Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Krisite and Geoff

Geoffrey Hildebrand and I undertook a month-long marine conservation project, coordinated by Global Vision International. The project was being run on Moso Island (listed in tourist information as “Tranquility Island”), Vanuatu, and our efforts were focused on data collection on Hawksbill turtles – an endangered species, and limited by data collected only by Australian and New Zealand scientists.

6 days of 7, the volunteers (Geoff, myself and two others) would walk ‘over’ the island – 2-3km of roughly-cut jungle track; an (average) 45min walk over unkempt and multi-level terrain, in intense tropical humidity – to the turtle nesting beach on the other side. We would look for nesting females along the beach, tag them on their return to the water, and mark her nest. If we discovered hatched nests, we had to count the number of successfully-hatched babies, and the number that had died. The use of the data – over a number of hatching seasons (years) – was to contribute towards guesstimates of population size in the area.

Aside from initial problems, like the locals consuming turtles, this animal suffers well-documented obstacles to their survival. Upon hatching, the new hatchlings, must evade predators like mud crabs and birds on their entry to the water. Upon entry, they must then survive other predators like large fish and sharks. Additionally, larger problems like global warming are beginning to impede their survival as average temperatures around the world increase, and beaches everywhere become too hot for the eggs to survive.

Although the purpose of the project was solely marine conservation, Geoff and I took the initiative to further our experience by volunteering at the island’s primary school and teaching their Year 6 class. We taught them anything from Maths to CPR, and the children were bright, fluent in English, and eager to learn. And the community showed their unending love and appreciation throughout our stay, with several heartwarming thankyou speeches at our farewell ceremony.

Vanuatu is still governed by a complex structure of authority: overseen by a federal government, yet concurrently governed by a Chief on each of the 83 islands, and discrepancies still arise if Chief and Government rulings conflict. But our experience led us to observe a greater respect for the Chief over any other authority. The Melanesian culture is indicative of this, founded on a strong sense of community, love and togetherness. The locals vest their identities in their values and traditions, their decisions dictated by custom and their lives governed by culture. Families willingly adopt each other’s children when biological parents haven’t the means to support them, and members of different religions (primarily Christians and Seventh Day Adventists) happily share one church.

Tangential to our volunteer work, Geoff and I also took the opportunity – in such a picturesque and biodiverse part of the world – to do some scuba diving. Geoff successfully completed his Open Water Diving course, and I (having already attained my Open Water licence in 2006 at the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns) went on to complete my Advanced Divers course. Vanuatu is reputedly one of the best dive sites in the world, renowned for its unmatched visibility, diverse array of coral and other marine life, as well as some interesting wreck dives – all of which we were fortunate enough to experience.

Our month-long stay in Tasiriki Village on Moso Island – without heat, electricity or running water – was an intense, insightful experience I will never forget. Our lives and hearts are forever touched by the village community – especially the children – who indulge a zest and real love of life that is totally unique to the Melanesian culture. Furthermore, my love of the marine environment is enriched and enlightened by my newfound knowledge – not only of the graceful Hawksbill turtles, but of all the amazing biodiversity (in the many species of coral and the breathtaking variety of fish) found in such untouched areas of the Pacific. The many dives Geoff and I instigated allowed us to enter the world of all these amazing creatures. To say the entire experience was indescribable explains it exactly. It was unbelievable, and I can’t wait to do it again.