(1) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

As part of our mission 1000 Days for the Planet, I had the privilege of visiting the Midway Atoll, part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Northwest of Hawaii. Hundreds of thousands of pairs of Laysan Albatross nest on this small island of 6.2 km². Albatross chicks are completely dependent on their parents, who fly far out to sea to fish for food the young require to develop. Normally, this would consist mainly of squid, but unfortunately, the adults often mistake objects floating in the water for food. As a result, the chicks are “fed” all sorts of plastic objects, such as lighters, golf balls, toys, even tooth brushes, which threaten the survival of the young albatrosses. These ocean garbage patches are a sad story indeed. But from this troubling experience, I was also filled with an urgency to work even harder to raise awareness among our young people of the importance of protecting our planet’s extraordinary biodiversity. The plastic floating in our oceans is one of the great environmental issues of our time. Yet the solution is simple: better manage our garbage and recycle. It’s one way we can protect and respect life, in all its forms.

(2) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

While working with the crew from the 1000 Days for the Planet mission, myself and other members of the Sierra to Sea Institute had the pleasure of surveying for some of the top predators on land and at sea in Costa Rica. Apex predators are often considered umbrella or flagship species for conservation, and their presence and abundance can be a useful measuring stick for the status of the environment. Growing concerns over the status of the forests and the near-shore coastal environments has mounted as the landscape along the Pacific Slopes of the Talamanca Mountains have been increasingly converted to agriculture (recently African Oil Palm plantations) - exposing protected areas to numerous outside influences.  Today as one flies over the region it’s easy to see that only a patchwork of forests remain, and the rivers are brown and dumping huge amounts of sediment and contamination into the ocean. Sadly, during our expedition we confirmed that these environments are indeed stressed – that a once thriving population of jaguar has all but disappeared due to recent poaching activities and that the scalloped hammerhead population seems to be equally stressed due to poor water quality and over fishing. We are now realizing that in order to effectively protect these predators, we not only need to maintain connectivity among the protected areas but also improve and enforce the existing environmental laws (like poaching and overfishing) that protect these species and the ecological services that they ensure to the environment and people alike.

(3) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

As part of my work in Latin America I always noticed the importance of involving local people in conservation. At the end, conservation is a social science with a deep ecological and biological sciences background. During my field-work in some key biodiversity areas such as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia or the Talamanca mountains in Costa Rica, my research has always included a significant component of social research and outreach. Each time I go into the mountains looking for incredible frogs or the imposing jaguars, I realized how important are humans in shaping the behavior, status and future of our beloved tropical forests. After studying wildlife for a while, and noticing the declines due to poaching and deforestation, I realized that the future of biodiversity is in the hands of the younger-ones. Is obviously a task for the entire country’s society to preserve and sustainably use biodiversity (at least it should be), but it seems clear to me now that our kids are the ones with the clear mind to maintain these richness. Moreover if they want to enjoy the environmental services forests provide, or just the pleasure of watching an untamed jaguar. As part of my work with ProCAT and Sierra to Sea I have been working with kids, teaching about wildlife, ecology and conservation awareness, and it is clear that humans naturally DO care about wildlife and nature, however, it seems to me that we need more outreach and more information available, so this kids cannot only change their minds in terms of the use-only perspective on nature, but realizing that we are part and depend on it, and it is impressing how little kids can change the view of an entire community, just having in their hands the tools and knowledge to explain why is nature important.

(4) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

Since 2009, OISCA International (OISCA) has involved more than 24,000 individuals in 18 countries in the campaign as related program OISCA’s “Children’s Forest Program”.

During implementing such activities, we try to promoting the activity adjusting the local culture and the nature, and also we motivate the locals to initiate the project in their community.

For example, in Nueva Vizcaya in the Philippines, we have been promoting reforestation project for more over 20 years and planted about 500 hectares. As the result, indigenous trees naturally sprouted as wild birds and animals brought seeds to the growing forest. It means planted trees have recovered the environment which can sustain and nurture local biodiversity.
At the same time, some villagers, who have participated tree planting activities when they were young, teach about the importance of tree planting to children in their local area. So I think the environmental education for children is the key action for executing projects toward environmental conservation and building a sustainable society to the community.

In collaboration with the Green Wave, I would like to further promote our environmental education based movement to respective communities as we named “Furusato Movement”. I believe the “Furusato Movement” will lead to their home – furusato – a sustainable future.

(5) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

I joined the Green Wave in Tohoku co-organized by OISCA and AEON in Japan in the spring of 2012. When I visited Japanese forests as part of the activity, I saw and felt the strong bond between people and nature. Also I learned how well the Japanese people have lived in harmony with nature. The forests were maintained very well and there were many plants I had never seen. On the other hand, in India many plants and animals have gone extinct every year. There is a necessity to understand and conserve biodiversity, I thought strongly.
 

Through this experience, I learned that the power of nature is beyond our imagination, and sometimes it can be great and beautiful but sometimes it can also be terrifying and destructive. In many countries, the over-exploitation of natural resources and large scale deforestation have become big problems, and the balance of nature has been lost. Everything has its limits and we must not cross them. So it’s important that we try to maintain “Kizuna” with nature without upsetting natural balances.

Learning the importance of harmony with nature and the environmental problems of other countries, I decided to make efforts to save my home “Furusato,” which means not only my city or my country but also our mother earth.

(6) What impressed you the most in the countries where you visited for the Green Wave Initiative?

 I joined Green Wave in 2010 through the Children’s Forest Program (CFP) introduced into our school by OISCA.   Our CFP coordinator told us about this initiative to help preserve and restore the earth’s biodiversity.  As a Biology teacher, I felt that I could make a contribution not only inside the classroom but also to Mother Earth, which is a source of learning for me.  With this opportunity, I asked some of my co-teachers, the school principal and students to join me in the implementation of this activity.  During that time, we planted “mani’i (maesopsis eminii), a tree said to be indigenous to West Java.  The following year in 2011, we participated again by planting “kaya” (khaya senegalensis), a Sukabumi tree.  In 2012 and 2013, not only one species was planted but various species endemic to Indonesia, and specifically, West Java.    

(7) Invitation to the Green Wave

The Green Wave is a worldwide project to help children and youth, their parents, teachers and friends learn about biodiversity and take action to protect it. Since 2008 over 6000 groups and schools from more than 70 countries have taken part.

To mark the International Day for Biodiversity on 22 May, at 10 a.m. local time, young people in schools and groups plant a single tree at or near their school or take part in an activity to protect biodiversity or to learn about it. By doing so, they create a green wave of action across time-zones.

Participants upload photos and stories of the event to The Green Wave website that go live on the online map, at 20:20 local time, creating a virtual green wave across the world.

The Green Wave proposes, as an activity, to plant or care for a tree because a tree is a micro world of biodiversity, supporting a host of living things in the soil, on its bark, branches, fruit and leaves. And for today’s children, tomorrow’s citizens, living increasingly in urban areas, it provides a simple way to connect with and learn about nature.

In addition, we encourage The Green Wave participants to carry out environmental projects and become familiar with biodiversity throughout the year and to share their experiences with others.

Soon after its launch, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, said: “I encourage students, parents and teachers to ride The Green Wave and spread the word. Even small contributions can make a big difference. Protecting our planet’s biodiversity is crucial if we are to ensure the health of people and planet alike.”

So, echoing the words of the Secretary-General, we’re calling on everyone to become a part of The Green Wave! Check it out at is website and on Facebook!

Website: http://greenwave.cbd.int/en/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwave.cbd.int