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Saturday, August 20, 2016

Mangroves and Nature Deficit Disorder

Ten years ago Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods, coined the phrase Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the disconnect of young people with their natural world. Now more than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities. Add to that the addiction of children to the screen – be it computer, cell phone or TV – and their detachment from the planet’s natural ecosystems becomes even more significant.

Last year a Chinese study of 100,000 families in six cities showed the full extent of Nature Deficit Disorder in that country. A country which boasts five megacities with a population over 10 million and 14 with more than 5 million. The study showed that – as in the US – Chinese children spent over 50 hours a week staring at a screen. Certainly not exploring the natural world.

Marvellous Mangroves is a curriculum-based, hands-on science program which – since it started in 2001 – has been introduced to thirteen countries worldwide. Based on an award winning wetlands education program developed in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, the program emphasizes in-depth mangrove ecosystem exploration by teachers and their students. 

The 350 + page manual has to be translated and adapted for use in each country where it is introduced to interface with national and regional curriculum, plus incorporate local flora, fauna, geology and geography. It is introduced to local teachers through extended in-depth workshops, and in turn to their students in the classroom and field through Mangrove Clubs in each school.

It is not enough to teach the true value of mangrove ecosystems through a superficial means of communications. Posters, fliers, displays, websites and one-day stand-alone field trips are not enough if we are going to change the focus and understanding of teachers, students and their communities. In-depth programs like Marvellous Mangroves need to teach core values through traditional education systems to fight Nature Deficit Disorder.

Contact Information: Martin A Keeley, Mangrove Action Project, General Delivery, Cayman Brac, KY2-2200, Cayman Islands. Tel: 345-526-5072. Email: mangroveteacher@yahoo.com.

Co-author: Alfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project, PO Box 1854 Port Angeles, WA, 98362-0279. Tel: 360-452-5866. Email: mangroveap@olympus.net 

MAP joins Mapping and Monitoring of Mangrove Ecosystems Workshop in Viet Nam

Jaruwan (Ning) Enright, MAP Field Project Coordinator, 

Two MAP-Asia staffers, Ms. Jaruwan Enright and Mr. Udomsak Pariwatpan, joined a four day workshop on “AFOLU (1) Working Group Technical workshop: Advancing the mapping and monitoring of mangrove ecosystems” held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 9-12 August 2016.  The workshop was organized by USAID through the following programs; SERVIR-Mekong (2), SilvaCarbon (3) and SWAMP (4) and Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD). There were more than 60 participants represented from government, civil society agencies and researchers who are responsible and working on coastal management and remote sensing for mapping mangrove forest in Southeast Asia.   

MAP staff met mangrove experts; Dr. Toe Aung from Forest Dept. Myanmar 
& Dr. Chandra Giri from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, USA)
The workshop aimed was to bridge the gap between latest technological remote sensing advances and current decision-making for coastal zone management. Thus the current technical capacity needs and support required for improving the creation and use of mangrove data in the region was identified.  The workshop presented lots of opportunity for discussions and fieldwork practice on integrating ground data for biomass estimation.

Participants on field day training at Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, HCMC, Vietnam
The one day field work exercise was conducted at the Can Gio Bioshere Reserve is 75,740 hectares in size has been declared as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2000.  Can Gio is located 40 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City and the site is an important wildlife sanctuary in Vietnam as it is characterized by a wetland bio-system dominated by mangrove, with more than 200 species of fauna and 52 species of flora and a number of rare species.


 The workshop was a great opportunity for MAP-Asia staff to share experiences in the region and to re-connect with mangrove network friends representing both NGOs and Government. 




1.  AFOLU: Agriculture, Forest and Land Use, is part of LEDS Global Partnership

2,  The SERVIR-Global network of regional geospatial support hubs is an initiative of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
3.  SilvaCarbon is a US Interagency initiative to build capacity for measuring and monitoring tropical forest and terrestrial carbon.
4.  SWAMP is the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program () is a collaborative effort by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and Oregon State University with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID)

