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The Melanesian bush, wildlife and stunning landscape has much to offer the eco-tourist, avid bush walker, trekker, mountain climber, or outdoor photographer. There are walks which can last for only a few hours to hikes which take several days. In this section PATRICK PIKACHA samples some of the most accessible walking trails around the Solomon Islands.
Mt Rano Trail Kolombangara Island Probably the most accessible trail in the Solomon Islands, the Mt Rano trail begins at Iriri Village on North Kolombangara Island. A boat transfer from Gizo town to Iriri takes about an hour. Boat transfers can be arranged with Gizo hotel staff or one can hitch a ride on the many boat ferries that travel from Gizo to Kolombangara. The beginning of trail has been recently damaged by a logging road, however the upper reaches of the trail is still very much intact. The trail winds through old growth tropical rainforests, cyanthea forests, palm forests. One is able to see different species of orchids along the trail as well as many birds. At night frogs are abundant in the forest. The trail to the campsite, Professor camp, is about 13km’s. The camp is situated at 1050m overlooking North Kolombangara, Gizo, Nusatupe, Vella Lavella, Ranongga and Simbo Island. The next day one is able to trek to high elevation forests. Upon reaching an elevation of 1700m, the mossy effect is evident. Endemic frogs, birds, and many species of plants, especially orchids may be spotted here. A water tight bag, container, or pelican case is necessary to keep camera contents dry. Contact: Iriri Village Tourism Committee, North Kolombangara Island or Gizo Hotel, Gizo. Mt Mariu Trail, Gatokae Island The Mt Mariu trail begins at either Peava or Biche Village on Gatokae Island. It is accessible through arrangements with local villagers or staff of Wilderness Lodge (thewildernesslodge.org). A campsite is errected on the upper reaches of the Kavalavata River, amidst large stands of old growth trees.
ONLINE AT MELANESIANGEO.COM W W W. M E L A N E S I A N G E O. C O M | 19
Montane forests, Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
Montane forests, Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
The following day a 5 hour hike to the summit of Mt Mariu takes place. The hike takes in spectacular views of the Marovo Lagoon. Birds are abundant near the summit. Orchids including the montane ground orchid calanthe ventilabrum are common here. Contact: Wilderness lodge (www. thewildernesslodge.org), Peava Village, Gatokae Island. Bauro Highlands Trail, Makira Island The Bauro Highlands trail has been long established. It is perhaps one of the longer accessible trails in the country passing through mountain villages on Makira Island. Makira Island is high in bird endemism, and you will not be disappointed on this trail. A good binoculars, notebook and field guide is useful to carry. Mountain villages and family hamlets are scattered along the trail ending at Maraone Village in the hinterland (See pictures on page 6). The walk can generally take 2 to 3 days. There are a few village stays along the way, and many camping sites beside the Rawo River. Villagers are able to put on a cultural show for visiting tourists, however it is best to notify the locals first before beginning your trek. Upon returning, bags and equipment may be loaded onto a canoe with a guide at Nara Village, and one can tackle the rapids down the Rawo River. Contact: Makira Community Conservation Foundation. Phone +677-50057.
The Melanesian bush, wildlife and stunning landscape has much to offer the avid bush walker, trekker or mountain climber, or outdoor photographer. There are walks which may last only a few hours to hikes which take several days. In this section we sample some of the more common walking trails around Melanesia.
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ON THE TRAIL
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A note to travellers/guides/porters: Please do not harvest wild orchids from these forests.
Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
New Georgia monarch, Mt Mariu trail, Gatokae Island.
Solomon Islands Drongo (Dicrurus solomenensis), Bauro Highlands, Makira Island
6 | MELANESIAN GEO • JAN - APRIL 2007
Maraone village, nestled in the Bauro Highlands of Makira Island, Solomon Islands.
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JAN - APRIL 2007 • MELANESIAN GEO | 7
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Acknowledgements
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Since the inception of the Melanesia Geo magazine, we have had generous support from a variety of people and institutions; we would like to thank: Professor Randy Thaman, Dr Simon Albert, the Institute of Applied Sciences of the University of the South Pacific, Conservation International, Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership, World Wildlife for Nature, The Center of Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History, British Petroleum, South Pacific Oil, the PND Clinic, and our partners at the Wilderness Lodge who have all supported us in printing the first seven issues of the magazine.
