A regular update of news from CEPF's East Melanesian Islands

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Halo evriwan! In this issue, we share with you updates and stories from CEPF grantees active in the East Melanesian Islands. We invite you to share your project stories with us!

FROM THE RIT

The EMI portfolio in numbers

 $5,996,243 allocated in funds (approximately 20% of the $7.5 million total remains to be allocated) $2,693,587 to $1,406,205 to PNG $1,557,836 to $338,615 to regional projects  48 large grants managed by CEPF with assistance from the RIT – $5,274,879 allocated  44 small grants managed directly by IUCN and largely working with domestic CSOs and community based groups – $721,364 allocated (grant ceiling of 20,000)  30 domestic institutions actively participating in conservation actions guided by CEPF’s ecosystem profile  50 additional CSOs and communities reached through CEPF projects  15 domestic CSOs seeing improvements to their organizational and financial capacity  5 new conservation networks developed  Baseline surveys carried out in 12 priority sites  8 of the 20 priority KBAs with new or strengthened management or protection  23 of the 48 priority species targeted for knowledge improvement and conservation action

Mid-term Review of the EMI Investment

The mid-term review took place from 5-7 December in Honiara, and was jointly hosted by CEPF and SINU, the Solomon Islands National University.

The meeting brought together CEPF grantees, donors, and government partners to share their experiences and lessons learned in the course of implementing CEPF grants in the EMI hotspot. The evaluation of this meeting is still

Participants at the mid-term review © CEPF being conducted, and the report will be available shortly. CEPF and the RIT are looking forward to taking on board recommendations from the review as we enter the final two years of the investment. Indeed, the lessons and information from the review will shape the final funding round, expected before the end of 2019.

New grants signed

Following the latest Calls for Proposals (August 2018 and March 2019), CEPF and IUCN have been in the process of contracting.

Under the large grants program, new grant agreements to progress with the designation and management of CCAs in Vanuatu have been signed with Edenhope, Live and Learn Vanuatu, and Vanuatu Environmental Law Association. In PNG, FORCERT, WCS and Treweek Environmental Consultants will carry out land use planning in Cape St George, Mt Tabwemasana, Santo, Vanuatu © Anita Roberts conservation work with communities in Central Manus and the search for Beck’s petrel breeding grounds in Southern New Ireland respectively.

Under the small grants program, a number of grants are expected to be contracted in the next quarter, with some organizations to receive funds for the first time.

New National Country Coordinator for Solomon Islands!

The RIT is excited to welcome Ravin Dhari to the team! Ravin joins us as the National Country Coordinator for Solomon Islands.

Ravin has a BA in Management and Public Sector Administration and History Politics from USP in , and a Graduate Diploma in not-for- profit management from Auckland Unitech and PIANGO. He has experience in monitoring and evaluation, project management and facilitation, and most recently worked as the project coordinator on a World Bank/Solomon Islands community governance and grievance project. Previously Ravin has worked on projects with Ravin Dhari DFAT’s Education Program, the SI Ministry of Education and the Solomon Islands’ EU Income Ravin is based with the MECDM in Honiara and can be generation project. reached on [email protected].

Grantees get together in Vanuatu

During a visit with CEPF’s Grant Manager, Priscila Borba, grantees came together in in April to share experiences related to financial management, and to receive some refresher training on best practices. The one- day training was well-received by the grantees and provided an opportunity for general discussions on financial management of small and large grants. The RIT plans to carry out similar training in other EMI countries later in the year. Grantees came together at Chantilly’s in Port Vila © CEPF EMI

Site visits by the RIT

The RIT (including IUCN’s senior finance officer, Anjani Gosai), met with grantees in Port Vila to carry out financial assessments and training. The team met with Live and Learn (pictured), Vanuatu Environmental Science Society (VESS) and Vanuatu Environmental Law Association (VELA). The visits are part of CEPF’s standard monitoring of large grantees, and covered topics such as reviewing policies and procedures, review of transactions, and compliance with grant agreement. It was also a chance for some open discussions about how the grants are progressing and what CEPF can do better to assist grantees.

Priscila Borba, Vatu Molisa and Fred Kataiwai from LLV © CEPF EMI

In PNG, Zola and Helen carried out visits with PNG Environmental Law Association and Rotokas Ecotourism. In line with a call for proposals being open in March 2019, they also took advantage of meeting with potential applicants whilst undergoing site visits with the current grantees. They met with Binatang Research Centre, NGO Pro, Nature Park, Pacific Adventist University, The Kainake Project and TNC.

An information sharing meeting was held at the CEPA office which brought together potential Meeting with CEPA and potential grantees at the CEPA office © CEPF EMI grantees and CEPA staff from the terrestrial protected areas and ecosystem branch. An overview of the EMI and PNG profile were presented by Helen and Zola followed by discussions on potential proposal ideas.

In Solomon Islands, site visits took place with NRDF and Gizo Women in Business in Gizo, and with Wai Hau Conservation Foundation in Honiara.

