The Rotuma Schools EcoCamp is funded in parts by the Vodafone Fiji ATH Foundation and the GEF Small Grants Programme.
ROTUMA
SCHOOLS ECO-CAMP
REPORT 2007
I. Special Thanks
II. Rotuma Schools’ Adopt-a-Habitat
III. Field trips:
a. Forest Walk
b. Bird Watching
b. Beach Profiling
c. Seagrass Watch
IV. EcoCamp activities
V. Financial Literacy orientation
VI Reflections
VII. Finance
VIII.Sources of information
IV Appendices -
Forest walk
Seagrass Watch Method
Financial Literacy
List of Participants
Table of Contents
On behalf of the EcoCamp team of volunteers,
LäjeRotuma would like to thank Gagaj Kausiraf, his
wife and community elders of Oinafa for their hospitality
and continued support prior to the camp
and extending to the 3-day event that was held in
December 5, 2007. LäjeRotuma acknowledges the
special contribution of the following:
• Island liaison contact Ritia Atalifo and her
family
• The Ralifo family of Saurotuma, Noatau.
• The network of island volunteers
• The four primary schools on Rotuma
• Gagaj Fakaru’etoag of Malha’a District
• Elders of Motusa village, who hosted the
team during the seagrass watch field trip
• Oinafa elders who shared their fishing and
acted as locals guides for the forest walk &
bird watch.
Other partners that have contributed in kind include
Colgate Palmolive, Fisheries Department,
School of Marine Studies, University of the South
Pacific and WWF Fiji Country Programme.
Special Thanks
Rotuma map with marked areas of the schools
and the camp site
Rotuma Schools’ Adopt-a-Habitat Approach
In celebrating five years of partnership with the four primary schools on Rotuma Island, LäjeRotuma adopted a different approach to
the schools’ environmental awareness outreach program. The goal is to allow students to learn more
about their natural surroundings by an adoption-scheme of a habitat situated close to the school, easily accessible and safe for the
students to visit and conduct fun-filled learning. Targeting this age group (primary schools) on Rotuma aims for the long-term result
of changing the attitude of a generation, that is bound to be the future of Rotuma, as leaders and stewards of the island’s natural resources.
The Rotuma Schools EcoCamp is aimed primarily at bringing the four schools together to showcase environmental lessons from
each of the schools’ adopt-a-habitat program and to learn more about their natural island environment through creativity, innovation
and outreach to the wider community of Rotuma. The Rotuma Schools EcoCamp schedule offered a variety of hands-on, fun activities
that helped the young campers learn more about their natural world, other people and self.
The is to demonstrate good principles in the use and management of natural resources with practical knowledge
such as the wise use of water, recycling and auditing of household waste generated from the camp.
This report highlights the the fun learning activites EcoCampers enjoyed during the 3 days amidst the wake of a tropical cyclone and
a grounding at the anchorage. The next EcoCamp is scheduled to be held during the schools term 2 break in August 2008.
“I love the dance workshop.
We can fly like a bird and
swim like the fish when we
dance; it’s so much fun”
Chesta of CTK Primary School
“We only know how to draw
but now I can make nice artwork
out of the things lying
around and even learnt to reuse
rubbish”
Wilfer Rigamoto of Rotuma High School
“We take advantage of the
natural environment in Rotuma
and stop appreciating it
in our everyday life. But the
bush walk, beach profiling &
collecting rubbish items to
make artwork is making us
see things in a different light
now!”
Fanifau Rafael, teacher
Forest Walk
(11/12/07 – 8.00am to 9.40 am)
Tieri
Occurence: High
Rau ji
Occurrence: Medium
Fakmaru
Occurrence: High
Sumi
Occurrence: Medium
A total of 18 campers took part in this activity. The types of plants found during the forest walk
were recorded and listed according to its common occurrence along the trail and values of each
plant were discussed. A total of 26 plant types were observed, during the hour-walk in the bush.
The summary of results during the forest walk is included in the Appendices.
Hata
Occurrence: Low
Hefau
Occurrence: Low
U’lu
Occurrence: High
Ota
Occurrence: Low
The graph demonstrates the many important
uses of plants & trees for food,
such as trees to build houses, provide
shade and a source of medicine.
Figure 1. Shows the major plant uses and values for the plants
observed during the forest walk
Bird Watch
(11/12/07 – 8.00am to 11.00am))
A total of 14 campers took part in this activity. The Bird watch group hiked through the forest
recording and tallying all the forest birds they could sight. Birds are also identified through the
sounds they make.