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Children of Maraone Village, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island. The Bauro Highlands support some of the last forest dependent communities in the Solomon Islands. The Makira Community Conservation Foundation is working with communities here to protect these last forests from loggers.
A JOURNAL OF SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN MELANESIA
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Above: Forests of proposed conservation area, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island (Photo: Charles Tatahu). Left starting above: Community Conservation Agreement (CCA) meeting Maraone Village, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island. (Photo: P. Pikacha). CCA meetings Biche village, Gatokae Island, Western Province (Photo: Dick Rice). CCA survey in proposed Kolombangara conservation area unravel sacred sites, adding importance of conserving forests for preservation of cultural heritage (Photo: Chris Filardi). Indigenous communities, like this one on Guadalcanal, and their traditional land tenure systems may provide opportunity for biodiversity conservation in Solomon Islands (Photo: P. Pikacha).
The Bauro Highlands on the island of Makira is an area of high conservation value in Solomon Islands. The forests here support many forest dependent communities. Recently logging companies have swath through many of these last remaining forests. However efforts are being made by communities of Bauro Highlands, and local and international conservation NGO’s to save these last forests. Large - scale logging has removed almost all of the lowland forests of the Solomon Islands. Logging companies are said to have influenced much of the political and economic climate in this country.
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BIRTH OF AN ISLAND
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The challenges that the magazine encountered at its inception are ongoing, as the co-founders of the magazine are still students, working towards doctoral degrees at the University of the South Pacific, University of Queensland, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. As doctoral studies have become more demanding, they have taken more and more time, leaving less time to allocate to work on the magazine. This over-extension has also hindered our ability to make any real progress in terms of seeking larger and longer term support to fund the printing of the magazine.
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COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
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18 | MELANESIAN GEO • MAY - SEPTEMBER 2007
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Fiji’s Kula Eco Park
Conservation
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2007
Issue 6
Not Just a Bird Park!
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P E O P L E • P L A C E S • W I L D L I F E • C O N S E R VAT I O N • N AT U R E • T R AV E L
The magazine was initiated out of interest, and as mentioned above, was initiated while the founders were students at the University of the South Pacific. This dual role made it difficult to find time to put the magazine together. The other difficulty has always been, and continues to be, finding money to print the magazine. As students we do not have time to approach cooperative sponsors to fund the magazine and we offer them advertising page in the magazine. Therefore, the magazine was mostly funded by the co-founders of them magazine and at times supported by their own family. In addition to we have been supported by few individuals, educational institutions, Non Governmental Organizations and few business houses in the Solomon Islands.
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Articulating Sustainable Development in Fiji
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Faunal connectivity for island wetland conservation
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Sustainable Development
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CONSERVATION IN MELANESIA
Melanesian Geo has overcome many challenges, to become what we view as a successful grassroots publication, however this success has not come easily. Two major challenges in its development and progress since its inception have been: time and money, and they both continue to limit the rate and regularity of publication.
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Journal of society & the environment in Melanesia
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Research Articles Anecdotal Recounts of Research Experiences in Melanesia Journalistic Travel Writing Travel Experiences Poems Discussions of Conservation Issues
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The motivation behind this work continues to be a desire to share the rich and distinct biodiversity of Melanesia, which is increasingly threatened each year, to our readers--especially the average people of Melanesia, who we hope will find Melanesian Geo to be something interesting to read, informative, and useful in finding ways to protect and use their resources sustainably.
JAN - APRIL 2007
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND CREATURES OF MELANESIA
Issue 4
Issues do not have a set table of contents, and articles run the gambit from summaries of original scientific research all the way to poetic works that reflect views of the environment. Content has come from the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Indonesia, and New Caledonia. Although Melanesian Geo is open to any type of work that reflects on humans’ interactions with the Melanesian environment, the most typical types of work are:
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Since the team members are graduate students and they have only been able to commit part of their time to producing the magazine--and the publication of the magazine is based on their unpaid efforts, personal funding, and sporadic funding from individuals, educational intuitions, non-governmental organizations and museums--publication has been slightly sporadic.
