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Considered to be the “emerald” of Micronesia, Pohnpei is a lush, green island formed five million years ago by turbulent volcanic activity. The island is home to a wide variety of natural habitats including barrier reefs, lagoons, mangrove forests and upland forests. Pohnpei’s dwarf cloud forests are among the lowest in the world at 450 meters and the volcanic bowl of the island boasts the largest intact lowland tropical forest in the world. These habitats support a remarkable abundance of unique flora and fauna, sixteen percent of which is found nowhere else on earth. The Serehd (Pohnpei Lory), a brilliant red bird with hints of green and gold, and the Pohnpei mountain skink, a tiny coppery lizard, are both completely unique to the island. Outside the reefs of Pohnpei, scientists recorded the largest grouper spawning aggregation in the Indo-Pacific region. Recent assessments have revealed new coral and fish species on Pohnpei’s reefs, as well as coral species range extensions. Unfortunately, the unique habitats of Pohnpei are disappearing at an alarming rate and will continue to do so unless preventive measures are taken. In the past 25 years, the intact interior rainforest of Pohnpei has been reduced by more than 25 percent. Native plant and animal species are being threatened by introduced non-native species. The importance of these environments is only beginning to be understood and the possibilities of their future value are immeasurable. The protection of these areas is not only a necessity for ecological health and natural preservation, but also for the welfare of present and future generations of Pohnpeians. The Conservation Society of Pohnpei was founded in 1999 by a group of local individuals concerned with the need to preserve Pohnpei’s natural heritage while encouraging sustainable development. Over the past eight years we have grown to become one of the region’s premier conservation groups, leading the way in Pohnpei’s environmental movement through our myriad of partnership work with local communities, government agencies and organizations. We strive to mobilize community participation in resource management, promote conservation policies and laws, and develop successful alternatives to resource exploitation. In its first year, CSP completed several public education and awareness activities. These included conducting quarterly island-wide cleanups, producing radio programs and publications, and hosting school and community presentations to raise awareness about Pohnpei’s rich biological diversity and the threats to these resources. The results were very encouraging. Municipalities and communities are now carrying out regular cleanups and aluminum recycling, traditional and political leaders are aware of CSP and support our programs, and schools and communities are starting their own conservation projects. Over the past eight years, the organization has grown to include 20 full time staff members and several volunteers working on a variety of conservation related projects from Watershed Management to Marine Protected Areas. Since its first day in Pohnpei, the Pohnpei Surf Club has joined CSP, helping them financially, with man power and donating their boats and labor to help keeping Pohnpei pristine. A part of every PSC guest’s payment goes to CSP. All the mooring buoys you will see at most surf and dive spots are a joint effort between CSP and PSC. Year round our staffs monitor, replace and install new mooring buoys so your boat can safely tie to them, and at the same time avoid coral destruction by boat anchors. PSC highly encourages it’s guests to visit the CSP office, and join them in keeping Pohnpei beautiful. For more information please contact us at: Conservation Society of Pohnpei, P.O. Box 2461, Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941 Or visit our website at: |
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