Editor’s note: This article is more than five years old. For more up-to-date conservation news, visit our homepage.
Here at Conservation International, many of our marine conservation activities are grand in nature, focused on connecting distant ecosystems and forging ambitious international policies for ocean health. But on the other end of the spectrum, we have projects like the MV Kalabia — our floating education center in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago.
The Kalabia’s education team is dedicated to teaching the next generation about the value of nature. This is a vital lesson for the young people of Raja Ampat — often cited as the most biodiverse marine environment on Earth — where the ocean’s abundance supports the livelihoods of the residents of 103 coastal villages. In the words of Angela Beer, the experiential conservation education specialist with CI-Indonesia, “The future politicians, fishermen and businessmen of Raja Ampat will all have an ecological awareness rooted in this Kalabia program.”
Check out this video from the Kalabia team, and see for yourself the impact that the Kalabia has already made on more than 4,000 local children and teachers.