Thursday, August 18, 2016

MAP News Issue 397 - August 20, 2016

Mangrove Action Newsletter

The MAP News
397th Edition                               August 20, 2016

FEATURE STORY

Mangroves draw scientists to Ancient City
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USA - The 4th Mangrove and Macrobenthos Meeting (MMM4) in St. Augustine, Florida, is an international discussion on the causes and consequences of mangrove ecosystem expansion in an ever-changing climate. MAP’s Education Director, Martin Keeley (shown above) was one of the speakers invited to discuss mangroves and their relation to global climate change. Keeley spoke on “Nature Deficit Disorder", and the Marvellous Mangroves curriculum-based, hands-on science program which – since it started in 2001 – has been introduced to thirteen countries worldwide. “It is not enough to teach the true value of mangrove ecosystems through a superficial means of communications. Posters, fliers, displays, websites and one-day stand-alone field trips are not enough if we are going to change the focus and understanding of teachers, students and their communities. In-depth programs like Marvellous Mangroves need to teach core values through traditional education systems to fight Nature Deficit Disorder,” Keeley said. Keeley was one of hundreds of scientists presenting research on mangrove ecosystems during the fourth Mangrove & Macrobenthos Meeting — or MMM4 — at Flagler College, a science conference held every four years in different locations around the world.
READ KEELEY’S PRESENTATION
READ MORE ON MMM4 CONFERENCE


ASIA

Sundarbans Mangrove Ecosystem Service creates poster for community education program
poster on Sundarbans
BANGLADESH - Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS), a grass roots organization in Bangladesh working to promote mangrove conservation and tropical forest education, recently announced the release of a new poster designed to show locals and government officials the important role of mangroves in their everyday life. Md. Maksudur Rahman, Chief Executive for BEDS said the group was exited to share this important educational tool with others interested in mangrove environments. The poster reflects the roles mangroves play in everyday life including life and livelihood, natural safeguards, environmental service and cultural heritage. VIEW POSTER

World community urged to stand up for Sundarbans
BANGLADESH - Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, provides protection to millions of Bangladeshis against devastating cyclones, but the massive Rampal coal plant is now threatening its delicate ecology. Major spills have happened before and the next accident is right around the corner. Yet, the Bangladesh government is relentlessly pursuing major industrial projects like the coal plant that will generate enormous volumes of toxic waste and leave the forest waterways vulnerable to future hazardous spills. UNESCO is concerned about the World Heritage site, and if enough of us raise our voices now, we can persuade them to officially declare the Sundarbans as a "World Heritage in Danger" and get the Bangladesh government to protect the forest. Let’s send a deafening call to the chair of UNESCO’s key committee to save this global treasure!Click here to message your friends on Facebook
More Information:
A new power plant could devastate the world’s largest mangrove forest (Washington Post)
Rampal power plant: A project of deception and mass destruction (BDNews24)
Threat to Sundarbans Concerns UNESCO (The Financial Express)
List of World Heritage in Danger (UNESCO)

MAP joins Mapping and Monitoring of Mangrove Ecosystems Workshop in Viet Nam
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VIETNAM - Two MAP-Asia staffers, Ms. Jaruwan Enright and Mr. Udomsak Pariwatpan, joined a four day workshop on “AFOLU Working Group Technical workshop: Advancing the mapping and monitoring of mangrove ecosystems” held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 9-12 August 2016. The workshop was organized by USAID through the following programs; SERVIR-Mekong, SilvaCarbon and SWAMP and Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD). There were more than 60 participants represented from government, civil society agencies and researchers who are responsible and working on coastal management and remote sensing for mapping mangrove forest in Southeast Asia. READ MORE

Editor’s Note: Sea cows are an integral part of tropical forest ecology and play an important role in health of sea grass beds and mangrove environments.
Kai and Junior pioneer return of sea cows to the Caribbean a century after local extinction
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SINGAPORE - two manatees or sea cows started a journey that will take them on a charter flight half way round the world, from where they were bred in Singapore to their ancestral lands in the Caribbean. Sea cows—closely related to the dugongs found in Australian tropical waters—were wiped out in the Caribbean in the early 1900s as a result of hunting pressure. On August 8, Kai and Junior, two young male sea cows born in a special breeding program at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, started a 30-hour journey in a specially chartered plane to Guadalupe, a French island territory in the southern Caribbean Sea. The pioneer pair of sea cows are part of an ambitious long term conservation program to return manatees to the wild in the Caribbean, where they have remained an important part of local folklore. READ MORE

