Musical Contribution to Catt-Trax 3 by Jules Rendell - One Day

Last summer I had the great fortune to meet Jules Rendell when she was performing on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. She is a singer and soulwriter with amazing talent. Have a listen to Jules' wonderful voice & musical contribution to the Catt-Trax 3 journey. Enjoy! Thanks so much Jules! :)

Heading Home ... but there is More to Come :)

It is late afternoon on the 14th of June here in Bali, Indonesia... I have made a valiant effort to catch up with my Facebook and Blog posts ... and will soon head to the airport for my lengthy journey home. Thanks to all of you who have followed the Catt-Trax 3 journey ... there will be a few more things added (like more music!). Be well and see some of you soon!

Tangkoko Nature Reserve & the Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque

Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque, a Critically Endangered Species

More to come... my battery is about to die :)

Coral Triangle Day – Manado, Indonesia

With Dr. John Tasirin, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

When I taught the Ecology short courses for the CIDA sponsored Eastern Indonesian Universities Development Project (EIUDP) I always had an Indonesian counterpart to help with the course (translation, course content, labs, etc). My teaching counterpart for the course taught at Patimurra University in Ambon in the amazing Moluccas Islands of Eastern Indonesia was none other than John Tasirin. At that time John had just completed his Master’s degree at the University of New Brunswick (supported by CIDA). John went on to complete his PhD in Tasmania and is now back in Indonesia teaching at Sam Ratulangi University in Manado at the northern tip of the amoeba shaped island of Sulawesi.

Media for Coral Triangle Day, Manado, Indonesia

John has done amazing things in the past 15 years and continues to work tirelessly to increase awareness of the flora, fauna and biodiversity values of north Sulawesi and Indonesia. He is very highly regarded by everyone from students to local politicians as everyone I talked to praised him for the work he does for conservation and for Manado. Well done my friend!

One of the projects John has had his fingers in recently has been the planning for a project that he and a multitude of partners have been working on for months called the Coral Triangle Day.
I had heard about the Coral Triangle in discussions with staff at the WWF office in Singapore very early in my journey. The Coral Triangle is a six million km2 area that covers waters of Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. The ocean waters and the sea life within them support a human population of about 120 million people.

This biodiversity hotspot has 75% of all known coral species (thus the name the ‘Coral Triangle’), 3000 species of reef fish and six of the seven marine  turtle species (the only one missing is the Kemp's Ridley which is critically endangered and only breeds on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico). The Coral Triangle is also the source of 25% of the global tuna catch - a multi-billion dollar industry. Indonesia is a key component of the Coral Triangle with its 17,000 islands and over 80,000 kms of coastline.

I was invited by John to take part in the Coral Triangle Day celebrations just west of Manado in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was an event that seemed to be taken right out of the Mark Angelo book for community involvement in conservation issues. There were politicians, with media in tow, mangrove plantings, restoration of coral reefs and a beach cleanup competition for youth. Pick up the most garbage on the beach and you win a prize!

These events are so important as they involve the entire community – from the kids and their families to NGOs and academic institutions to politicians (who make key decisions that can affect conservation and ecosystem health). I was so impressed with the event and even got to plant my own mangrove (I want to go back to ensure it is still there … years from now!).

One of the NGOs involved in the event was WWF. WWF has selected the Coral Triangle as a conservation priority. The staff of WWF in Indonesia, Singapore and other countries within the Coral Triangle are driving positive change with the tuna, live reef fish and tourism industries to curb degradation of the marine environment. The objective is to have a healthy environment and a thriving tourism industry that already sits at 12 billion/year.

Examples include: working to change the types of hooks used in fishing, promoting the creation of marine protected areas particularly around critical spawning grounds and encouraging citizens to make responsible choices in restaurants (in terms of the fish they choose to buy).

Well done John and all partners involved in the Coral Triangle Day!

Beautiful end to a fabulous day in Manado, Indonesia

Kendari Fish Market – Hello Misterrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I love markets … particularly those with great photo opportunities. Patterns, colours, activity, smiling faces... all so photogenic. I remember visiting the Kendari fish market when I taught at Haluoleo University close to 20 years ago. At that time I remember being amazed at the diversity of fish (in terms of species, size, colours, etc.) for sale!

Yesterday my friend Dr. Andi Khaeruni from UNHALU offered to take me to the main fish market as I was curious to see how it had changed in almost 20 years. I was pleased to see that most of the species that I remember seeing years ago were still there (a notable no show was the lobster).

