ESC: Conscientisation des enjeux de biodiversité insulaire en Polynésie française

SOP Manu was founded in 1990 with a single purpose, to conserve the critically endangered bird Tahiti Monarch . Over time the organization has grown and our mission broadened to conserving all of French Polynesia’s biodiversity, although we remain focused on birds as keystone species and indicators of ecosystem health. Today the organization has 200 members, eight permanent staff and two permanent contractors who dedicate their lives to saving species. Several students and young from the local community in subsided work complete the team, as well with local volunteers. SOP Manu invests in projects that benefit those bird species and ecosystems at greatest risk and also those that offer the greatest return on investment. We focus mainly on species identified as critically endangered within IUCN’s red list, we use proven tools and we target projects where the probability of success is high. On all of our projects, community engagement and interest is a critical criterion for all of our projects. Since 2007, Manu lead 8 to 12 programmes each year on species conservation, volunteers involvement, awareness campaign, site restoration, biosecurity... We work daily with local volunteers, landowners, children to protect and increase awareness on nature protection. ESC is a fantastic opportunity for our NGO, for threatened birds and for european volunteers that can gain and share experience and exchange their culture with local people. After 5 years of hosting young volunteers from Spain, Italia and Belgium, SOP wants to continue this valuable experience for the various benefits brought by ESC volunteering. This project aims to empower young people, to strengthen self-confidence through an environment multicultural and stimulating education in the field of environmental protection; and develop their employability in this sector. The project makes it possible to discover the importance of environmental and solidarity values. Volunteers will develop both skills very practical for the preservation of the environment and animals. They can even develop unique know-how in favor of environmental protection. By promoting the benefits of volunteering among young people from rural areas, with support regular, citizenship activities and active, inclusive and innovative volunteering, this experience will allow future volunteers to increase their employability for a career perspective rich and innovative in a growing sector. The most promising impact will be that our volunteers remain active when they return to the environment and ecology. They will thus convey their international visions of the association MANU in terms of ecology and the environment. This prospect would be an excellent basis for create a network of international contacts for both personal and professional projects.