Naucrates, a
non profit organization (ONLUS), found on 6th November 2001, with legal office in Via Corbetta 11, 22063 Cantù
(Co) and from November 2003 with operating office in Colle Tenne,
04010 Giulianello di Cori (LT), Italy. The main activity of the
organization, consists in the planning of any action with the
aim to spread scientific information on the environment and
nature in general. Particular attention is given to the sea and
related topics, with aim to apply conservation strategies now
and for future generations. In January – February – March 2006,
the fifth year of activity of the association saw the Naucrates researchers involved in the conservation projects
of sea turtles, coral reef and the mangrove forest in Thailand (Phra
Thong island), bringing to 10, the seasons of activities of the
leader, Monica Aureggi, of the “sea turtle project”. Being the
first season after the 2004 tsunami, Naucrates had to
face (due to understandable reasons), new situations and
difficulties that have required substantial changes during the
planning and the organization of the projects. For the above
reasons and according to what was decided during last year’s
Annual meeting, Naucrates felt it would be correct to
pause and postpone the decision to rebuild a center at Phra
Thong island, until the time when Naucrates will be ready
to complete such an operation. An additional reason is the fact
that Naucrates could assist the amount of international
and national aids that reached the area and how they were
employed. The island changed, the local communities have changed
creating new unstable situation that will require time to
stabilize.
The Memorial Fund Lisa Jones and Rebecca
Clark, allowed Naucrates to continue its conservation
effort in Thailand. Today, 01/10/06, the amount collected is
Euro 59.665. The Conservation Project was conducted sharing the
group in two teams: one based on the west coast of the island
(where the project was based before the tsunami) using the
available infrastructures of the GBB resort left after the
tsunami and the other based at Tapayoi village, located on the
east coast of the island.
Volunteers of previous years such as Pavlos
Tsaros, Alessandra De Lucia and Ilse Velkar were involved giving
their support working for the all sea turtle nesting. Thanks to
their commitment and to the help of other volunteers, beaches
were carefully monitored and nests were protected.
Thanks to the support of NOAA Fisheries
Service Office of International Affairs, British Chelonian Group
and of the Memorial Fund Lisa Jones and Rebecca Clark (Naucrates),
the working team was able to conduct preliminary observation on
the status of the sea grass located on the east coast of the
island where sea turtle juveniles feed and they were able to
investigate on the effects of the tsunami on the nesting
population and its habitat.
A second reef survey of Pring island (located
close to GBB resort) was led by Emma Dilkes and volunteers, in
order to evaluate the effect of the tsunami comparing data with
the previous survey conducted during the season 2003/04. The
work was supported by Project Aware (for the second time) and by Naucrates with NATR.
The Mangrove Restoration Project (MRP) led by
Claudio Conti was conducted during the conservation project
(Jan/March) with the help of volunteers. In addition, in July /
August, a group of students from the University of Birmingham
actively participated, working hard for 15 days.
Although experiments on ecological
communities present difficulties, in particular when affected by
strong perturbations; the observations and data collected by Naucrates researchers allow to provide some preliminary
conclusions. In particular the mangrove community of the tidal
creek located near GBB resort is now affected by many factors,
known, unknown and not predictable, that influence the
physiology, the growth and probably the reproduction of the
existing plants. In addition, a total absence of new colonizers in the plots of the study area was observed. The seedlings of species
that were present before the tsunami, placed in some specific
areas (where the reforestation is conducted) play an important
role of biological indicators.
The MRP was possible thanks to the support of
the North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), International Tree
Foundation (ITF), Mangrove Action Project (MAP), Golden Buddha
Beach Members Commite and Memorial Fund Lisa Jones and Rebecca
Clark (Naucrates).
MAP in particular, also showed an interest in
possible future collaboration, committing to look for funds to
finance work activities related to the mangroves and in the
local communities.
At Tapayoi village the education programme
was conducted by the following teaching team: Teacher: Pamela
Benjasirichai, John Boylan; Project supervisor:Monica Aureggi;
Teaching assistant:Lesley Russel, Kate Sandel; Volunteers from
Naucrates Conservation Project also took part in the programme
during the lesson. The programme ran in both Tapaeyoi and Thung
Dap villages. The students were separated into 3 groups
according to their age and class. Each group participated in two
hours of conservation lessons, and one hour of English weekly.
The program included English class for the village: at 16:30
twice a week Naucrates team taught English to children
and to whomever from the village that wished to attend
lessons.
Naucrates used,
for some activities, the “sala” that was built last season in
collaboration with “Aiutare i bambini”.
In July 2006 a troupe from TVE Asia
Pacific (www.tveap.org)
came to the island to film and interview Claudio Conti about the
Mangrove Restoration Project. The TVE AP conceived and
implemented an international multi-media educational project
involving TV, video and the web. The programme called “The
Greenbelt Reports” will include stories and facts about Nature’s
protection against disaster and climate change from different
countries.
Naucrates MRP will be part of the programme
with a five minutes video and an interview with Claudio. The
troupe created a professional set placing a chair in the middle
of the mangrove forest where Claudio sat during the interview.
Then, the cameraman followed Claudio into the tidal creek,
walking in the mud and riding in the canoe, to film different
spots and moments of his work.
Thanks
to Michael Coyne, it has been possible to collect donations
online using the website www.seaturtle.org. Donations
were then transferred into the Memorial Fund.
“Ecovolunteer
organization” accepted and helped again Naucrates recruiting volunteers for the work in Thailand.
Monica Aureggi, invited by WWF Thailand and
the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), in February 2006,
participated to a meeting of national sea turtle-experts in
Phuket, in order to give her contribution to the compilation of
the first National Action Plan for sea turtles.
In May 2006 the 26th Annual Symposium on Sea
Turtle Conservation was held in Crete, Greece. Monica Aureggi,
on behalf of Naucrates, was encouraged by the organizing
committee to give a talk about the post-tsunami project in
Thailand. A power point presentation was prepared in association
with our Thai collaborator, Kanjana Adulyanukosol, regarding the
impact of the tsunami on marine endangered species along the
Andaman Sea coast of Thailand and about the post tsunami
activities conducted by Naucrates. The talk lasted 15
minutes. A lot of people attended and congratulated with Monica
afterwards, showing the amazing solidarity amongst the
international sea turtle community. The newsletter of the organization, “Naucrates
Times” is regularly sent to members in the months of April
–August –December and is available online on www.naucrates.org
The English version of documents online, text
of the newsletter, text of reports, etc. are kindly revised by
Katie Jones.
As far as the number of regularly subscribed
members is concerned, we count 86, against the 115 of the first
year, 72 of the second, 92 of the third and 70 of the fourth.
The website of the organization, www.naucrates.org , is periodically
updated by Elena Daelli, who, not only inserts texts and news,
but also takes care of the graphic design.
Naucrates
Director
Monica Aureggi
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