In line with the open call for proposals in March 2019, discussions were held with MECDM, UQ, SIRA and SICCP regarding future project ideas. The RIT attended the SICCP Strategic Planning meeting where we were delighted to see the Baby leatherback turtles in West Are ‘are, © Wai Hau great progress being made in re-vamping this Conservation Foundation important organization.

FROM THE FIELD

A list of all small and large grants currently active in the East Melanesian Islands can be found here

Live and Learn Vanuatu Rangers Toolkit

Live and Learn Vanuatu (LLV) has been leading the Ranger Program in Vanuatu and promoting conservation and sustainable use of Vanuatu's Key Biodiversity Areas and Community Conservation Areas (CCAs). Since May 2018, LLV has been working with five registered CCAs in Vanuatu in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC) and Eco-livelihood Association (EDA) to develop a Biodiversity monitoring toolkit and CCA Ranger App for building and strengthening indigenous CCA Ranger capacities in managing and monitoring Vanuatu’s threatened, endemic and other Sam Chanel training the Rangers in the field © Live & significant species of flora and fauna. Learn Vanuatu

Training has taken place in Loru, Santo, and in Port Vila, where indigenous rangers from Loru, Tabwemasana and Vathe in Santo, and Malaklolop in Gaua and Crab Bay, Malekula have come together to learn skills and commit their CCAs for piloting of the CCA Ranger toolkit and CCA Ranger App.

Related Vanuatu Daily Post news article

The Ranger app © Live & Learn Vanuatu

Nakau Programme, Vanuatu

With funding from CEPF, Nakau has been working with communities and companies in Gaua, Santo and Tanna to progress ecotourism activities in Vanuatu. An initial major outcome of the project has been the establishment of the first CCA in TORBA Province!

The registration of the first CCA in Torba took place in July 2019 in Dolav community, West Gaua. The Malaklolop CCA is located on the SW coast of Gaua, an area that feeds into Launching of the first community conservation area in Torba © Live & Learn Vanuatu Lake Gaua. Its establishment will help to protect and manage the island’s biological diversity and uniqueness. Vanuatu Daily Post article on Torba’s first

CCA! As part of the same project, Nakau have successfully developed tourism plans to encourage financing of conservation activities within the Malaklolop CCA on Gaua and Nusumetu Protected Area on Tanna. On Santo, direct financial support was provided to the development of an improved eco-trekking tour of Mount Tabwemasana. On 17 June 2019, Chief Aram of Kerepua community signed a partnership agreement with tour agent, Wrecks to Rainforest, to support conservation activities in the Mt Tabwemasana CCA. The agreement, signed in the presence of Department of Tourism’s Sanma Provincial Manager, Ben Kauru, will ensure that benefits of tours are equitably shared, with some money going directly to conservation outcomes in the Tabwemasana CCA through a conservation levy scheme Signing of the agreement © Live & Learn Vanuatu for tourists. Vanuatu Daily Post article on the Mt Tabwemasana Agreement

Vanuatu Environmental Science Society

VESS is undertaking two grants with CEPF, focusing on the protection and management of priority species – the dugong, and Vanuatu flying foxes.

An exhibition on the Bats of Vanuatu was held at the Espace Alliance Française in Port Vila in April 2019. Posters and factsheets were displayed with general information about bats and their ecosystems in Vanuatu. On the opening night of the exhibition, Christina Shaw gave a public talk on bats of Vanuatu and the findings of the CEPF-funded expedition to the Bank islands and Temotu. Life-sized models of the 4 flying foxes in Vanuatu, created by Anne O'Brien, were displayed and proved very popular with the public! Schoolkids enjoy the model bats! © VESS

Vanuatu Daily post article on the exhibition

BirdLife International, Vanuatu

The BirdLife Pacific Programme is working with communities to carry out conservation activities in 3 KBAs in Vanuatu. In each site, communities are identifying threats and possible solutions for conserving priority species of importance. Great progress is being made in West Ambrym and Mt Tukusmera on Tanna, with communities involved in data collection for the Vanuatu Megapode and the Collared Petrel. Cameras have been used in West Ambym to capture the presence of Megapodes. High numbers of cats and dogs have also been seen, along with a high incidence of adult megapodes found dead. If mortality rates remain Mt Tukusmera,Tanna © Helen Pippard high, control methods will be investigated.

At Mt Tukusmera, BirdLife and Vanuatu Environmental Advocacy Network have been collecting information on harvesting levels of the Collared Petrel which can be used for developing management guidelines for this bird and the KBA.

BirdLife has also worked with developers of the Ornito app Download Ornito for free on google play! that provides an identification key for birds of Vanuatu. It includes a list of local names in Bislama and other local languages. The app may be ay useful introduction to birds of Vanuatu for anyone with a smartphone!

Gizo Women in Business, Solomon Islands

GWIB are working on Kolombangara island with the aim of providing local communities with an alternative income source to logging, as well as maintaining the biodiversity of the island. They are doing this through a bee-keeping project, which is empowering families, especially women, with knowledge, skills, opportunities, access to finance, transport and markets for honey.