Armea
Abundance: High
Moa
Abundance: High
Brown Noddies
Abundance: High
Purple
Swamphen
Abundance:
Medium
Branded rail
Abundance: Low
Orange Dove
Abundance: Medium
Black Heron
Abundance: High
Banded Rail, Ve’a medium • A ground bird that is a good source of protein for the locals
Domestic Chickens (Jungle
Fowls), Moa
medium • The domesticated variety of the jungle fowls that is an important source of protein
Polynesian Triller high • Highly vocal and of ecological importance
Rotuman Myzomela, Armea high • A striking scarlet and black bird that is endemic to Rotuma
Golden Plover medium • A migrant species presently transiting the island
White Tern High • A beautiful pure white bird that nests in the trees of the low land forest
Ruddy Turnstone High • Found in small flocks of 5 and 6 along the coastline and grassy areas around
settlements
Brown Noddy, Gogo medium • Large sea bird resting in palms on Oinafa Bay
• An important food source for the owls
Jungle fowls medium • Wild fowls of the inland forest that is usually hunted by the locals for food
Pacific pigeons high • Large grey and green pigeon commonly seen on breadfruits or feeding on the fruits
of the strangling fig (aeva)
Black Faced Shrikebill medium • Only encountered females and fledglings on feeding forays
Crimson crowned fruit dove medium • Small flock feeding high in the canopy of large strangling fig tree (aeva)
Table 1: Results of the bird watch exercise.
A total of 17 campers took part in this activity. Campers were encouraged tomake detailed observation
such as the many types of rubbish, trees growing along the beach or the shore birds
and other marine animals found on the beach. The 3 hour beach walk led to more group work
on making profiles (sketches) from materials like plastic bottles, and other rubbish & detritus
found on the beach.
Beach Profile
(11/12/07 – 8.00am to 11.00am))
Seagrass Watch
(11/12/07 – 8.00am to 11.00am))
Maka Bay Seagrass Watch 2007
Following the wake of tropical cyclone DAMON on December 7th, a team of
EcoCamp volunteers spent the day at Maka Bay, conducting the first extensive
surveys of the only seagrass area found in Rotuma. There were 19 volunteers
who first took part in the orientation of how to conduct seagrass watch
survey techniques on the beach before finally taking the measure tape to the
water. Four seagrass survey sites were set up spanning at least 400metres
along the Maka shoreline and extending as far as 200 metres from shore towards
the reef that fringes the lagoon to the bay area.
Where does seagrass grow?
… in shallow soft-bottom sheltered coastline.
The seagrass area is strongly influenced by the
physical disturbances from storms, cyclones
and flooding. The coastal seagrass habitat also
experiences the changes to coastline which affects
where it is found and what types of seagrass
is found growing there. The survival of the
different seagrass species at the shallows is
determined by its exposure at low tide and to
wave action. The common seagrass type at
Maka Bay is
Syringodium isoetifoliumWhat is seagrass? “Ma’usu te Maka”
The only flowering plant that can live underwater. Seagrass is often confused
with algae. Seagrass have seeds and fruit whilst algae have spores and do
not flower or produce fruit. Seagrass has a root system whilst algae have
holdfasts and don’t have veins that carry molecules around the plant.
According to the Maka Bay seagrass survey, mean seagrass cover was at 56
percent compared to the algal cover of 33.1 percent. (Please refer to appendices)
Why adopt-Maka Bay seagrass habitat?
Maka Bay is a rich seagrass area. The seagrass meadow act as nutrient sinks
by buffering and filtering nutrient to the marine environment. The seagrass water
water mark and acts as a nursery for commercially important fishes.
The marine animals found at Maka Bay were mainly sea cucumbers, small sized
fish, sea snails and different types of sponges. Turtles also feed at the seagrass
area.
To get a better picture of the health of the seagrass at Maka Bay, annual extensive
seagrass sampling must be conducted to monitor seagrass health over
time. This kind of information will help towards the protection of such an important
habitat. Action led by the community seagrass watch team is piloted by
the adoption of the seagrass area by the Motusa District School. It is through
this learning and seagrass field surveys for which experiences are inadvertently
shared with other schools during the next EcoCamp program.
Aimed at senior campers and team leaders, this activity introduces the concept of personal budgeting and saving.
Financial Literacy
Session
The highlights of this session is
as described in the Table 2 below.Frequency
After doing this exercise with the high school children and the adults, it was clear that no one knew what budgeting actually meant.
The awareness on budgeting and saving information on how to save and why they need to save. Saving has always been a shortterm
goal for most participants. A community financial literacy training & wider outreach is planned for 2008.
