With Brigitte, our volunteer, children played on educational games such as “the îlécolo”, the “world of cetaceans” the “life cycle of a green turtle”, etc…. Accompanied with the engaged youth in Service civic from the Municipality of Moorea-Maiao, they participated to a art-creation workshop for the preservation of our sea turtles and marine mammals … using recycling or natural materials. Another group played interactive games with the children on coral reefs and its fauna and flora.

Next group stayed with Matthieu, learning the coral reef ecosystem using interactive aquariums in which there was different kinds of animals….

Finally, the last one group was with Magali discovering the underwater trail created by our foundation in 2007. This day in favor of the oceans, permits us to invite more than 80 children and made them aware about the necessity to protect our oceans, for our next generations…

We would like to thank all our partners for their help and support to organize this event in favor of the oceans and the children : The Vilebrequin company, The Nature and Découvertes Foundation, the Pacsafe entity, the Moorea Dolphin Center, the Municipality of Moorea Maiao and the InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea..

Thanks also to all our volunteer and team : Magali, Matthieu, Brigitte, Cher, Kalanie, Loïs, sans oublier la super équipe des engagés volontaires de la Commune Moorea : Luna, Luana, Jason, Ramssi, Chris, Vaheana, Vatea et Needy.

]]> https://www.temanaotemoana.org/en/10279/ Mon, 08 Jun 2015 23:54:26 +0000 http://www.temanaotemoana.org/?p=10279 In the afternoon of June 8th, Matthieu Petit has joined the team of PEW Charitable Trusts  at the “Maison de la Culture” in Tahiti to assist to the restitution of more than 340 pages, on the Marine Environment of the Austral Islands. This book was realised in one year and edited by the CRIOBE-IRCP (Insular Research Center and Observatory for the Environment – Coral reefs Institute). More than 30 experts have taken part of this work including our President Dr Cécile Gaspar and our marine biologist Matthieu Petit. To download the publication: click here

Then, he presented the project “Protect our oceans” conducted by the foundation during the 214-2015 school year thanks to the support of the PEW Charitable Trusts. This project gathered more than 25 classerooms from the Austral Islands, and 9 classerooms from Tahiti and Moorea (11 years old). At least, this project raised awareness of more than 700 children to the conservation of the oceans… This evening was also an opportunity to introduce the ” Protect of the oceans” toolkit that will be edited in 100 specimens and distibuted for free to all the schools of the project at the end of the month.

The end of the evening was dedicated to the beautiful documentary realised in the Austral Islands by National Geographic with the PEW  Charitable Trusts Foundation « Rapa : the spirit of the rahui ». An evening that raised awareness of more than 150 persons –

Click here to read the article from Tahiti Infos (only French).

In the early morning, we invited 3 classrooms to celebrate this world ocean day : two that participated to the « Protect our oceans » project and « Bula honu, follow the sea turtles of the Pacific » one’s.

In fact, more than the project held for the shool-year, another objective was to create a toolkit for the next one generations. But more than a pedagogic tool including a teacher guide, a brochure, 4 posters and a game, we would like to deliver a message… By using the words and productions of the children we found a way to go through…

That is why the winner Charter of Tubuai (Austral Islands) and the winner Poster  of Taharu’u, Parara (Tahiti) will be included in the toolkit that will be edited in 100 specimens and distributed for free to all participants, partners, ministries and elementary school at the end of the school year. This toolkit will be also available on our website.  

The third one classroom inivited to celebrate the oceans is the CM2 of Paopao Elementary school, Moorea. They came to present their work to the public and the other students, as part of the « Bula honu, follow the sea turtles of the Pacific » project conducted during the year.

In fact, to finalise the actions of the Observatory for the sea turtles and the marine mammals initiated in 2011, differents classrooms of French Polynesia, France, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and New-Caledonia exchanged though a website during the all school year, following the travel of 6 green turtles equipped by satellite transmitters.

After having exchanged on this website : bulahonu.org, one of the classroom went in New Caledonia to encounter their partners.

