Successfully Replanting 15,448 Native Tree Saplings

C3 Fiji commends the communities of Navidamu, Raviravi, Lakeba (Nabubu), Kavewa, Qaranivai, Lagi Sese and Baleyaganiga who, together with our team, have completed Phases One and Two of the reforestation program. We planted a total of 15,448 native tree saplings. This includes native timber, and fruiting and flowering tree species.

C3 is also grateful for the support of the Divisional Officer Northern, Mr. Maleli Nakasava, and his team from the Ministry of Forestry who visited and marked the GPS coordinates of the replanting sites.

The communities now move forward with the third stage of hardening of saplings, in preparation for the third phase of planting. 

This is the biggest reforestation project that many of the communities have ever encountered in this part of Vanua Levu. Former TK of Qaranivai village, Mr Apisai Balenavonu, said that the reforestation program is eye-opening to most people. “Our capacity on forest replenishment and forest care has been lifted to another level. We now realize that the materials for re-establishing lost native trees are right here under our noses all the time. Thanks to C3 and PIFRI, we cannow continue the worthwhile effort to save our trees,” says Mr Balenavonu. 

We commend the efforts by the respective Turaga ni Koros, men, women, and youths who braved the scorching sun to come out in numbers for the program. C3 Fiji salutes them for commiting to the success of the First Phase.

Training Forest Rangers and Fish Wardens

Organizing the Forest Rangers Training is now underway. It will take place on the third week of June and will be conducted by the Ministry of Forestry. Two representatives (one female, one male) are confirmed from each partner community to attend. The training will cover forest ecology, threats, conservation, monitoring, safeguards, and forest mathematics.

In addition, C3 Fiji confirmed the implementation of a Fish Warden Training facilitated by  the Ministry of Fisheries. This is scheduled for September, with two representatives from each community attending.

The training aims to brief the Fish Wardens on their role in monitoring fishing grounds and policing against poachers.

Protecting and Restoring Mangroves in Vanua Levu

The Fish Warden Training will complement another major project: the allocation of mangroves as Marine Protected Areas in ten of our coastal sites. It is encouraging to observe that a number of communities have already allocated mangrove areas and enforced a No-Go Policy to these chosen sites, following C3 Fiji’s first consultation on MPA issues last year. The sites are now ready for demarcation and plotting of GPS points. The project reflects the great need for conservation in the coastal communities of Vanua Levu as the people fight to save their marine resources and to protect their daily means of sustenance from grave exploitation.

Last May, Mr. Wolf Forstreuter of the Pacific Island Forest Restoration Initiative (PIFRI) visited the four main sites of the mangrove restoration project. He conducted a thorough monitoring of wave intensity, soil texture, mangrove species occurrences, and other details for the successful realization of our project.

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