Operating Expenses for the Rotuma Schools Camp (October-December
2007). Amount ($FJD)Income from Sponsorships
USP Rotuman Students Association 500
Vodafone Fiji Foundation (under the community outreach program) 3000
GEF SGP (under the camp budget line) 2000
Private Donations 600
Total income for the Rotuma EcoCamp 6100
Operating Expenses Amount ($FJD)
Inter-Island travel (boat passage) 1539.6
Island travel costs (including truck hire) 1007.68
Liaison travel (Suva) costs 426.3
Equipment/ camp materials 365.21
Food costs (including pre-camp clean up & EcoCamp) 896.32
Personnel (including island coordination costs, volunteer allowance) 925
Resource persons 450
Workshop stationery/ items 423.16
Internet/ Telephone costs 151.95
Contingency costs 98.52
Note: – EcoCamp costs were shared with other LRI outreach activities
- Contribution in kind
-183.74
$5000.00
REFLECTIONS:
From the field team
1. EcoCamp is too short..can it be extended for a week!
2. The EcoCamp was fun.
3. The timing of the EcoCamp wasn’t suitable for many students. Can it be organized during
the school term break for an increased participation at the next camp date!
4. Teachers- lower classes (1-4) were not invited to attend. Can the youngsters participate in
the next EcoCamp?
5. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of the EcoCamp – Resource dance artist.
6. EcoCamp resource team to travel and be onsite two weeks prior to the camp dates. This
allows for orientation of camp volunteers and effective delegation of tasks and
responsibilities to improve on camp schedule.
7. More interactive reflective exercises and presentations by the young campers
8. To relocate to a well equipped camp site due to Oinafa’s exposure to the normally windy
conditions and the lack of housing facility to accommodate the young EcoCampers.
9. More hanuju sessions- learning about the environment through story-telling
10. More time spent for the art n craft workshops
11. Maintain engagement of the elders and community for wider outreach of messaging
concepts of the EcoCamp.
12. Working as a team
FINANCES:
Driftwood art workshop
Eco Sign writing & Signage & Canoe art
Creating a bird mobile Painting on Canoe
Canoe painting
Cleaning the litter sign at the jetty
Island motion… dance workshop
Roughing it… island style!
Graig demonstrates an artwork
Song & Dance Activities
APPENDICES
- FOREST WALKSumi Medium • Beach plant
• Provides shade
• Decorative
• Roots reduces coastal erosion
Togoi Low • Provides shade
• Nut (salisa) is edible
• Bark and leaves as herbal medicine (flu)
Aeva Low • It grows on other trees finally killing them
• Found growing on the togoi tree
• Is an important plant as it provides a lot of fruits for the a lot of fruit eating birds
Fakmaru high • Leaves arfe used for making tefui, for cooking
• Nuts is an important food source for many birds
Pua medium • Flowers are for making tefui and for decorative purposes
• Provides shade
Fao low • Fruits are edible
• Provides shade
‘Am’ama low • Leaves are used as cough medicine
Firmoto High • Fruits are used for making jam
• An important food source for pigeons
• Stem is used for building houses
Mor Jaen ta low • Fruits are edible (good source of vitamin C)
Sir’ie high • Leaves are used to make dance costumes
• Ornamental value
Hahia’ ramram ta high • For building houses (not the edible kind)
‘Ulu High • An important food source
• Leaves are used in cooking
• Also used to make fishing nets
Kapui low • Ornamental plant
Umasa medium • Fruits are an important food source for many birds
• Stem is used for building houses as well as making canoes
Papai medium • Underground stem is used as food
• Leaves used for cooking
Hau High • Stem is used for building
• Leaves used for medicine
• Bark is used as ropes and dance costumes
Jojo medium • Stem used as pegs for clothes line
Ota (Sago palm) low • Leaves used for thatching houses
• Stem used for making starch
Vi low • Fruits are edible
Sere high • Violet flowers attract butterflies and armea
‘Ura High • Fruits and leaves are used as medicine
Sesei High • A creeping fern, its rhizomes are used as medicine for the flu
Niu (Coconut tree) High • Nuts, leaves and stem are very useful to the local people
Mara high • Underground tuber is used for making starch
Tieri high • Flowers are for making tefui and oil
• Stem for making tools such as ‘iso’a for planting taro and husking coconuts
Julia high • A fern whose leaves are used for making dance costumes
• Leaves are also used for medicine
SEAGRASS WATCH METHOD
Four sites were selected along the beach about a 100m apart. A 50m transect line was laid at each site, perpendicular to the
beach and starting from the edge of the seagrass meadow on the beach side. The first recording starts at the 0m mark where a
0.25m2 quadrant (a 50cmx50cm square made from PVC pipe or rod) was placed. Observations about the percentage cover of
seagrass and algae, the type of sediment whether it be sand, mud or silt and other living organisms found in the quadrant were
recorded. The quadrant was then laid every 5m along the transect line and all the data observed were recorded till the 50m
mark. The next line transect was laid 5 m beyond the 50m mark of the first transect line and recording of similar observations
were collected at every 5m interval. A total of 3 transect lines were laid at each site totaling 150m. At the end of the sampling,
there was a total of 6 sites sampled with five of the sites totaling 150m transect lines each and one of the sites having a 200m
transect line.