Sri Lankan mangroves respond to conservation plan
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SRI LANKA - A year after Sri Lanka launched a mangrove conservation plan with funds from a U.S. conservation group about half of its 37,000 hectares of mangrove forests are in a various stage of revival, officials say. With US$ 3.4 million from the Califronia-based Seacology and manpower and other support from the Sri Lankan government, some 283 community organisations have been engaged in the work of conserving and replanting mangrove forests. The national conservation body, Small Fisheries Foundation, is the local implementing partner. Over the next four years 1,500 community groups will be looking after existing mangroves and also replanting an additional 3,000 hectares. Adding to the efforts, the Sri Lanka Navy has deployed its personnel to help with the planting of over 36,000 mangrove trees. “Nations within and without the region are taking notice of the Sri Lanka mangrove conservation programme,” Seacology executive director Duane Silverstein said. READ MORE

Sri Lanka success whets international appetite for mangrove conservation
SRI LANKA - Sri Lanka's pioneering nationwide program to save its damaged mangrove forests is bearing fruit a year on, prompting the U.S. conservation group backing it to look for another island country to launch a similar effort. Duane Silverstein, executive director at California-based Seacology, a non-profit that protects island habitats, said he was planning to visit a candidate island state in the Caribbean in the next month. “This project, if it happens, is most definitely inspired by the success (in) Sri Lanka,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, declining to name the potential project site as negotiations were ongoing. From the late 1980s into the 1990s, the destruction of Sri Lanka's mangroves had official sanction, as the government handed out public land to large companies to clear for shrimp farms along the northwest coast. “We were helpless - there was nothing we could do. Earth movers would come in and clear tracts overnight that had taken hundreds of years to grow,” said Douglas Thisera, director of conservation at the Kalpitiya-based Small Fishers Federation of Sri Lanka (Sudeesa), which is partnering on the mangrove scheme. READ MORE

Mangroves destruction: Zero conviction in 150 cases in past one year
INDIA - As unabated destruction of mangroves continues across Maharashtra, authorities have failed to rein in offenders. Statistics reveal that there hasn’t been a single conviction in 150 cases in the past one year, and inquiry in more than 33% cases is still pending. As per data available with the Konkan divisional commissioner’s office, more than 50 cases of mangrove destruction between July 2015 and August 2016 remain pending. Of these, 22 cases were from suburban Mumbai, 12 from Thane, nine from Navi Mumbai, five cases from Mira-Bhayander and the remaining from Sindhudurg and Raigad districts. Moreover, fewer than 10 first information report (FIR) were filed against offenders in the Konkan region. READ MORE

Mangrove program nurtures Siargao’s ecosystems
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PHILIPPINES - Things are certainly looking up in the rustic southern town of Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte which has been experiencing a dramatic turnaround in negative environmental practices. Thanks to the growing ecological awareness brought about by Shore It Up, a comprehensive marine ecosystem and coastal resource program of the Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) which commenced in 2013. The program’s centerpiece is the Mangrove Protection and Information Center, a hub for the rehabilitation and nurture of the coastal ecosystem. Located in Siargao Island, the coastal town is home to a 4,000-hectare contiguous mangrove forest, the biggest of its kind in the archipelago. The program has been working closely with various agencies and organizations across the country to preserve the mangrove forests, which protect coastal communities against storms and serve as habitats for aquatic life. According to Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Coro II, the program brought about a 95% threat reduction of mangrove cutting from 2014 up to the present has been noted, based on visual observation and bio-physical assessment conducted by SIKAT. READ MORE

AMERICA

MAP members slated to speak at World Conservation Congress
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USA – MAP’s Eexcutive Director, Alfredo Quarto and MAP Asia Field Project Manager Jaruwan Kaewmahanin Enright (“Ning”) have been invited to speak on separate topics at the IUCN hosted “World Congress on Nature” in Hawaii this September. Quarto co-organized a workshop titled “Moving Towards a Sustainable Mangrove Economy”. The purpose of this workshop is to show how "profitable" mangrove protection is, and how much modern societies could gain on an economic, social and ecological level. Jurawan will speak at “Ecosystems and Society in a Changing World”. The discussion will focus on the scientific underpinnings and practical implementation of Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as effective nature based solutions to coastal hazards and vulnerabilities and community sustainability around the world. READ MORE