It is important to note that fish is the key source of protein for many Indonesians. It is cheaper than meat and easily accessible. At least it has been. Some species have increased in cost about 30x in the past 10 years making it difficult for some locals to buy fish.

There were some key differences from 20 years ago when it comes to meeting the demand for fresh fish:
-    Fishermen have to travel much longer distances to catch the fish
-    Fishermen have to use a lot more fuel to travel these distances
-    The fishermen are  greater risk of mishap at sea as they take their  smaller boats further distances
-    Some fishermen have shifted to using larger boats… which adds safety and also increases the distance they can travel (and can bring back more fish)

Another difference is that some of the fish being sold is farmed fish. Yes, there are fish farms in Indonesia… and lots of them. Indonesia exports shrimp, fish and seaweed and the government last year indicated its intention to “make Indonesia the world’s leading fish producer by 2015 and have thus targeted fantastic fish production levels every year”. They plan to do this through traditional fishing and aquaculture. See my previous post ‘Fish Farming – How to Feed the Planet!?’ to see some thoughts on that.

I spent over an hour walking through the stalls and couldn’t walk too far without hearing the phrase that brings back so many memories from my earlier trips to Indonesia… ‘Hello Misterrrrrrrrrrr’.

Indonesians have an amazing r-roll that would make a Spanish ‘r’ seem typical of the Queen's English. That Hello Misterrrrr phrase it one that puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it ... whether it is a small kid in the street or a grown man shopping with his wife at the Kendari Fish Market!

Hello Misterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :)

Kendari – Universitas Haluoleo (UNHALU)

Course Participants in the Ecology Short Course at UNHALU in 1995

When I was just a young lad I was given an amazing opportunity to teach overseas for a project sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency called the Eastern Indonesian Universities Development Project. The objectives of the project were to strengthen basic science teaching and research with the ultimate objective of contributing to sustainable development in Indonesia. EIUDP was jointly funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Government of Indonesia.

Eating Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish) in Kendari

My involvement with the EIUDP came at the tail end of the 10 year project but my brief association was rich in learning for me (and hopefully course participants as well). I taught a series of short courses in Ecology at three different universities in Eastern Indonesia in 1995 and 1996 and also facilitated seminars on sustainable development. Chris Dagg, the Director of the EIUDP program, wrote that “the purpose of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) component of the Project is to introduce sustainable development ideas and approaches into teaching and research at the four Member Universities through their basic science courses”.

Some UNHALU faculty who were EIUDP scholars or participants

I had the great fortune of teaching at three of the member universities: Pattimura University in Ambon, Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, Irian Jaya and my first (and favorite) Haluoleo University in Kendari the capital city of the province of South-east Sulawesi.

Presenting to UNHALU students and faculty

I have kept in touch with the faculty (the course participants were not students but younger lecturers) who were participants in the Ecology short courses that I taught and wanted to return to Kendari to see how they (and the university) were doing. Has the EIUDP been effective in increasing the capacity of Indonesia to develop in a sustainable way?

Back in the mid-90s all that was required to be a lecturer at the universities in eastern Indonesia was an S1 degree, approximately equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in North America. In fact only one of the participants in my short course had an MSc degree the rest had their S1.

To return and see that so many of them have gone on to do their MSc and PhDs degrees was awesome. As they toured me around the campus showing the new equipment and discussing the research projects they are working on I could sense their increased confidence and abilities.

Me with a few UNHALU students

My visit to Kendari was short but the time was filled with activities: meetings and discussion with past short course participants and CIDA scholars; a visit to the newly established Wallaceae Museum; the required meals of Ikan Bakar (grilled fish) and I also presented my seminar on conservation and sustainability to a great group of UNHALU students and faculty sponsored by the Agrotechnology Department of the Agriculture Faculty.

Thank you to all of you for making me feel so welcome! And  for doing so much for your students, UNHALU and the future of Indonesia!

Four UNHALU Faculty today who were 1995 Short Course Participants

Robyn Worcester - BCIT FWR Grad Making a Difference for Wildlife & People

Robyn Worcester is the Conservation Programs Manager with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) in Vancouver. Robyn is also a grad of the BCIT Fish, Wildlife & Recreation program. We are so proud of the amazing work she does. Here are some of Robyn's thoughts on the importance of urban parks and the values they provide to people and wildlife. SPES is always looking for volunteers so if you want to help out in your own backyard, contact SPES! :) Thanks Robyn!