World of Water/Project AWARE
DEVELOPING NATIONS
SCHOOL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
ASIA/PACIFIC
Neville Coleman
Education is the key to progress.
Donna LLwell handing over a selection of donated books to one of the
school representatives on behalf of myself, Project AWARE and
WANTOK ENVIRONMENT CENTRE.
The kids of the developing nations are in great need of educational resources in order to recognise and understand their natural heritage.
I believe we, as the diving community, are in a unique position to provide materials by which school kids and teachers may become more conversant with the ocean and its inhabitants and in so doing, create opportunities towards a better future for all.
History
For over 20 years I have endeavoured to provide educational book packs to schools, teachers and individuals in our developing nation neighbours. So far hundreds of books and magazines have been donated to various localities including Papua New Guinea.
The original idea came about from sending books and teaching materials to the devastated town of Aitape on the north coast of Papua New Guinea after their disastrous Tsunami.
Since then, educational book packs have been distributed in Milne Bay by way of Bob Halstead and the Golden Dawn, Rob Van der Loos of MV Chertan and Tawali Dive Resort, Milne Bay. Six sets were sent to Madang and others to Dik Knight at Loloata Resort at Port Moresby.
Unfortunately, we have not been able to secure any hand over images to schools due to various situations of circumstances and the nature of the country. However, this will in no way affect my resolve to continue with book donations to schools wherever possible in areas where established resorts and liveaboards occur. The next donations have gone to Mr Max Benjamin of Walindi Plantation in Kimbe bay,New Britain for the MAHONIA NA DARI ( Research, Conservation and Training) Station. ( Situated at Walindi Resort )
Vanuatu Program
(Donna Llewell - Wantok Environment Centre)
A collaborative effort between Neville Coleman, Project AWARE Asia Pacific, the dive industrys leading non-profit environmental organization, and Wantok Environment Centre in Santo, Vanuatu has been marked by the donation of a pack of marine conservation books into five primary schools in the Luganville area.
Wantok is a non-Government environmental organisation which delivers technical support and services to communities directly involved in the conservation of Vanuatu's wildlife, ecosystems and the sustainable management of natural and physical resources.
Results of the clean up campaign organised by Wantok Environment Centre.
Project AWARE joined hands with Wantok under an environmental education project. The project has included student field activities to give children practical environmental knowledge and experience outside of the classroom. Over 420 students have participated in the field activities which addressed various environmental issues including marine conservation, pollution, reforestation and nature conservation.
The donations of marine conservation books from Project AWARE and Neville Coleman have become a real complement to the field activities where students visited the coastal marine area and participated in foreshore clean-ups. Previously, the five primary schools concerned had very limited and no up-to-date material or library resources concerning the marine environment.
History
Kids enjoying themselves after a successful cleanup.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to once again visit Vanuatu and the result of this was to realise that the school kids and diving community could also benefit from the school assistance program.
As a member of Project AWARE Asia /Pacific Honorary Board of Governors I thought it would be a good opportunity to include what materials were available in the back packs and obtained Project AWARE posters, brochures, booklets and DVDs from the Project AWARE Kids programme and their other educational campaigns for future donations.
However, I had not reckoned on the processes involved and although I sent the first school assistance book pack to Port Vila, nothing happened.
This was due to the necessity of my needing a letter of recommendation in case my books were pornographic, religious or racial. To send this I needed to know the name of the headmaster to send the letter to, and after a year of reminders, nothing eventuated.
I finally got the books to Aus/Aid Vanuatu and they were very helpful and agreed to distribute any books I sent. However, this was not going to benefit the dive shops and resorts and their employees in regard to us setting up an ongoing marine education program.
My next try also failed because I couldn't donate a book to every kid in the school and the 10 books I had with me wasn't enough. So I donated them to the South Pacific University Library and that way any interested person could learn about the seas around Vanuatu.
During my 2004 visit to Santo I stayed at Deco Stop Lodge and met proprietor Cathie de Koeyer who put me in touch with Donna Llewell, education officer of the Wantok Environment Centre (WTEC). I explained my frustration to Donna and at once she came up with a brilliant solution.
Wantok Environment Centre has five schools in their educational program and they had very little marine life resources. So it seemed at last there was a way to launch our Vanuatu school assistance project. In time, two large boxes containing five sets of books, together with Project AWARE materials were sent off and received by Donna. Wantok Environment Centre paid for the freight.
Results
We have now established an excellent understanding between Wantok Environment Centre, myself (World of Water) and Project AWARE. As such, our initial program can be expanded and implemented. The six South Pacific Wildlife Guides are printed and available and we now have the resources to teach a greater understanding towards our oceans that has never before existed.
Poem by Benjamin aged 7 years old.
I asked Donna if she would mind sending a photo of some of the kids to whom the books went she did far more she sent a CD containing 273 images, pictures of the schools, teachers and their individual efforts to clean up their foreshores and the environment in general.
Teachers wrote some letters and the kids sent thank you cards. All this is the most fantastic response ever, and I will be presenting as much as I can in Dive Log and other dive magazines to show what can be done in the fields of environmental awareness and education with just a little encouragement, some funding and dedicated, caring people.
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks, Marine Reptiles, and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around Vanuatu Islands and reefs.
( Copyright Neville Coleman)
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Donna Llewell and all the personnel at Wantok Environment Centre, teachers, kids and families who bring encouragement to us all that education is the key to the future. I think you have all done a brilliant job!
I feel sure that myself and Project AWARE Asia/Pacific will be able to come up with some more ways to help you all to continue your Adventures in Learning and conservation efforts in the future.
Special thanks to Cathie de Koeyer, Nautilus Dive, Allan Power, Hideaway Island management and personnel. Without the assistance of Jorina van der Westhuizen (JoeY) who managed and edited the photo CD, photoshopped Benjamin's poem and sent me the images by e-mail this presentation and future ones would not have materialised. I am indebted to her expertise and enthusiasm and promise to become computer friendly
About Project AWARE
Project AWARE is the dive industrys leading non-profit environmental organisation dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Project AWARE Foundation offices located in Australia, United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore combine efforts to conserve aquatic resources in 175 countries of the world.
For further information visit www.projectaware.org