Efforts are underway to replant and re-propagate red mangrove all across South Florida
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USA - It is impossible to underestimate the value of the red mangrove forests of Florida’s Sanibel and Captiva islands. To start with, the early formation of both islands were in large part dependent on these trees catching and trapping the sand and sediments in their extensive root systems. Without red mangroves there might not be a "Living Sanibel" because there might not be a Sanibel or a Captiva to write about. Beyond their island and land building capabilities, red mangroves offer an extensive list of other benefits to the estuarine and marine eco-systems. To begin with, every acre of mangroves produces 3.6 tons of leaf litter per year. This litter falls into the tidal waters and helps to feed a host of living organisms, from the micro-organisms that break down this detritus to oysters, barnacles, crabs, shrimps and the fishes that feed on them. An estimated 75 percent of all of Southwest Florida's game fish and 90 percent of all commercial species depend on the mangrove system for cover and nutrients. READ MORE

Mangroves as protection from storm surges in a changing climate
USA - Adaptation to climate change includes addressing sea level rise and increased storm surges in many coastal areas. Mangroves can substantially reduce the vulnerability of the adjacent coastal land from inundation and erosion. However, climate change poses a large threat to mangroves. This paper quantifies the coastal protection provided by mangroves for 42 developing countries in the current climate, and a future climate change scenario with a one-meter sea level rise and 10 percent intensification of storms. The benefits of the coastal protection provided by mangroves are measured in terms of population and gross domestic product at a reduced risk from inundation; the loss of benefits under climate change is measured as the increased population and gross domestic product at risk. The findings demonstrate that although sea level rise and increased storm intensity would increase storm surge areas and the amounts of built resources at risk, the greatest impact is the expected loss of mangroves. DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER

Shrimp import refusals spike over antibiotics
USA - While the farmed shrimp industry in Asia has made progress on antibiotic use, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is refusing a higher number of shrimp imports – particularly from India – over banned antibiotics. Out of the 197 seafood shipments that FDA refused entry to in July, 18 (9.1 percent) were shrimp products that contained banned antibiotics. And, from January through July 2016, FDA has refused 79 shipments because of veterinary drug residues. “Even if no further refusals are made by the agency for the remainder of this year, the total amount of entry lines refused already exceeds the annual total of nine of the last fifteen years,” said the Southern Shrimp Alliance, a coalition of shrimp harvesters, processors and importers in eight U.S. states. READ MORE

OCEANA

A Remote Pacific Nation, Threatened by Rising Seas
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KIRIBATI - For years, scientists have been predicting that much of Kiribati may become uninhabitable within decades because of an onslaught of environmental problems linked to climate change. And for just as long, many here have paid little heed. But while scientists are reluctant to attribute any specific weather or tidal event to rising sea levels, the tidal surge last winter, known as a king tide, was a chilling wake-up call. Pacific island nations are among the world’s most physically and economically vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events like floods, earthquakes and tropical cyclones, the World Bank said in a 2013 report. While world powers have summit meetings to negotiate treaties on how to reduce and mitigate carbon emissions, residents of tiny Kiribati, a former British colony with 110,000 people, are debating how to respond before it is too late. READ MORE

LAST WORD(S)

MAP says “Goodbye and Thank You!” to a dedicated volunteer

Dear friends,

Today is my last day here at MAP-Asia. It has been a pleasure working with you guys in person, and through the screen!

This experience has changed my perspective greatly. I am so fortunate to have been apart of your team (however brief). Take care, and keep up all the amazing work!

Maria

Maria Savage
MAP-Asia Office Development & Field Project Assistants (Interns)
******************************************
Mangrove Action Project (MAP)
MAP - Asia Office
1/31 B-206 Chang Residence Building (Formerly Yaotak)
Vienkapang Road
Amphur Muang, Trang 92000
T H A I L A N D

Thank you for your support Maria. We appreciate your efforts. Good luck with where ever life leads you
 

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Action Alerts:

MAP Mangrove Action Day PhotosView photos of our 2016 Event

The world's largest mangrove forest is in danger from a massive coal plant.
UNESCO can put pressure on India and Bangladesh to protect the forest, but they need to see that people around the world are speaking out. Click here to add your voice.

