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.
The Last Traditional Navigator (Palau)
Mr. Akilino Albis left formal schooling in third grade after he grew interested in canoe carving and seafaring with his father, Albis. He quickly learned at a very young age and wanted to be the best in building canoes and fishing. He spent much of his young age working alongside his father, earning his favor […]
Traditional Leaders Forum in Pohnpei
For centuries, Pohnpeians used traditional complex systems to protect their natural resources. These strict rules governed all clans’ behavior and ensured that Pohnpei’s rich coral reefs, mangroves, and forests provided food and economic livelihood to sustain themselves and future generations. Traditional resource management systems and stewardship systems have been diluted by modern approaches to regulate resource use and management. Modern approaches have also undermined the authority of indigenous communities to control their resources. Consequently, many traditional mangrove ecosystems have been lost and destroyed due to unsustainable harvesting and development practices and notable climate change impacts. On November 17th, traditional leaders made themselves heard!
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).