This travel was conducted from May 7^th to May 14^th with our two educators : Magali and Charlotte. During their trip, the children have discovered different cultures, and the vision of the sea turtle that is similar than in French Polynesia : protect the sea turtles before they disappear.

When they arrived, the 3 classrooms were taken in charge by Magali, our animator that gathered them under the bog top placed at our Sea turtle Clinic, thanks to the InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea. Vie, the director presented them the activities of the day before she congratulating them for their hard work and offering them many gifts thanks to the help of the Moorea Dolphin Center, the Polynésienne des eaux and The PEW Charitable Trusts). Then, children also enjoyed a special snack offered by the hotel before they started playing activities…

Gathered per group of 8, the children have presented and participated to 8 stands : one hosted  by students from the island of Tubuai, one hosted by the children othat went in New Caledonia.

With Henz and Vetea from the Polynésienne des eaux, children enjoyed to understand why we need to protect the water, and discover with Jonathan from the Municipality of Moorea Maiao, the Protected Marine Plan of the island (PGEM).

Guided by Matthieu, our marine biologist, the students discovered an underwater trail andaccompanied by Magali, Dimitri and Vie, the groups visited the  Sea Turtle Clinic, the dolphin lagoon managed by the Moorea Dolphin Center, and participated to various pedagogic activities on the environment and the animals we need to protect (the race of fe’e the octopus, the ilecolo, the adventures of a green turtle, the cetaceans game…). Finally, Donation from the PEW Charitable Trusts proposed them educative activities on the Marine Areas in French Polynesia.

But to celebrate this event, we wanted to propose activities for the locals and teenagers of the island that could not come usually to our facility. Thanks to the support of the Municipality of Moorea Maiao, a special shuttle was specially made available to the public of their island that would like to take part of our celebrating day. More than 30 persons came.

To finish the day, the two winner enjoyed a special gift to reward their hard work :

The classroom of Tubuai (Austral islands), thanks to the support of the PEW Charitable Trusts, has participaed to a special discovery day of the Marine Protected Plan of Moorea (PGEM) with Matthieu from te mana o te moana and have discovered the stingrays of our lagoon…

The classroom of CM2 from Papara, Tahiti has enjoyed a special encounter with a dolphin thanks to the  Moorea Dolphin Center….

<< Click here to read the Presse release of the events in favor of the ocean

A special event day that welcomed more than 125 persons (75 children and 50 adults and teenagers).

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.

For this year, Yasmina and Coralie, intern and volunteer went on board to encounter 4 classrooms with children aged from 6 to 11 years old. Helped by gameboards, cuddly toys, memory game, posters…, booklets, they made the children learn about the marine animals such as sea turtles, marine mammals…. to help at a better understanding of why we need to protect them…

At least, 100 children participated to this morning celebrating the World Ocean Day…

“Free contest” – ” Collège contest” – “School contest“. Click on them to get the rules.

For more than two months, many events are celebrating for the anniversary of the PGEM Moorea thanks to the support of the municipality of Moorea and in partnership with foundations of the island.

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.

In partnership with the Mouvement Eco citoyen, which organized the event, a team of te mana o te moana was welcomed onboard the shuttle from Tahiti to Moorea (doing back and forth) to raise awareness of the users to the emblematic species of French Polynesia, explaining the different rules applied for both Marine mammals and sea turtles.

More than 100 students were also invited to participate to this crossing.

To access the site dedicated to the Observatory of cetaceans and sea turtles in French Polynesia: observatoirepolynesie.org 

After presenting the winning classes and congratulated them for their beautiful productions and hard work, children enjoyed a snack offered by the InterContinental Moorea Resort and Spa, before receiving their prizes and participate to various educational activities organized by the foundation such as the visit the sea turtles clinic, the discover of an underwater trail, in participating to educational games. The first price winners (1classeroom for each contest) had as a reward to enjoy a magical moment with a dolphin thanks to the Moorea Dolphin Center. Before leaving, each child received a “Citizen of the Ocean” passport, sign of their commitment as “young ambassadors” of the blue planet, and a booklet of “The sea turtles in French Polynesia”. The last winner class (2^nd price of the Tohora contest) will participate to a sea turtle release next week.