Melanesian Geo
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Melanesian Geo is grassroot environment magazine that was founded by Patrick Pikacha in 2005. The initiative was supported by Tamara Osborne Naikatini and David Boseto. Bound by a shared interest in the environment and the enormous challenges in protecting it, this team of young geographers and biologists worked together to produce the magazine while enrolled as graduate students at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. Melanesian Geo is a grassroots environment magazine and organization thats purpose is to disseminate environmental information to local communities, schools and NGOs in the Melanesian region.
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A Brief History
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Melanesia, a globally significant region with incredibly rich biological and cultural diversity, is both one of the most threatened and yet intact tropical regions on Earth. Until recently, there has not been a platform devoted to discussions of regional biological and cultural diversity (e.g., Australian Geographic, Canadian Geographic, etc.) where Melanesians could share their experiences and research with others facing similar situations across the region. Melanesian Geo now fills this gap; it is a grassroots publication that focuses on the people and environment of Melanesia. Based in the Solomon Islands, by combining a mixture of journalism, creative writing, and local storytelling, Melanesian Geo raises the awareness of environmental and social issues affecting the people and ecosystems of Melanesia. With a focus on local researchers and writers, it provides a unique forum for regional dialogue that is fostered by, and accessible to, Melanesian decision-makers. Online availability (http://melanesiangeo.org) provides access to an international audience, and with 7 issues published to-date, Melanesian Geo exemplifies a successful grassroots initiative. By bringing together a variety of voices related to biological and cultural issues, the journal has both empowered local actors and raised regional awareness of issues with clear global significance. Melanesian Geo strives to inform Melanesians about the rich biological and cultural diversity of the Melanesian region, its global significance, and the challenges facing its conservation; hopefully it can begin to address the silence on these issues that the local populace has faced to this point. W
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Patrick Pikacha, David Boseto, Tamara Osborne Naikatini, Brian Weeks, and Chris Filardi
The Purpose
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The Melanesian bush, wildlife and stunning landscape has much to offer the eco-tourist, avid bush walker, trekker, mountain climber, or outdoor photographer. There are walks which can last for only a few hours to hikes which take several days. In this section PATRICK PIKACHA samples some of the most accessible walking trails around the Solomon Islands.
Mt Rano Trail Kolombangara Island Probably the most accessible trail in the Solomon Islands, the Mt Rano trail begins at Iriri Village on North Kolombangara Island. A boat transfer from Gizo town to Iriri takes about an hour. Boat transfers can be arranged with Gizo hotel staff or one can hitch a ride on the many boat ferries that travel from Gizo to Kolombangara. The beginning of trail has been recently damaged by a logging road, however the upper reaches of the trail is still very much intact. The trail winds through old growth tropical rainforests, cyanthea forests, palm forests. One is able to see different species of orchids along the trail as well as many birds. At night frogs are abundant in the forest. The trail to the campsite, Professor camp, is about 13km’s. The camp is situated at 1050m overlooking North Kolombangara, Gizo, Nusatupe, Vella Lavella, Ranongga and Simbo Island. The next day one is able to trek to high elevation forests. Upon reaching an elevation of 1700m, the mossy effect is evident. Endemic frogs, birds, and many species of plants, especially orchids may be spotted here. A water tight bag, container, or pelican case is necessary to keep camera contents dry. Contact: Iriri Village Tourism Committee, North Kolombangara Island or Gizo Hotel, Gizo. Mt Mariu Trail, Gatokae Island The Mt Mariu trail begins at either Peava or Biche Village on Gatokae Island. It is accessible through arrangements with local villagers or staff of Wilderness Lodge (thewildernesslodge.org). A campsite is errected on the upper reaches of the Kavalavata River, amidst large stands of old growth trees.
ONLINE AT MELANESIANGEO.COM W W W. M E L A N E S I A N G E O. C O M | 19
Montane forests, Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
Montane forests, Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
The following day a 5 hour hike to the summit of Mt Mariu takes place. The hike takes in spectacular views of the Marovo Lagoon. Birds are abundant near the summit. Orchids including the montane ground orchid calanthe ventilabrum are common here. Contact: Wilderness lodge (www. thewildernesslodge.org), Peava Village, Gatokae Island. Bauro Highlands Trail, Makira Island The Bauro Highlands trail has been long established. It is perhaps one of the longer accessible trails in the country passing through mountain villages on Makira Island. Makira Island is high in bird endemism, and you will not be disappointed on this trail. A good binoculars, notebook and field guide is useful to carry. Mountain villages and family hamlets are scattered along the trail ending at Maraone Village in the hinterland (See pictures on page 6). The walk can generally take 2 to 3 days. There are a few village stays along the way, and many camping sites beside the Rawo River. Villagers are able to put on a cultural show for visiting tourists, however it is best to notify the locals first before beginning your trek. Upon returning, bags and equipment may be loaded onto a canoe with a guide at Nara Village, and one can tackle the rapids down the Rawo River. Contact: Makira Community Conservation Foundation. Phone +677-50057.
