Fiji ground frogs recorded from just behind Navetau Village!
Two of our Nadala Village youth Site Support Group members: Asenaca Tokula and Makereta Ravula represented their village in the recent Important Bird Area monitoring workshop held by BirdLife International (Pacific region) from 16th – 27th February, 2009. Nunia Thomas and Kelera Macedru (NFMV volunteer) also attended the workshop.
Asenaca and Makereta got to meet BirdLife International’s Pacific regional partners from New Caledonia, French Polynesia and exchange experiences on their involvement in Important Bird Areas.
An exciting aspect of the workshop was the opportunity to visit BirdLife International’s Site Support Group for the Natewa/Tunuloa IBA in Vanua Levu. It was an opportunity to share lessons learnt and a chance to witness villagers of Natewa/Tunuloa boldly take on the challenge to conserve their forest as a community.
“Au bau taleitaka saraga na workshop. Baleta au sa qai vulica mai kina na bibi ni noda Vanua ni Manumanu Vuka, vatakei na yaga ni Site Support Group e na veitokoni vei ira na soqosoqo vaka i MareqetiViti kei BirdLife” Asenaca Tokula – Nadala SSG youth member.
Nunia, Asenaca, Makereta and Kelera contributed to the workshop by presenting on NFMV’s past and current projects and the Nadala SSG; the team also conducted a frog survey over two nights and encountered 5 Fiji ground frogs (Platymantis vitianus) within 20 minutes of searching along the stream behind Navetau Village!! Vinaka vakalevu to our guides Luke, Paulo, Sisi and Batita for taking care of us!
Asenaca and Kelera took to the birding excursion quite enthusiastically and were rewarded with a sighting of the site endemic Silktail.
NatureFiji-MareqetiViti sincerely thanks BirdLife International – Pacific Secretariat for inviting the NFMV team to the workshop.
We also thank the Jensen Agave Foundation for funding our Greater Tomaniivi Area SSG development project.
A very special thank you to the BirdLife International Fiji Office, the Roko Tui Cakaudrove, Department of Forestry, Department of Agriculture and the villages of the tikina Natewa/Tunuloa, especially to the members of Navetau village for their warm hospitality during our visit.
Vina’a va’alevu Tauvu!