Tell the Ex-Im Bank: Don't let Big Coal wreck mangrove forests
The U.S. Export-Import Bank is considering using US tax dollars to pay for two coal plants in Bangladesh. These projects would wreck the world’s largest mangrove forest and devastate the Bengal tigers that live there. We need your help to stop it! 

Our new short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves
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CALL FOR CHILDRENS ART: We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us "why mangroves are important to my community and me?” Selected winners will be published in the 2017 calendar to be distributed internationally READ MORE
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Tell Dam Builders to Pull Out of Agua Zarca Dam! For years, critics of the Agua Zarca dam project in Honduras have been targeted by a campaign of violence, intimidation and outright murder. Then, on March 2, Berta Cáceres – vocal critic of the Agua Zarca Dam, Goldman Prize winner and mother of four – was brutally murdered in her home. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Sign out Petition

Tell Red Lobster its "Endless shrimp" deal is damaging and unfair to the workers SIGN THE PETITION
 
Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – available for download here
 
Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE

Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE
 
STOP PLANTING MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS _ A CALL TO ACTION
Want to learn more about mangroves?mangrove-action-project-presentation-1-1024.jpg?cb=1424228039
Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION
What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE

SHARE MAP'S VISION 
CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea".
Join us in saving our beautiful country!
We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas.
We are in need of your help more than ever Click here
 
Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more
Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister
Sign the Petition
 
Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO
MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL
En Portuges

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Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide.


FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT
Education in the Mangroves - China
VIMEO SHOW
VISIT OUR "MM" WEBPAGE

Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves

“Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the  PhotoPhilanthropy website here!

Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT
 
Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine - Read More

FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE
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MAP’s e-Cards offer you a unique way to spread the word about MAP’s good works, while sharing beautiful photographs of the mangroves

Donate to MAP via Paypal
Giving could never be easier
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It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result. —Mahatma Gandhi

Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE

MANGROVE ISSUES 
View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel

The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove CBEMR video - VIEW
Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO

Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video

Mosaic of Life 
READ A MOSAIC OF LIFE Peek into the underwater world of mangroves, "womb of the sea." By Liz Cunningham Photos By Wes Matweyew and Liz Cunningham
 

"Question Your Shrimp" Campaign

Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog
Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin
LISTEN TO INTERVIEW

Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
Question Your Shrimp
SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP

Join MAP on Facebook

Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp

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Saturday, August 6, 2016

MAP News Issue 396, August 6, 2016

MAP News Issue 396, August 06,2016

The MAP News
396th Edition                               August 6, 2016

FEATURE STORY

On World Mangrove Day, 9 things to know about these tough plants
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WORLD - Over half of the world’s mangrove forests have been lost in the last century, but conservationists and governments are increasingly recognizing them as important carbon sinks, habitat for commercial seafood species, and storm buffers. Forty-two percent of the 13.7 million hectares of remaining mangroves lives in Asia, and Indonesia alone holds 20 percent of the globe’s mangrove forest cover. The archipelagic country also hosts 55 of the world’s roughly 60 to 110 mangrove species (depends who’s counting). Increasing global temperatures will mean a stormier future with more erratic rainfall and rising sea levels. These new conditions will be taxing even for salt-tolerant mangroves — yet people will need their protective cover more than ever. Recognizing mangroves’ importance to people as well as the environment at large, conservationists are increasingly focusing on mangrove protection and reforestation. The government of Sri Lanka has committed to protecting all the country’s mangrove forests. READ MORE

ASIA

MAP-Asia News: Mangrove Action Day well spent
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THAILAND - July 26th was the “International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem”. Mangrove Action Project in Thailand spent this special day with children of Tha Sanook Village School, Phang Nga. MAP and the elementary students were joined by Mr. Donnapat Tamornsuwan of the Raks Thai (CARE) Foundation who is experienced in environmental education and Mr. Rungruang Sunahu of the Mangrove Development Unit of the Dept. of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) who is great with the children. Together, we hosted a mangrove and climate change based session. After the lesson we took a visit to the Ta Sanook Mangrove Nature Trail. The morning was spent learning about the effects of climate change on the earth’s ecosystems. The activities carried out focused on the earth's systems and how climate change impacts every aspect of our planet. Donnapat and Rungruang showed videos and engaged in interactive learning with the students. Lots of smiles, laughs and input indicated a successful learning experience! READ MORE

