The Award Winning
Kosrae Village Ecolodge 10-Year Reef Protection Project

The 2006 Kosrae Village Ecolodge Reef Protection Project activities are the focus of the AWARE Foundation Environmental Achievement Award. The 2006 milestones, including the two week coral monitoring survey session (funded entirely by Kosrae Village), the formation and accomplishments of the Kosrae Reef Protection Community Action Committee and the restoration of the mooring buoy system, are characteristic of the activities in 10 year campaign to preserve and protect Kosrae's critical coastal resources.

Although the 2006 activities are significant in themselves, the positive changes that have occurred on Kosrae over the past 10 years as a result of the Reef Protection Project are truly impressive.

Kosrae Village was founded with conservation and environmental issues in mind. The 1994 - 95 construction of Kosrae Village was completed without the use of heavy equipment and without land filling. This approach strengthened the traditional construction skills on the island, protected the fragile coastal ecosystem and prevented run off that would smother the pristine reef. Septic systems with complex leach fields ensure that sewage will not spill on the reef. Low suds detergents, biodegradable cleaners and avoidance of noxious chemicals are just a few of the many examples of environmental protection built into the development and daily operation of Kosrae Village.

Kosrae Village opened for business in September 1995 and began the formal Reef Protection Project in 1996. That fall the first of the annual groups of volunteer sport divers joined Kosrae Village owners (Bruce Brandt, Madison Nena, Katrina Adams) and Kosrae Village staff in the very first coral monitoring session on Kosrae's pristine reef utilizing sport divers.

Kosrae Village was instrumental in the 1997 mooring buoy system installation (56 buoys on 43 miles of reef). This community project brought together fishermen, Kosrae State staff and dive operators to plan the installation, raise funds, acquire the equipment and install the buoys. In addition to the buoy installation, an island wide awareness campaign, including school presentations, radio programs, community meetings, flyers and billboards, on the value of coral reefs and the importance of the buoy system was conducted.

1998, Kosrae Village in partnership with other concerned residents, founded the Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization, a NGO focusing on marine and terrestrial environmental protection and conservation. Today KCSO is one of the primary Micronesian NGOs working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and other regional NGOs to address the critical issues facing the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In 1998 Kosrae Village also was awarded the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Micronesia Chapter Environmental Award for the successes the Reef Protection Project.

Coral monitoring has continued to be the corner stone of the Reef Protection Project, every year since 1996 Kosrae Village has recruited a group of volunteer divers to join local divers in surveying the current state of the reef.

Participating in coral monitoring surveys is a win - win situation for the divers, Kosrae Island and the global community. Divers are trained to collect and analyze data using a scientific protocol, gain a deeper appreciation for the reef ecosystem and strengthen their diving skills. The resource managers on Kosrae Island receive additional, scientific data for use in their management plans. The global community receives data about the state of the reef systems that would be otherwise unavailable.

Over the years this continuing effort has created a profound change on the island. In 1996, coral monitoring and indeed reef conservation and protection as a whole were seen as activities that had little or no meaning for the Kosraean community. We have seen that attitude change over the years so that almost anyone on the street can now explain the value of the reef resource and the importance of using the resource in a sustainable manner. There is also an expectation amongst the local community that divers will participate in the coral monitoring surveys as well as other activities such as clean ups and mooring buoy maintenance, as a normal part of their diving experience. As PADI instructors, Bruce and Katrina have been responsible for most of the dive training on Kosrae Island. A strong environmental message is incorporated in their scuba training, additionally, as the Kosrae Island Reef Check coordinator Katrina has trained many local and visiting divers in the Reef Check survey techniques

In the past few years we have also seen the Kosrae Department of Marine Resources move from providing one or two staff to work with Kosrae Village during the survey sessions, to creating their own periodic surveys throughout the year. Marine Resources has also developed a class on coral reef ecology and monitoring for ninth graders.

Feeling the need to more directly involve the community in reef protection activities Kosrae Village organized the "Kosrae Reef Protection Community Action Committee". There was an overwhelming response to the open invitation for all Kosraean residents interested in joining the discussion on the issues facing the reef resource. In addition to the expected environmentalists, dive operators and resource managers, State legislators, community leaders and fishermen actively participated. A number of methods of addressing threats to the continued health of the reef resource were selected during the meetings held in the legislative chambers. These include the establishment of marine protected areas as well as other corrective measures. The details of the protected areas are being worked out by KCSO, KIRMA (the state Kosrae Island Resource Management Agency) and the communities involved. This community based outcome is a clear indication of the change that has occurred on this small and remote island in the past 10 years.

The primary catalyst for this change has been Kosrae Village Ecolodge and the Reef Protection Project.

If you would like more information about the Reef Protection Project please contact Katrina.