a crucial success factor. Even so, we were taken by surprise at the speed with which the communities achieved their ambitious goal.
On May 8, 2021, OneReef and Uchul a Chei Fishers (UACF) undertook their first collaboration by volunteering to support the Koror State Government’s Scoop n’
OneReef has supported communities’ longer-term management and protection of their coral reefs across Micronesia since 2010. During this decade of developing long-term partnerships with communities across
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).
15 youth from Sonsorol successfully completed a two-month Traditional Stewardship Summer Camp where they learned about the traditional ways of living on Islands.
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.
Ms. Madelsar Ngiraingas, based in Palau and manager of OneReef Community partnerships, spoke at the Jackson Wild Film Festival to explain the Palauan perspective on conservation. Read more to learn about her story.
Aurora Oberg, OneReef’s new Director of Global Operations and Partnerships, shares three meaningful lessons from her experiences in conservation and social impact fields.
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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
CEO, Founder – OneReef
