Eight communities across Upolu are participating in a programme to strengthen local capacity in mangrove monitoring.
Conservation International Samoa’s Kiwa RESTORE Project, in partnership with the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), has officially launched its Mangrove Health and Structure Field Work initiative, beginning with a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on June 15 and followed by two weeks of field assessments across eight participating communities in Samoa.
The training is led by Kiwa RESTORE Regional Consultant Clint Cameron and aims to strengthen local capacity in mangrove monitoring while collecting critical information and data on the health, structure and resilience of mangrove ecosystems that are essential for coastal protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
The programme began with a Training of Trainers workshop involving Fisheries Division officers and community representatives to strengthen technical skills in mangrove assessment methodologies, species identification, ecosystem monitoring and field data collection.
The workshop opened with a devotion led by Rev. Sosaia Pese of the Fasito’otai Methodist Church, who emphasised the importance of caring for the environment and managing the natural resources entrusted to people by God for the well-being of present and future generations.
