Factsheets of some of Vanuatu’s threatened Species

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About the Factsheets

The Threatened Species Factsheets were created as part of VESS’s Threatened Species project aiming to increase awareness of threatened species in Vanuatu. According to the IUCN redlist of threatened species there are 138 threatened species in Vanuatu. The 27 species featured in the fact sheets on this page are those prioritised by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) investment. The factsheets have been used in workshops on the outer islands of Vanuatu and were displayed in a threatened species exhibition in Port Vila in February 2018.

Each factsheet has eight sections, and each group (mammals, birds, reptiles, plants) is ordered by colour.

The Factsheet Topics:

  1. 1. What are they called? Their scientific, English, French, Bislama and Local Language names where we know them
  2. 2. What do they look like? A description of their physical characteristics and how you can identify them
  3. A little bit about them. Information on their diet, habitat, life cycles and range
  4. Did you know? Some interesting facts about the species
  5. Why are they threatened? Their IUCN Red List status and the reasons they are under threat of extinction
  6. What do they do for us? The ecosystem services they provide
  7. What can we do for them? What conservation actions can we implement to protect them
  8. Want to know more? Sources of further information for the species

These factsheets are available here for anybody to download and use for educational purposes. Please credit VESS whenever they are used. Click on the name of the animal or plant below for the link to the pdf factsheet.

Mammals – Blue

  1. Dugong, Dugong dugon English Kaofis Bislama
  2. Banks Flying Fox, Pteropus fundatus
  3. Fijian Blossom Bat, Notopteris macdonaldi
  4. Fijian Mastiff bat, Chaerephon bregullae
  5. Polynesian Sheath-Tailed Bat, Emballonura semicaudata
  6. Vanuatu Flying Fox, Pteropus anetianus

Birds – Yellow

  1. Beck’s Petrel, Pseudobulweria becki
  2. Collared Petrel, Pterodroma brevipes
  3. White-Necked Petrel, Pterodroma cervicalis
  4. Polynesian Storm Petrel, Nesofregetta fuliginosa
  5. Royal Parrotfinch, Erythrura regia
  6. Santa Cruz Ground-Dove, Gallicolumba sanctaecrucis
  7. Santo Mountain Starling, Aplonis santovestris
  8. Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon, Ducula bakeri
  9. Vanuatu Megapode, Megapodius layardi
  10. Palm Lorikeet, Charmosyna palmarum

Reptiles – Green

  1. Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas
  2. Hawksbill Turtle, Eretmochely imbricata
  3. Leatherback Turtle, Dermochelys coriacea
  4. Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta
  5. Anatom Skink, Emoia aneityumensis

Plants – Orange

  1. Montgomery Palm, Veitchia arecina
  2. Bangulu Palm, Carpoxylon macrospermum
  3. Voutmélé Palm, Cyphosperma voutmelensis
  4. Moluccan Ironwood, Intsia bijuga
  5. Santo Kauri, Agathis silbae
  6. Pacific Kauri, Agathis macrophylla

Dugong and seagrass handicraft and art competition

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The VESS Dugong and seagrass handicraft and art Competition

Dugongs are charismatic marine mammals that are frequently seen in Vanuatu waters. Seagrass is vital to their survival and is a home to many marine animals. As part of the awareness activities of the Dugongs and Seagrass Conservation Project we would like to encourage artists to experiment with adding dugong and seagrass designs and add these pieces to their repertoire. We hope this art and handicrafts will inspire people to care for these magnificent creatures and their important seagrass habitat.

Categories

  1. Carvings
  2. Woven handicrafts or art
  3. Paintings and drawings
  4. Open*

*entries to the open category can be any art or handicraft that does not fall into the above categories e.g. fabrics clothing, jewelry, photographs etc.

Prize packs to the value of Vt10,000 for each category consisting of tools, art supplies and a Vt5000 voucher.