Malaysia to sink illegal foreign fishing boats
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MALAYSIA - A Malaysian minister said the Southeast Asian nation would begin to sink rogue foreign fishing vessels that trespass in its waters. The practice began to be employed in Indonesia after Joko Widodo became that country’s president 2014. More than 200 boats have been captured, evacuated and exploded by the Indonesian military in a practice Jokowi, as he is known, has termed “shock therapy.” “We noticed that Indonesia’s radical measures against poaching had contributed to deflation and lowered fish prices due to bountiful catches,” the Malaysian minister of agriculture and agro-based industry, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, told local media after attending a regional fisheries summit in Jakarta this week. Instead of blowing up the vessels, Malaysia will sink them in a manner that encourages artificial reefs to form, according to the minister. READ MORE

Sri Lanka prime minister: Mangroves curb climate threat
SRI LANKA - Sri Lanka's prime minister has said mangroves' ability to swiftly absorb carbon make the forests vital in the fight against climate change. His comments come on a day marking the first anniversary of a project to protect all of the nation's mangroves. As well as storing carbon, the forests provide habitat for fish and protect communities from tsunamis and cyclones. Also on Tuesday July 26 - World Mangrove Day - Sri Lanka's president opened the world's first mangrove museum. The museum will act as a hub for conservation training for adults, and educating children about the value of mangroves. It is estimated that 20,000 pupils will visit the museum in the first year. READ MORE

March to PMO foiled, 6 held from ‘Save Sundarbans’ demo
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Police today foiled a march towards Prime Minister’s Office protesting the Rampal power plant during ‘Save Sundarbans’ demonstration in Dhaka. Six people have been picked up from the spot, Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, told The Daily Star. The programme arranged by National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas-Mineral Resources, Port and Power was thwarted with teargas shells and batons.Ignoring repeated protests from green activists, environmentalists and political parties, Bangladesh government inked an agreement with India to build the coal-fired plant in the world’s largest mangrove forest. In order to press for the cause, the national committee held a short gathering at Jatiya Press Club and then began their march towards the PMO this morning. Two layers of barricades were torn apart – near Shishu Park and at Shahbagh – before police put an end to the march at Paribagh. Several rounds of teargas shells were lobbed and clubs charged. READ MORE

MAP works with bee keepers for sweet connections
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THAILAND - IUCN Thailand has brought the Marriott Hotel chain Thailand, and Mangrove Action Project together to work on mangrove planting projects in 2015.The Marriott Hotel relies on MAP’s knowledge for successful planning of their restoration sites. On July 11th, 2016 a new partnership opportunity arose when Mr. Sean Panton, CSR Marriott Representative and Ms. Kanokwan Homchaaim (Nok) took a visit to Nai Nang Village, Krabi province. Producing honey could prove a long-term, supplementary livelihood for the Nai Nang Village Apiculture Cooperative. In addition to this, honeybees help to pollinate local plant species and will benefit the mangrove forest near by. READ MORE

AMERICA

Seattle’s Mangrove Action Day Celebration raises funds and awareness
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USA - In celebration of Mangrove Action Day, or the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, Mangrove Action Project (MAP) put on its first fundraising event in Seattle in many years. Since 1998 the 26th of July has been called the "International Day of Mangroves" or “Mangrove Action Day,” commemorating the Greenpeace activist Hayhow Daniel Nanoto, who died of a heart attack while involved in a massive protest action in Ecuador led by the environmental organizations FUNDECOl (Ecuador) and the crew from the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior. This year, Mangrove Action Day was officially recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. MAP has celebrated Mangrove Action Day from the beginning, joining with other organizations around the world to highlight these incredible ecosystems and the people the rely on them. SEE EVENT REPORT HERE

Famous Kitchens May Serve Fake Shrimp Made of Algae
USA - Americans love them some shrimp. Annually, they eat over a billion pounds of the little guys, making shrimp the nation’s most popular seafood. But the journey from seven seas to cocktail sauce isn’t always the friendliest for the environment—or for the laborers who shell your seafood. So biotech New Wave Foods is trying to create a sustainable replacement for shrimp … by building really, really convincing crustaceans out of red algae. “What we try to do is look at the molecular structure of shrimp to understand what gives it textural components like elasticity,” says Dominique Barnes, the company’s CEO and co-founder. The final product, a mix of algae and plant proteins, is an exciting technology that could also be an environmental improvement on the overseas shrimp farming that dominates the market—if it manages to scale up right. READ MORE