Over the course of its implementation, the team have conducted training on bee farming techniques, and building each member’s capacity to better manage their finances while running their farms and marketing the products. GWIB Families learning how to make a pollen supplement (pumpkin, sugar and yeast), to provide nutrients, protein hope that by the end its funding from CEPF, it can be a self- and energy for the hive work force. A continuous supply of sustaining organization and expand the bee keeping project nectar and the presence of pollen in the hive induces the to other nearby communities showing interest in producing queen to lay more eggs. © GWIB honey.

Natural Resources Development Foundation, Solomon Islands

NRDF is working with tribes in Choiseul to promote Payment through Ecosystem Services through the Nakau programme methodology in the Mt Maetambe-Kolombangara KBA priority site. Communities will partner with Nakau to sell carbon offsets and conservation credits, thereby switching from activities that clear forest, to a conservation model that protects forests. To become eligible for the scheme, the forest area boundaries must be mapped and potential conservation credits quantified. The site must be established as a Protected Area before an agreement can be signed Public notices for the PA establishment of Siporae and Garasa © NRDF between the community, Nakau and international buyers.

Public notices for the Siporae and Garasa tribes were submitted to the Ministry of Environment in April. The Sirebe tribe are undertaking the last steps in declaring their Protected Area. All involved in conservation activities in the KBA are hopeful that these tribal areas will be designated as protected very shortly! In the meantime, NRDF and Nakau have worked at securing international buyers of carbon credits for these forested areas in Choiseul.

The Kainake Project and UQ, PNG

The Kainake Project is working in collaboration with the University of Kansas to support conservation in Wisai, South Bougainville. TKP had received a small capacity building grant from CEPF and is now establishing relationships and partnerships across south Bougainville for conservation efforts. A preliminary survey and community consultations was carried out in the proposed Kagalolo conservation area in Wisai. The communities in this area are interested in conserving their forests and lake. The lake is a sacred site where the locals believe is the resting place for those who have passed on. Preliminary results from the survey show that there may be a new frog species. Interns, CEPA staff and other project staff during Jeffrey and Tyrone’s presentation © CEPA-JICA biodiversity Mr Junior Novera, PhD candidate with the University of project Queensland gave a presentation about his field work in Kunua which is also a CEPF priority site. Junior is studying the current distribution, diversification and conservation status of mammals in Kunua. His research will also complement ongoing conservation efforts in the Mt Balbi and Kunua plains key biodiversity area through CEPF funding.

Through a small grant, the University of Queensland has carried out an initial survey in central Manus where camera trap results show the presence of melomys matambuai. The

Manus melomys, a rat species endemic to Manus Province is threatened by over exploitation.

OTHER NEWS…

Call for Proposals for BIOPAMA! The first call for proposals for the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA) is open until 21st September 2019. The grant facility, known as the Action Component, is part of BIOPAMA’s approach of applying knowledge to

action for a protected planet, and will fund on-ground activities that support protected and conserved areas, and the sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources. Open to both government and non-government entities from across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, applicants can apply for between €100,000 and €400,000 for projects that will run for up to three years. Further calls will be launched in future for smaller grant amounts. The BIOPAMA Action Fund, like the CEPF small grants program, will be managed by IUCN. We therefore expect to work closely with our colleagues to ensure collaboration, avoid duplication, and more importantly build upon some of the great work that has already taken place in the East Melanesian Islands!

Please don’t hesitate to contact IUCN ’s Protected Areas Programme Coordinator, Paul van Nimwegen, at [email protected].

Further information is available here.

Port Moresby Nature Park supports amphibian conservation breeding program

Sustaining forests and reforestation can help PNG economic growth

There’s money in standing trees too

From rescue to surprise chick: Toledo Zoo aids endangered Santa Cruz doves

Update on East Rennell oil spill

World Bank grants $15 million for water and sanitation projects

Solomon Islands wild getaway: South Pacific’s largest uninhabited island is jewel of conservation and adventure

Solomon Islanders imprisoned for trying to stop the logging of their islands

RESOURCES

REMINDERS for Grantees

Reporting Progress reports are due quarterly for small grantees and six monthly for large grantees. Financial reports are due quarterly for all grantees.

*Small grant reports for Q3 2019 (financial and progress) are due to IUCN Oceania on October 15th 2019*

*Large grant reports for Q3 (financial) are due to CEPF on October 30th 2019* Progress Reports for Q3 and Q4 2019 are due to CEPF on January 30th 2020*

Please submit these by the deadline! It is vital that reports are sent to us on time and with sufficient detail regarding the progress against your planned project activities. We cannot disburse any further funds to you until progress and financial reports are submitted on time and approved.

Please check the FAQs for information on the Conservation Grants system for Large Grantees. If you have further queries, please get in touch with CEPF or the RIT.

Travel plans Please ensure that you inform the RIT in advance of your visits to project sites etc. It is very helpful for us to be able to meet with you to discuss progress and any issues with project implementation. We cannot always promise that we will be available, but we will try our best if we have advance notification of your plans.

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About CEPF CEPF is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. CEPF funds non- governmental efforts to conserve the world’s most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems. www.cepf.net

About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN has evolved into the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its 1,300 Member organisations and the input of some 10,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Our experts are organised into six commissions dedicated to species survival, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication. www.iucn.org https://twitter.com/IUCN/