Youths from Nadala Village (Ba), and Nasoqo (Naitasiri)

Four youths from our Tomaniivi Nature Club assisted the NatureFiji-MareqetiViti team in the presentation to the Fijian Affairs Board on the 23rd of May 2010. Meli Naiqama (Nasoqo), Meli Lote (Nasoqo), Litia Taubere (Nadala) and Sunia Kalidredre (Nadala) were nominated by the members of the Tomaniivi Nature Club to represent their team.

During their week long stay in Suva, the youths assisted us in our preparation for NatureFiji-MareqetiViti’s first ever presentation to the Fijian Affairs Board.

The youths also developed their plan of action for follow-up activities for the Tomaniivi Nature Club. Some of these include a presentation to Nadala Village on the progress of the Development of a Site Support Group for the Greater Tomaniiivi Area (funded by Aage. V. Jensen Charity Foundation); a project proposal for the development of a nursery of native plants and fruit trees and their awareness campaigns to Nadarivatu Secondary School.

These four representatives will also be part of the NatureFiji-MareqetiViti/ BirdLife International – Pacific Partnership project on Creating Permanent Forest Estates for Fiji’s People and Biodiversity. The Tomaniivi Nature Club was established in 2009, and is overseen by the Nadala Site Support Group.

Since their establishment, the members of the Tomaniivi Nature Club have participated in awareness campaigns with NatureFiji-MareqetiViti staff on the Environment Week Campaign (2009) to Votua Village and Nadarivatu Secondary School; have conducted research on Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Nadala Village; conducted bird watching surveys in the forest around Nadala Village; and participated with Professor Randy Thaman’s annual field trip to the summit of Mt. Tomaniivi.

We commend the Tomaniivi Nature Club members on the initiative they have taken to further the activities of the club, and address biodiversity conservation issues in the Greater Tomaniivi Area.

The Greater Tomaniivi Area includes the Tomaniivi Nature Reserve, the Wabu Forest Reserve and surrounding forest. In addition to being managed by the Department of Forestry, they also have been identified as a Key Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area.

The area is home to atleast 22 of Fiji’s threatened species and is the source of three of Fiji’s major river systems: Rewa River, Sigatoka River and Ba River.

For more information on the Tomaniivi Site Support Group in Nadala, the Tomaniivi Nature Club and the Greater Tomaniivi Area please do not hesitate to contact us.