How to enter:

The handicrafts and art will be displayed at the VESS Threatened Species exhibition, which runs from the 26th February until 3rd March at the Espace Alliance Française. Bring your finished pieces, ready to display, to the exhibition on Monday 26th February BEFORE 3pm. Judging is at 4pm during the opening of the exhibition.

Terms and Conditions for the Dugong and Seagrass Handicraft and Art Competition.

  1. All entries must contain depictions of dugongs and/or seagrass.
  2. The competition is part of a dugong and seagrass conservation project. Part of this project is to raise awareness of dugongs and seagrasses throughout Vanuatu via a series of workshops. In these workshops VESS will be discussing dugongs as subjects of handicrafts and art. Images of the handicrafts and art entered into this competition will be shown during these workshops. They will also be uploaded to the VESS website. By entering this competition you are understood to have given permission for your designs and work to be shown in this way.
  3. All entries should be brought to Espace Alliance Française between 9am and 3pm on Monday 26th February. Any entries submitted after 3pm will not be included in the competition.
  4. Entries must be ready to display. VESS does not provide framing.
  5. All pieces are to be displayed at the Threatened Species Competition for the length of the exhibition from the 26th February until 3rd March 2018. Whist VESS will take all necessary precautions to protect the artwork during this time, artist display their art and handicrafts at their own risk.
  6. Entries may be for sale or not for sale at the artists own discretion. Prices are to be set by the artist. No commission will be charged (but VESS would be appreciative of a donation if any pieces are sold). Sold items should remain on display until the end of the exhibition.
  7. Prizes will be awarded at the discretion of VESS. That decision will be final.

The Dugong and Seagrass Project is executed by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund with financing from the GEF, implementation support by UN Environment and technical support from the CMS Dugong MoU Secretariat. This is a global project, involving eight developing countries. VESS is implementing this project in Vanuatu in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation and the Vanuatu Fisheries Department.

Position available with the GEF small grants programme

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There is a job assisting Leah Nimoho at the GEF small grants programme here in Vanuatu. Please see  the job description for the GEF SGP Vanuatu Programme Assistant and information on how to apply here:  GEF SGP Programme Assistant Advertistment Oct 2017

Ocean Film Festival World Tour comes to Vanuatu

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VESS stakeholder meeting 2017

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Invitation to attend VESS Stakeholder Meeting

9am -12 noon Tuesday 28th March

Chantilly’s Hotel conference room

We are holding a stakeholder meeting and would like to invite government departments, NGOs, organisations and individuals who have an interest in the environment and conservation to participate. We are currently implementing a GEF-funded Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project and a project to raise awareness of threatened species in Vanuatu. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce VESS to those you do not know us, to report on our current projects and to investigate possibilities of future projects and collaboration for the benefit of conservation in Vanuatu. We would also like to consult with our stakeholders to see what priorities are important to people in Vanuatu.

Schedule:

09:00                           Start of meeting

09:15                           Introduction to VESS and annual report – Dr. Christina Shaw

10.00                           report on current projects – Douglas Koran and Leilani Nalo.

10:30                           Break for coffee and muffins

11:00                           Up-coming projects to start this year – Dr. Christina Shaw

11:30                           Discussion on future projects and priorities for VESS

12:00                           Meeting ends

Presentations will be made by our CEO Christina Shaw, as well as the two Ni-Vanuatu scientists who are employed on our projects. We very much hope that you are able to attend but understand that everyone has busy schedules. Please feel free to pass on this invitation to anyone who you think may be interested in coming to the meeting. For catering purposes we would appreciate an RSVP to vess@vanuatuconservation.org by the morning of Monday 27th March.