The Melanesian bush, wildlife and stunning landscape has much to offer the avid bush walker, trekker or mountain climber, or outdoor photographer. There are walks which may last only a few hours to hikes which take several days. In this section we sample some of the more common walking trails around Melanesia.
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ON THE TRAIL
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A note to travellers/guides/porters: Please do not harvest wild orchids from these forests.
Mt Rano trail, Kolombangara Island.
New Georgia monarch, Mt Mariu trail, Gatokae Island.
Solomon Islands Drongo (Dicrurus solomenensis), Bauro Highlands, Makira Island
6 | MELANESIAN GEO • JAN - APRIL 2007
Maraone village, nestled in the Bauro Highlands of Makira Island, Solomon Islands.
WWW.MELANESIANGEO.COM
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Acknowledgements
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Since the inception of the Melanesia Geo magazine, we have had generous support from a variety of people and institutions; we would like to thank: Professor Randy Thaman, Dr Simon Albert, the Institute of Applied Sciences of the University of the South Pacific, Conservation International, Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership, World Wildlife for Nature, The Center of Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History, British Petroleum, South Pacific Oil, the PND Clinic, and our partners at the Wilderness Lodge who have all supported us in printing the first seven issues of the magazine.
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Children of Maraone Village, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island. The Bauro Highlands support some of the last forest dependent communities in the Solomon Islands. The Makira Community Conservation Foundation is working with communities here to protect these last forests from loggers.
A JOURNAL OF SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN MELANESIA
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Above: Forests of proposed conservation area, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island (Photo: Charles Tatahu). Left starting above: Community Conservation Agreement (CCA) meeting Maraone Village, Bauro Highlands, Makira Island. (Photo: P. Pikacha). CCA meetings Biche village, Gatokae Island, Western Province (Photo: Dick Rice). CCA survey in proposed Kolombangara conservation area unravel sacred sites, adding importance of conserving forests for preservation of cultural heritage (Photo: Chris Filardi). Indigenous communities, like this one on Guadalcanal, and their traditional land tenure systems may provide opportunity for biodiversity conservation in Solomon Islands (Photo: P. Pikacha).
The Bauro Highlands on the island of Makira is an area of high conservation value in Solomon Islands. The forests here support many forest dependent communities. Recently logging companies have swath through many of these last remaining forests. However efforts are being made by communities of Bauro Highlands, and local and international conservation NGO’s to save these last forests. Large - scale logging has removed almost all of the lowland forests of the Solomon Islands. Logging companies are said to have influenced much of the political and economic climate in this country.
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A JOURNAL OF SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN MELANESIA
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www.melanesiangeo.com
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in Melanesia
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Solomon Dive Adventures SCUBA School
The challenges that the magazine encountered at its inception are ongoing, as the co-founders of the magazine are still students, working towards doctoral degrees at the University of the South Pacific, University of Queensland, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. As doctoral studies have become more demanding, they have taken more and more time, leaving less time to allocate to work on the magazine. This over-extension has also hindered our ability to make any real progress in terms of seeking larger and longer term support to fund the printing of the magazine.
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Your Underwater World
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A New Tool for Restocking Coral Reefs in Fiji
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
NOW ONLINE AT
18 | MELANESIAN GEO • MAY - SEPTEMBER 2007
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Culturing Fish Larvae
Concessions
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How much do we really know?
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By Chris Filardi & Patrick Pikacha
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Entomology work in Fiji
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A ROLE FOR CONSERVATION CONCESSIONS IN MELANESIA: CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
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Fiji’s Kula Eco Park
Conservation
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2007
Issue 6
Not Just a Bird Park!