Mangroves Biodiversity and Ecosystem
USA - To celebrate International Mangrove Day (26 July 2016), the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are pleased to announce the launch of a unique 10-Unit online course on Mangrove Biodiversity and Ecosystems. This curriculum was built to bring awareness of the importance of Mangroves to healthy ecosystems and human communities. The open-access post-graduate Mangroves Course is designed to build expertise in mangrove biology,ecology, assessment, management, and restoration and is predominantly aimed at young academics, professionals, managers, and any other interested individuals, especially from developing countries. The course provides the opportunity for professionals to build their capacity without taking personal leave to attend classes. READ MORE

EUROPE

MAP video selected for screening at Ekotopfilm 2016 in Czech Republic
EPIC-Film 3
CZECH REPUBLIC – MAP’s latest restoration documentary, EPIC, is slated to be screen at the 2016 International Festival of Sustainable Development Films in Prague. Ekotopfilm’s first year in Czech Republic will be held in the nation’s capital, Prague in Olšanka Hotel. Films from all around the world will be screened in five festival days. The festival tour with selected awarded films around 50 cities and towns will follow. Festival in Czech Republic is under the auspices of Prime Minister, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Indrustry and Trade and other. The ambassadors of the event are Jan Mühlfeit, Iva Kubelková, Jitka Válková and KateÅ™ina Neumannová. Ekotopfilm, with its 42 year tradition is the oldest event of its kind in the world. Since 1974 the event has applied the principles of sustainable development that has been declared officialy in 1992 by World Summit in Rio de Janeiro. READ MORE

On first International Day, UNESCO calls for protection of mangrove ecosystems
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FRANCE - 26 July 2016 – Mangroves are rare and vital ecosystems that help to protect coastlines and mitigate the effects of climate change, but their survival is being jeopardized, the United Nations cultural agency said today, calling for greater preservation efforts as the international community marks the first ever International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. “Mangroves are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. They ensure food security for local communities. They provide biomass, forest products and sustain fisheries. They contribute to the protection of coastlines. They help mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a message to mark the Day. “This is why the protection of mangrove ecosystems is essential today. Their survival faces serious challenges – from the alarming rise of the sea level and biodiversity that is increasingly endangered. The earth and humanity simply cannot afford to lose these vital ecosystems,” she added. READ MORE


LAST WORD(S)

Dear Friends,

As you might be awaiting update from the recent public march against the destructive Rampal coal-power plant, we are in the process of doing a detailed report on the latest from Bangladesh. In a nutshell, we have seen a fascist face of the government of Bangladesh which further saddened us.As the marchers walked towards the Prime Minister's office to submit a statement to save the Sundarbans, Police unleashed on peaceful marchers and tortured 200 protesters who were determined to handover a public statement against the black deal that would destroy the world's largest mangrove. Many of our activists, including our Member Secretary, Anu Muhammad were injured and six front-line protesters were detained on arbitrary charges.

Nevertheless, media coverage of this heinous attack on peaceful marchers is poor so far. Here's a short English report http://www.thedailystar.net/city/demo-sundarbans-foiled-10-held-1260748

I am still catching up with friends back home and we will be updating you on any new development via twitter. In London we were able to do a peaceful rally though. Despite weather and a week day afternoon, we had a good turn up. Photo journalist Peter Marshall has covered our rally and he will upload his photos on 'My London Diary' tomorrow. In the meantime, please find a few photos from our rally attached.

We have done some tweets via Phulbari Solidarity Group and would appreciate it if you can re-tweet and also please do your own outreach by using hashtag #Rampal and #SavetheSundabans.

Please feel free to follow us @PSG-BD for further updates.
Yours,
Rumana
 


Dear Alfredo Quarto,Jim, Martin and other friends at MAP,

Greetings from APOWA!