We hope to see you on Tuesday

The Vanuatu Government has released the new sustainable development plan

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Here is what it says about the environmental pillar:

A pristine natural environment on land and at sea serving our food, cultural, economic and ecological needs

As custodians of a unique chain of islands and expansive ocean we have an inherent responsibility to protect and preserve our natural resources. The Constitution explicitly obligates everyone to protect and safeguard national resources and the environment for the present and future generations. This is not only the right thing to do, it is fundamental to our wellbeing and prosperity. We need to realise the true cultural, economic and social value of our natural capital, biodiversity and ecosystems. Together with our ancestors we have lived in harmony with our natural surroundings for many millennia. Today we face increasing development pressures exacerbated by globalisation and the decline of traditional resource governance. These pressures threaten the very environment that secures the basics of life – food, water and energy systems. Our rich natural beauty also presents a key to our shared prosperity, including through a wealth of natural tourism assets.

Integrating sound environmental and waste management into our social and economic progress is crucial to meeting our national vision. With environmental degradation a common global challenge, Vanuatu has the potential to be a world leader in Blue-green growth and sustainable development. In return we will seek to capitalise on the rapid advances in technology and innovation that can complement traditional knowledge to better utilise our natural assets on land and at sea to ensure our food security, maintain our cultural identity, and enhance our economic prospects. We can and must do this without destroying our ecosystems and biodiversity.

Down load your copy herehttp://ogcio.gov.vu/images/nsdp/Vanuatu2030-EN.pdf

 

flooding in vanuatu due to climate change

Climate change course in Vanuatu

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Full-scholarships are available for a new course on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction Certificate I to be offered at VIT in Port Vila this year (full-time 6 months Feb-July 2017).

With support from GIZ and the SPC EU-PacTVET program, multiple participants will be sponsored who have the interest and motivation to become trainers of this course in the future.

There are 25 full scholarships available which cover all fees, travel, room and board and course materials for 6 months!!!

As the first such formally accredited course on CC/DRR to be offered in the entire Pacific Region, this is an opportunity not to be missed!  More details are available here:  http://www.nab.vu/announcement/fullscholarshipccdrrcourse.

If you are interested interested please fill in the application (click here for the form) and send with your CV and a cover letter) to climate change in Vanuatu VanuatuClimateChange@gmail.com before 20 January 2017!

 

 

 

Scholarships available for Masters in Conservation Leadership at Cambridge University

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There are scholarships available particular for those from developing countries. Must have 3 to 5 years experience in biodiversity conservation and show leadership potential.

Here is the information from Cambridge:

Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership

Applications and scholarship support for October 2017

The MPhil degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge is a full-time, eleven month course aimed at graduates of leadership potential with at least three to five years of relevant experience in biodiversity conservation. Based in the University’s Department of Geography, a unique feature of this course is its delivery by members of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), a partnership between six university departments and nine conservation organisations or networks based in and around Cambridge. In 2016 a Conservation Campus for the CCI organisations was opened in the refurbished David Attenborough Building in central Cambridge. The Masters in Conservation Leadership has a dedicated teaching room within the building, offering our students constant access to world-leading conservation organisations, practitioners and researchers.

The Masters in Conservation Leadership focuses on issues of management and leadership. It aims to develop conservationists with enhanced awareness of the complex drivers of biodiversity loss, and the ability to act and lead effectively. Consequently, the course aims to deliver a world-class and interdisciplinary education in Conservation Leadership that is not available elsewhere.

  • We now welcome applications for entry to the course in October 2017. For further details on how to apply, please visit the course website:

http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/graduate/mphil/conservation/

  • The closing date for applications is 7 December 2016.

We are pleased to be able to continue offering Miriam Rothschild Scholarships in Conservation Leadership to support students attending the MPhil in Conservation Leadership. Successful applicants for scholarships will have outstanding conservation leadership potential, but be unable to fund their studies from other sources. Particular priority for scholarships will be given to those from countries rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources. Various other awards are available through sources such as the Cambridge Trusts.

If you have any queries about making an application, please contact the Programme Administrator, Lisa Harris: admin.conservationleadership@geog.cam.ac.uk