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P E O P L E • P L A C E S • W I L D L I F E • C O N S E R VAT I O N • N AT U R E • T R AV E L
The magazine was initiated out of interest, and as mentioned above, was initiated while the founders were students at the University of the South Pacific. This dual role made it difficult to find time to put the magazine together. The other difficulty has always been, and continues to be, finding money to print the magazine. As students we do not have time to approach cooperative sponsors to fund the magazine and we offer them advertising page in the magazine. Therefore, the magazine was mostly funded by the co-founders of them magazine and at times supported by their own family. In addition to we have been supported by few individuals, educational institutions, Non Governmental Organizations and few business houses in the Solomon Islands.
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Melanesian Geo
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Makira Island
Wildlife of the Bauro Highlands, Solomon Islands
Articulating Sustainable Development in Fiji
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Issue 5
Faunal connectivity for island wetland conservation
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P E O P L E • P L A C E S • W I L D L I F E • C O N S E R VAT I O N • N AT U R E • T R AV E L
Sustainable Development
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Melanesian Geo
NEW
M AY - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 7
CONSERVATION IN MELANESIA
Melanesian Geo has overcome many challenges, to become what we view as a successful grassroots publication, however this success has not come easily. Two major challenges in its development and progress since its inception have been: time and money, and they both continue to limit the rate and regularity of publication.
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Journal of society & the environment in Melanesia
melanesiangeo.com
Research Articles Anecdotal Recounts of Research Experiences in Melanesia Journalistic Travel Writing Travel Experiences Poems Discussions of Conservation Issues
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The motivation behind this work continues to be a desire to share the rich and distinct biodiversity of Melanesia, which is increasingly threatened each year, to our readers--especially the average people of Melanesia, who we hope will find Melanesian Geo to be something interesting to read, informative, and useful in finding ways to protect and use their resources sustainably.
JAN - APRIL 2007
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND CREATURES OF MELANESIA
Issue 4
Issues do not have a set table of contents, and articles run the gambit from summaries of original scientific research all the way to poetic works that reflect views of the environment. Content has come from the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Indonesia, and New Caledonia. Although Melanesian Geo is open to any type of work that reflects on humans’ interactions with the Melanesian environment, the most typical types of work are:
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Since the team members are graduate students and they have only been able to commit part of their time to producing the magazine--and the publication of the magazine is based on their unpaid efforts, personal funding, and sporadic funding from individuals, educational intuitions, non-governmental organizations and museums--publication has been slightly sporadic.
Melanesian Geo
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Content
Melanesian Geo is grassroot environment magazine that was founded by Patrick Pikacha in 2005. The initiative was supported by Tamara Osborne Naikatini and David Boseto. Bound by a shared interest in the environment and the enormous challenges in protecting it, this team of young geographers and biologists worked together to produce the magazine while enrolled as graduate students at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. Melanesian Geo is a grassroots environment magazine and organization thats purpose is to disseminate environmental information to local communities, schools and NGOs in the Melanesian region.
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A Brief History
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Melanesia, a globally significant region with incredibly rich biological and cultural diversity, is both one of the most threatened and yet intact tropical regions on Earth. Until recently, there has not been a platform devoted to discussions of regional biological and cultural diversity (e.g., Australian Geographic, Canadian Geographic, etc.) where Melanesians could share their experiences and research with others facing similar situations across the region. Melanesian Geo now fills this gap; it is a grassroots publication that focuses on the people and environment of Melanesia. Based in the Solomon Islands, by combining a mixture of journalism, creative writing, and local storytelling, Melanesian Geo raises the awareness of environmental and social issues affecting the people and ecosystems of Melanesia. With a focus on local researchers and writers, it provides a unique forum for regional dialogue that is fostered by, and accessible to, Melanesian decision-makers. Online availability (http://melanesiangeo.org) provides access to an international audience, and with 7 issues published to-date, Melanesian Geo exemplifies a successful grassroots initiative. By bringing together a variety of voices related to biological and cultural issues, the journal has both empowered local actors and raised regional awareness of issues with clear global significance. Melanesian Geo strives to inform Melanesians about the rich biological and cultural diversity of the Melanesian region, its global significance, and the challenges facing its conservation; hopefully it can begin to address the silence on these issues that the local populace has faced to this point. W
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Patrick Pikacha, David Boseto, Tamara Osborne Naikatini, Brian Weeks, and Chris Filardi
The Purpose
Challenges
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Melanesian Geo A Grassroots Publication Dedicated to Regional Biological and Cultural Diversity
