The Fiji Department of Environment supports the launch of the Fiji Acmopyle (our logo) Mascot to commemorate World Biodiversity Day on 22nd May 2015.

We had originally planned to do this on May 30th with the Fiji Museum, but through this collaboration with the Department of Environment, we have an opportunity to make this a national event.

Attached is our draft program for the day of the launch (Friday May 22nd) and sincerely hope that you will be able to make it. This is a major milestone for NFMV and for biodiversity in Fiji as we celebrate the successful propagation of cuttings of Acmopyle at the Colo I Suva nursery.

The project was financially supported by the IUCN Save Our Species fund, with supporting letters from the National Trust of Fiji, Department of Environment and Department of Forestry. The South Pacific Regional Herbarium (IAS, USP) led in the field specimen collection and training of landowners, and then with Department of Forests performed the propagation under the guidance of Michael Wenzel of the Atlanta Botanic Gardens. SPRH and Dept. Forests continued the nursery care and monitoring on our behalf.

The mascot that we will launching has been created by Mrs Anne O’Brien – a volunteer artist (and wife of Mark O’Brien of BirdLife International), and Mrs Kelera Watling. Anne has been helping NFMV since 2012 by creating life sized models of Fiji’s endangered animals and of invasive species (from recycled materials) to aid in our outreach programmes.

We will be using the mascot to raise awareness on the Fiji Acmopyle with local schools, especially with schools up in Namosi and Nadroga/ Navosa, the source of the Acmopyle cuttings that were propagated at Colo I Suva; and to support the Department of Environment’s week-long campaign of the World Environment Day from June 1st to the 5th.

On March 30th, we will be holding a major activity with the Fiji Museum and the mascot at the museum verandah.

Theme: “Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”

In commemoration of World Biodiversity Day 2015