Friends of Menjangan

Slideshow for the schools of Anambas Islands

2011-07-23T21:37:00.001-07:00

Slide Show Designed for the Schools of Anambas Islands, Indonesia

Biosphere Foundation in Menjangan Slideshow

2011-06-11T02:41:00.001-07:00

Education Program

2011-06-06T19:51:00.001-07:00

“Friends of Menjangan Education Program”

- 13 and 14 of May, 2011 -

The weekend after the Celebration, 18 kids from the Children of Permuteram Association were invited for a camping program that started at SERC (Science, Education and Research Centre of Menjangan Resort) and ended at the Menjangan Island with a mangrove clean-up.

The kids labelled the water bottles with their names to “re-use” plastic in an intelligent way!!

Circling together with Nono and Satyavan, the educators leading the program, we took an oath to protect each other and our mother nature.

Leslie and the kids in a bird watching activity around the savannas.

Natural Guides… in this activity one plays the role of a photographer, while the other turns into a camera. A lot of fun to understand nature!

The word “menjangan” stands for deer, the sacred animals that live in the area and have also being on the spot of the conservation programs carried by the Menjangan Resort.

Next morning the kids took a trail through the Monsoon Forest, the Savannas, the Mangroves and a boat to Menjangan Island. There we found a sea of rubbish stuck in the mangroves…

Mangroves – Cradle of Life!

Working hard as a team to clean our footprints and let earth breath!

After cleaning the area by the temple, we all got together to sing and dance our commitment to protect our Mother Nature!

We all head back home…

… Planet Earth, Planet Water - Our One Home!

Satyavan Rogério

Earth Day Celebration

2011-06-06T16:20:00.001-07:00

We'd like to invite you to have a look at the high lights of the Earth Day Celebration which launched the Friends of Menjangan activities at the Bali Barat National Park… Enjoy!!

Students from the local High Schools, the community and many friends were invited to join in two days of celebration dedicated for the conservation of Menjangan Island and its Coral Reefs.

On the 6th of May, these talented students just filled our eyes with colours and beauty as they performed traditional music, dances and martial arts.

On the 7th, we set off on a boat expedition towards Menjangan Island to clean the beaches and the coral reefs with the help of many divers.

6th of May – Cultural Event

Bottle holders made out of recycled plastic packages were given to each student who participated in the beach clean ups.

Camping tents were set for nearly two hundred kids to spend the night before the trip to the island.

The organising team counted with the help and support of people from many different places around the globe, united in friendship and great desire to protect our living biosphere!

Laser, Capitan of MIR – Biosphere Foundation’s vessel, sets the sound system for the movie screening and the musicians, with the help of a forester from Bali Barat National Park.

Students of Children of Permuteran Association play the Gamalan – absolutely astonishing!!

Performance of Balinese traditional dances.

Orla, scientist of Biosphere Foundation, gives a speech reporting the Science Program results and encouraging local boatmen to treat the coral reefs with love and care.

David Makes, president of the Yayasan Dwi Asih Sejahtera, talks about the importance of conservation programs and the involvement of local community to protect the natural heritage of Menjangan area.

7th of May – Boat Trip to Menjangan Island

Fifteen boats departed towards Menjangan Island carrying students, volunteers, divers and a lot of hope that this precious cradle of sea life will remain protected for the welfare of the oceans and of the people who live of its richness.

Organised in teams, the students went off to different locations collecting all sort of rubbish that is washed on the shores of the island and threaten the health of fish, turtles and corals.

Congratulations to each and every of you who put your heart and actions to start this movement!

We wish that the “Friends of Menjangan” will spread their wings to inspire communities all over the seven seas to protect their natural resources and maintain abundance of beauty and health to our planet.

Satyavan Rogério

First steps towards awareness & conservation

2011-04-30T03:11:00.001-07:00

Even though the “Friends of Menjangan” project will be officially launched next Friday & Saturday (6 and 7 of May, 2011) on the Earth Day Celebration (see the poster below for details), the Biosphere Foundation Team and partners have been already engaged in actions to raise awareness towards the conservation of the Coral Reefs.

When you reach the harbour at Labuan Lalang - place from where several boats departure daily to take tourists for fun dives - you will find brand new signs instructing the visitors to take their rubbish back home (instead of dumping the bins in the island), as well as reinforcing that we can have fun without breaking the corals by not stepping on them. These billboards will also be installed by the jetties around the island.

New moorings are also being placed in strategic spots – suggested by the local boatmen - to avoid anchoring, which, in the same way, greatly damages the reefs…

Posters will be installed in the boats, too, so the Dive Masters can reinforce these ideas while briefing the visitors before plunging into the depths of these amazing blue sea!

We’re really excited about these new movement to keep this paradise preserved for the next generations, being them our children or all those colourful families who live underwater.

If you are interested in aiding the “Friends of Menjangan” Project, please get in touch!

With your help we can do much, much more!

Satyavan Rogério Meggiolaro

Friends of Menjangan Earth Day Celebration

2011-04-18T06:02:00.001-07:00