We are happy that, the UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has recognized the importance of mangroves , declared and celebrating the 26th July, 2016 as first International Mangrove Action Day. We would like to appreciate your continuous efforts make it possible as the international community marks the first ever International Day for Mangroves. We have also been encouraging by MAP for celebrating the International Mangrove Action Day since 2009 in Odisha, India.

We are looking forward to nurture a sustained and long term relationship with MAP. Wishing MAP every success in all efforts and actions on mangroves.

Please find enclosed a detailed report on International Mangrove Action Day 2016.

For the mangroves,

Bijaya Kumar Kabi
Director,APOWA
Action for Protection of Wild Animals
At-Hatapatana, PO-Kadaliban, Dist.-Kendrapara
Odisha, Pin-754222, India
READ MORE
 

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ACTION ALERTS WANTED: MAP News is looking for links to calls to actions/petitions and letter writing campaigns on mangrove issues, tropical coastal communities and other related topics. Not all submissions can be selected, but we look forward to hearing about your work and want to let our readers' voice be heard!
Email submissions to news@mangroveactionproject.org

Action Alerts:

The world's largest mangrove forest is in danger from a massive coal plant.
UNESCO can put pressure on India and Bangladesh to protect the forest, but they need to see that people around the world are speaking out. Click here to add your voice.

Tell the Ex-Im Bank: Don't let Big Coal wreck mangrove forests
The U.S. Export-Import Bank is considering using US tax dollars to pay for two coal plants in Bangladesh. These projects would wreck the world’s largest mangrove forest and devastate the Bengal tigers that live there. We need your help to stop it! 

Our new short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves
EPIC-Film 2
CALL FOR CHILDRENS ART: We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us "why mangroves are important to my community and me?” Selected winners will be published in the 2017 calendar to be distributed internationally READ MORE
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Tell Dam Builders to Pull Out of Agua Zarca Dam! For years, critics of the Agua Zarca dam project in Honduras have been targeted by a campaign of violence, intimidation and outright murder. Then, on March 2, Berta Cáceres – vocal critic of the Agua Zarca Dam, Goldman Prize winner and mother of four – was brutally murdered in her home. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Sign out Petition

Tell Red Lobster its "Endless shrimp" deal is damaging and unfair to the workers SIGN THE PETITION
 
Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – available for download here
 
Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE

Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE
 
STOP PLANTING MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS _ A CALL TO ACTION
Want to learn more about mangroves?mangrove-action-project-presentation-1-1024.jpg?cb=1424228039
Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION
What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE

SHARE MAP'S VISION 
CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea".
Join us in saving our beautiful country!
We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas.
We are in need of your help more than ever Click here
 
Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more
Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister
Sign the Petition
 
Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO
MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL
En Portuges

MAP%20Curriculum%20Video
Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide.


FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT
Education in the Mangroves - China
VIMEO SHOW
VISIT OUR "MM" WEBPAGE

Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves

“Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the  PhotoPhilanthropy website here!

Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT
 
Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine - Read More

FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE
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MAP’s e-Cards offer you a unique way to spread the word about MAP’s good works, while sharing beautiful photographs of the mangroves

Donate to MAP via Paypal
Giving could never be easier
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It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result. —Mahatma Gandhi

Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE

MANGROVE ISSUES 
View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel

The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove CBEMR video - VIEW
Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO

Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video

Mosaic of Life 
READ A MOSAIC OF LIFE Peek into the underwater world of mangroves, "womb of the sea." By Liz Cunningham Photos By Wes Matweyew and Liz Cunningham
 

"Question Your Shrimp" Campaign

Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog
Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin
LISTEN TO INTERVIEW

Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
Question Your Shrimp
SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP

Join MAP on Facebook

Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp

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We strive to keep active links in our newsletter. However, due to circumstances beyond our control,
occasionally links to stories may become broken. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story.



Help Mangrove Action Project through your recycled E-Waste.  List of Accepted E-waste Items:
Injet Cartidges, Cell Phones, Pagers, GPS, Radar Detectors, Mobile Hot Spots, Calculators, eBook Readers, iPods/MP3 players, Digital/Video Cameras/Camcorders, PDAs, iPads/Tablets/Laptops, Video Game Consoles, Handheld Video Games
Visit the Mangrove Action Project recycle website Click on the recycle button then click on the Download Shipping Label, and follow the instructions.

 
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