The whole team would like to once again congratulate all the winning classes (4 classes, more than 100 children) and all participants for their efforts to protect our environment Polynesian.

These 2 educational projects have been organized by the association Te mana o te moana, thanks to :

–        the support of TOTAL Polynesia company and in partnership with the Department of Primary Education of French Polynesia for the project of creation and distribution of 12 000 free Booklets “Tohora, humpback whales, who are you?”

–        the support of the Foundation “Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l’Homme”, and in partnership with the Direction of Primary School, the City hall of Moorea Maiao and the PGEM association,  for the project of “Awareness of the schools of Moorea to a better understanding of the PGEM (Maritime Management of Moorea) and protection of coral reefs”.

Who are the winners classes  for the contest «  Tohorä, humpback whale who are you? » :

1 ^st price : 10-11 years level of MANOTAHI Elementary school (Mrs Tepua Yue).

2^nd price : 09-10 years level of PAPETOAI Elementary school (Mrs Cindy Taunoa)

3^rd price: 11 years level of St Paul Ste Thérèse Elementary school (Mr Wilbert Lehot)

The winner for the contest « Protection du Lagon » :

11 years old class from PAOPAO Elementary school (Mrs Caroline Faua).

Summary of the project: « Tohorä, humpback whale who are you ?» 

In the following of the creation and distribution of the booklet “Tohora, humpback whales, who are you?” in 12,000 copies to 12,000 students of 9-11 years old school level (Cycle 3), and after the various animations conducted into 28 classes of Tahiti and Moorea (700 children), the association launched a big contest to conlude the project. Chidlren had to writte down a special tale story or an anthology of poems towards the conservation of the cetaceans of the French Polynesia; the classes will be invited for the celebration of World Oceans Day. This project aims to educate future generations through stories told by other children. It was conducted in partnership with the Department of Primary Education, with the financial support of TOTAL Polynesia company.

Summary of the project: “Awareness and understanding of Marine protected areas (PGEM) of the Moorea lagoon.”
Throughout the 2012-2013 school year, students of Cycle 3  level (9-11years old) of the 7 Elementary schools of Moorea island participated in an educational project aimed at a better understanding of the lagoon of Moorea, the Management Plan of the Maritime area set up since 2005, and to to have a better knowledge of the need to preserve our island marine resources. This project has been punctuated by various interventions in the classroom and on the field (educational workshops, visit a coral garden…). It was conducted by te mana o te moana, in partnership with the city hall of Maiao Moorea, the PGEM association, under the financial support of the Foundation “Nicolas Hulot, pour la Nature et l’Homme”. To complete this educational project conducted during one school year, students were asked to work on a special poster dedicated to the Moorea lagoon and coral reefs conservation; the winner class will be invited too on June 10^th to celebrate the World Oceans Day all together.

<< Click here for more information on the educational projects.

<< Click here for information on the contests.

A special thanks to all our partners that help us to organize this huge event in favor of the oceans and to congratulate the school children for their involvement towards the 2 contests organized.

This week dedicated to the protection of the Blue planet has been organized thans to the support or in partnership with :  

The Direction of Primary School, the city hall of Moorea-Maiao, the « Foundation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l’Homme, the Total Foundation, Total Polynesia group, la Brasserie  of Tahiti, the organization PGEM, the Moorea Dolphin Center company, the InterContinental Moorea Resort and Spa, the Pacific Beachcomber group, the Foundation Good Planet, the Foundation Maud Fontenoy, the World Ocean Network, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), the Direction of the Environment of French Polynesia, the French Development Agency (AFD), the Aquarium of  la Rochelle, the SWOT program (The State of the World’s Sea Turtles), Nestlé company, the Planète Eco Tours and the Aremiti company.

Click here to read more in details about all events organized for the celebration of the oceans