The graph below shows the mean percentage (%) Seagrass (
Seagrass and coral reefs are connected. A reef that fringes the coastline and its lagoon within it, protect shoreline
from waves allowing seagrass community to develop. The important role of seagrass in trapping sediment
and slowing water movement cause suspended sediment in the water to fall out, benefiting corals which grow
better in clean clear water.
Syringodium isoetifolium) cover and algal cover:FINANCIAL LITERACY
Exercise 1: HOUSEHOLD INCOME
This is an exercise that involves all the money that is earned and coming into the family is recorded accordingly whether it’s a
weekly, monthly, yearly or sometimes. (A)Total them up by adding per column and then (B) multiplying by the number of weeks (52
weeks) per year, number of months (12 months) per year. (AXB) adding the total for Weekly, Monthly, Yearly and sometimes. This
becomes the Total Year Income.
Exercise 2: HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
This exercise is to show all in details all the expenses that are met. This will show how the money is spent and on what and whether
it could be monitored and studied to actually spend the money wisely and to more important and essential items that are needed. It
has the same calculations as the income exercise but for expense it’s more detailed. Calculate by adding all the respective column
and then multiplying
The children now have a fair idea of what the financial literacy session was about when they compared their household income with
their household expenses, one of the groups had more in their expenses than what they had in their income.
Despite not having the tools / resources this workshop was a step forward to actually having that thought of doing a personal
budget or for the family.
PARTICIPANTS
1. Ryan Savea (11 yrs.)
2. Susau Petero (11 yrs.)
3. Tieri Kijiana (12 yrs).
4. Chester Joseph (12 yrs).
5. Romeo Josehp (12 yrs.)
6. Jude Saverio (10 yrs).
7. Frederick W (11 yrs).
8. Milika Tabua (11 yrs)
9. Ruth Amoe (8 yrs)
10. Aisake Voi (11 yrs)
11. Ross Kuna’u (10 yrs)
12. Ben Drala (10 yrs)
13. Kevin Fesa’itu (10 yrs)
14. Arthur Fesa’itu (9 yrs)
15. Lupe Fesa’itu (8 yrs)
16. Joseph Fesa’itu (7 yrs)
17. Moiro Afereti (11 yrs)
18. Jonathan Motofaga (11 yrs)
19. Morris Ralifo (10 yrs)
20. Steven Crocker (14 yrs)
21. Tupou Pene (16 yrs)
22. Emma Voi (16 yrs)
23. Vamarasi Fiu (14 yrs)
24. Barbara Ieli (14 yrs)
25. Marine Voi (14 yrs)
26. Manua Tigarea (14 yrs)
27. Gloria Fesaitu (12 yrs)
28. Wilfer Afrete (17 yrs)
29. Philip Viliame (19 yrs)
30. Toutou Olsen (13 yrs)
31. Julius Tiuhea (18 yrs)
32. Mark Philip (14 yrs)
33. Jacob Rupeti (14 yrs)
34. Paula Mani (14 yrs)
35. Priscilla Kapieri (16 yrs)
36. Gina Aropio (17 yrs)
37. Mareta Tiuhea
38. Victor Apao
39. Sauroa Vaivao
40. Selai Penamena
41. Fanifau Rafaele
42. Theresa Aropio
43. Makarita Josefa
44. Ruth Samson
45. Gagaj Tomanav Solomone
1. Alfred Ralifo
2. Craig Marlow
3. Serpapelu Fatiaki ( r)
4. Jacob Itautoka
5. Marie Pene
6. Akata & Vamarasi Ralifo
7. Monifa Manueli/Fiu
8. Teri Tuxson
9. Feskato’a Isimeli
10. Rusila Savou
11. Kathy Howard, Yashika Nand,
12. Antoine Nyeurt
13. Ashwini Prabha
14. Nataniela, Paul, Sumasafu
15. William Fuata
