The damage continues...

On my last blog I had spoken about the things we notice yet don't really do something about them. I told of the Pacific International Incorporated (PII) pouring sewage into our waters. Just last week, while walking down the road from work I saw yet again the same thing happening near the Transco area. What is going on? Where are our leaders? and when will this continued damage finally cease?

I can still remember the first time I came to Chuuk. Getting ready to head to our islands, I would sit on our boat and watch the variety of fish and other life moving about in the water. Today, getting on a boat from this area of the water all I see when I take a look is murky waters without the existing life that used to be so ever present.

Looking at what was going on  last week, I wonder, are our leaders really going to let this onslaught to one of our main source of livelihood continue? It's taken PII more than three years since they've been here and still there is no real progress made to our roads, instead there's more and more damages going on, both on land and sea. So once again I ask, are we really going to let this continue? What are our leaders doing? An ocean where we once saw so many different species swimming about is now filled with mud, and has now turned from being blue and clear to brown and murky, where will we be getting fish to eat? A mountain where birds lived, a variety of different plant species existed, and also a popular hiking spot is now gone. The trees are gone, the birds have flown somewhere, and it is now a dangerous place to go because of landslides, what should we do about this? Let us stand together Chuuk! Let's now forget about what we want and concentrate on what we need in order to survive and to keep the generation to come safe and out of danger!


/s/ Kris in Chuuk

The End of a Champion and the Rise of a New One

In the time that I have been the Young Champions Intern for Yap State, I have learned so much from my supervisors, partners, as well as experts and community activists in conservation. I have met so many different people from their various respected fields and the knowledge and experience that they’ve shared with me is something that I will not forget. It has guided and shaped my personal views of the world around me and how I interact with it. The works that I have been involved with has built up my capacity and understanding in conservation. I feel confident in the steps I am to take; the career path that I am set upon because of the experience and knowledge this internship has afforded me.

Sharing group work during Community Action Plan workshop

It has been a great run as the Young Champions Intern for Yap State. The time has come for me to pass on the challenge to the next successor. I hope for another willing and passionate candidate to continue the stand in our home State of Yap – Take the Challenge! The Micronesia Challenge and make it our own. The Young Champions Internship is a great opportunity. The experience you take away from the internship is so valuable, from all the interactions with various groups, exposure to different thinking, and networking with others. I encourage all interested candidates to apply and help build for a brighter, healthier, sustainable happy future, for us and the many generations to come. With our brothers and sisters in Micronesia, let us stand and not falter as we fight for conservation in our region and sustainability of our natural resources. I hope that I have served the Yapese people well in my awareness campaign in Yap State. I have fought the good fight and I look to a new successor to take up the Challenge.

Shark Petition in Yap

Yap Games 2012 was a greatly anticipated event that took place at the Yap States Sports complex from June 17 to June 30. Some municipalities organized themselves and their youth to participate in the many sports activities and trained well before the anticipated date to get their athletes into shape for the event. This was the second year the Yap Games has been hosted. It was a great event that brought the youth and everyone together to enjoy the sports event and join together in camaraderie, cheering the athletes on to victory. 

To take advantage of the event, an MC awareness booth was setup to provide free water servings to the athletes as well as spectators and passersby. At the tent, information on natural resource management was shared and support for the Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary was solicited. Shark sanctuary petitions including informational pamphlets and fact sheets were circulated to the attending crowds at the games. This petition acknowledged each signing individual’s agreement of the importance of sharks in Marine ecosystems, recognized certain threats to the sharks, and agree that legislative actions should be taken to protect shark population within the FSM region. Thanks to the MC booth team the petitions were signed by a good amount of people as well as lots of positive feedback. The movement of “good resource management” through conservation is just beginning.