On Friday 22nd, the 2+2=4 Elementary school from Tahiti has been rewarded by the mayor of Punaauia Ronald TUMAHAI. Represented by their director Patricia TERIITERAAHAUMA, the school has received the “ECO-ECOLE” label, an environmental label dedicated for sustainable actions held in their establishment. After a ceremony full of stone emotions (local dances, congratulations…), the different school-children have presented their hard work in favor of their Fenua (land); the work was based on the emblematic species of French Polynesia such as  the”Omama’o”, the monarch bird from Tahiti, “Tohora”, the humpback whale,  “Toa” the coral reef & “Honu” the Green turtle. To develop those thematics, the children participated since the beginning of the school year to various activities with foundations such as Te mana o te moana; they went to our foundation in December for a special day dedicated to he marine mammals and the sea turtles conservation. We took part of this ceremony thanks to our Marie, one of our volunteer from Tahiti. Congratulations one more time to the school children for their engagement toward their environment.

<< Click here to discover the video realized by Marie Capon our volunteer.

From Raivavae to Moorea, in going through Rimatara and Rurutu, our team has delivered specific educational programs on the needs to set up marine conservation plans such as Rahui tamarii or marine areas… At each time they went into a school, a specimen of the toolkit was given to impulse teachers to use it year by year.

<< Click here to read more about the project – Click here to discover the toolkit (only in French)

The picture was announced and displayed during the reception at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Later this year, the winning photos will be shown at the World Underwater Imagery Festival in Marseille, France, and may also be as part of a traveling exhibit. The winning photos will be uploaded soon to the Ocean Project website.

The picture posted illustrated Papehau and the rehabilitated green sea turtle baby in Moorea Island, French Polynesia. In fact, Papehau, a 10 years old Tahitian girl is watching a rescued baby green sea turtle reaching out the lagoon. This is a very rare occasion while green sea turtles nesting in French Polynesia have been declining. This nest found in November 2014 was the only one seen in 10 years on Moorea Island…

<< Click here if you would like to see the other pictures of the Contest.

To relay his message to the public, he travels the world dressed up as a Leatherback turtle to raise awareness of the children and the adults to the sea turtles conservation. We were really proud to welcome him at the Clinic on June 5th. He proposed a special dance-show to the school children that winned the 2015 Contest “Protect our oceans” : the classroom of Tubuai, Austral Islands and the classroom of Haapiti, Moorea. In exchange, the children offered him a special local dance in which he has taken part of….  French Polynesia is the 92^nd contry visited by Mr Leatherback.

<< Click here to see the movies of Mr Laetherback.

During the all morning, the 8 children of the school discovered why it’s important to protect the sea turtles and the marine mammals, and how we can help to preserve them, using games such as the memory, boardgames, booklets….

This program is closing the “Bula honu, follow the sea turtles of the Pacific” project held for the 2014-2015 school year.

<< Click here to discover the all project

Differents school classes of Tahiti, Moorea, Tuamotu but also from France, Tonga, Samoa, Fijii, New Caledonia and others countries of the South Pacific are exchanging and following the travel of six sea turtles equippeed by staellite transmitters. Children discover all together the great journey of the French polynesia sea turtles.

After exchanging during the all school year on the marine embmematic species we need to proect, through a website (in both French and English) dedicated to the project, a classroom from Moorea will travel over to New Caledonia in May 2015 to encounter the schools they exchanged with during the year.

For now, we are pleased to introduce you the 6 sea turtles, equipped by satellite transmitters between December 2014 and March 2015 on the islands of Tikehau, Hao, Tetiaroa and Moorea, in clicking on the following link : Bula honu.

This project is held thanks to the Ministry of the Environment, In fact, the website dedicated for the project has been realized by the Board of Education of French Polynesia and approved by the in French Polynesia.

<< Click here to read the Press release

<< Click here to follow the sea turtles equipped by satellite transmitters

This new edition is realized thanks to the Aquarium of La Rochelle and the Head Services for Education of French Polynesia. Though the “Bula Honu project”, children from Tahiti, Moorea, Fidji, New Caledonia, Cook, Tonga will exchange on sea turtles and receive one booklet each in French, Tahitian and English.

Goals of the project held during the all school year 2013-2014 are to aim at a better understanding of our PGEM of Moorea (Management Plan for the Marine Areas), the rules applied, and to give a better knowledge of the marine fauna and flora. This project is conducted with the 7 elementary schools of Moorea (children from 9 to 11 years old).

As part of our missions in education, TE ME UM (Terres et Mers Ultras-Marines) program helps to conduce this project.Vie and Magali have conducted numerous animation sessions with classes (visit of an underwater trail, intercative and pedagogic activities onsite..) to get a better knowledge and so to better preserve the marine environment. In souvenir, every school children has got a booklet « Tohorä, baleine à bosse qui es-tu ? ».

To celebrate the World Ocean Day, the two classes which winned the contest have joined us to enjoy a special moment with a dolphin from Moorea Dolphin Center; playing activities with the City hall of Moorea Maiao and the foundation PGEM, and getting their gifts rewarding their hard work and enjoying a snack offered by the hôtel InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea.

A huge congratulations to the :

– classe of CM2 of Mr Gabriel Lovato from Haapiti Elementay school who winned the First Prize and,

– the classe of CE1-CE2 from Mrs Alizée Hauariki who winned the second prize.