Earlier in October, CTC conducted five outreach and awareness activities in the Ay-Rhun Island MPA. These activities are part of the support efforts to improve the management effectiveness of the MPA, including regular surveillance and monitoring of resource utilization (RUM) and socialization of the MPA zoning system and management plan, as well as Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species (ETP Species).

CTC collaborated with six students from Universitas Banda Neira to deliver key messages to the students in Ay-Rhun Island MPA. As the primary organizer and facilitator of the activities, CTC provided materials such as posters and notebooks about the ETP species.

The outreach event took place in the five schools, including SMPN 82, SDN 72 and MIN 6 from Rhun Island and SMP 182 and SDN 10 from Ay Island. The targets of the outreach were grade 4 or 5 elementary school students and grade 7 junior high school students with a total of 266 students (94 male and 172 female) joined the outreach.

Basically, the outreach began with the delivery of basic information on marine conservation. Then, it continued into key subjects such as seagrass, coral reefs, and sea turtles, covering aspects like their definitions, functions, life cycles, ecology, various species, threats they face, and how to protect them. Leading this educational effort were Purwanto, the CTC Maluku Portfolio Manager, and Laode Junaedin, the Banda MPA Officer, who played pivotal roles in sharing their experiences and knowledge with the students.

Organizing outreach events such as these contributes to the strengthening of relationships between CTC, local governments, schools, and the community. This can be viewed as a beneficial future investment for CTC in ensuring community mobilization and public participation in various marine conservation campaigns or activities in the Ay-Rhun Island MPA.

Writers: Adam Putra, Purwanto, Laode Junaidin
Photos: Purwanto/CTC, Laode Junaidin/CTC