The Society’s Terrestrial Program is currently implementing four main strategies, which include:

Grow-Low Sakau (kava) Campaign
Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR) Survey/ Demarcation
Watershed Forest Monitoring
Income Generating Activities/Alternative Income Sources

Grow-Low Sakau (Kava) Campaign
Traditionally, Pohnpeians planted sakau in the lowland employing only agro-forestry methods, and used the plant solely for local customs and ceremonial purposes. However, in the early 1980s sakau became a valuable cash crop and the largest income earner for local farmers. Because of this, people started to move to and clear large plots in the wetter upland areas, where they found that sakau plants grew bigger and faster. The Grow–Low Campaign is a key strategy of the Pohnpei Conservation Area (PCA) Project. The campaign’s major technical goal is to transfer the agricultural skills required for high yield, sustainable, sakau propagation in the lowlands to all farmers, especially those currently working in the PCA. This strategy has become one of the more effective projects combating upland farming and deforestation in the native forest (Watershed). CSP staff identify farmers that are working in the upland forest, educate them about the importance of our watershed and persuade them to accept the objectives of the Grow-Low Sakau Campaign. Also, the terrestrial program has set up group workshops to introduce the Grow-Low Sakau Campaign to communities that have not yet participated in the program, especially in the areas where deforestation is a real threat to the watershed.

In order to educate Pohnpeians before they start to enter the WFR, the terrestrial program staff work with the Youth-to-Youth program (under the Education program), introducing Grow-Low Sakau Campaign to 6th grade students in local elementary schools. These students create their own lowland sakau nurseries and give presentations to other students and community members about what they have learned. By educating the youth about grow-low, we hope that they will spread the grow-low message to others, and that as adults they will not participate in clearing in Pohnpei’s watershed area.

Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR) Survey/Demarcation
In 1987 the Pohnpei Watershed and Mangrove Act (IL-128-87) was created to protect Pohnpei’s fragile WFR area. In an effort to create more public awareness and visual boundaries around the reserve, CSP, with several partners, started the WFR boundary line survey and delineation. In 2001, a survey team completed the demarcation in U and four sections of Madolenihmw. The survey and demarcation team placed reference points, permanent concrete markers, and signs at all entrance points to the WFR. The visible demarcation of the WFR boundary line has proven to be an effective strategy in lessening encroachers in the watershed area. CSP’s terrestrial team have worked with government partners to secure funding to complete the WRF boundary line in Kitti, Sokehs, Nett, and 2/3 of Madolenihmw.

Watershed Forest Monitoring
The watershed forest-monitoring program focuses on 13 forest areas representing the most ecologically important components of the Pohnpei WFR. Two to three community members from each section in the municipalities, plus our staff and municipal police, are responsible for quarterly monitoring of forest activities in these areas. They are taught measuring and evaluation skills and are responsible for the actual recording of the sakau plots. These staff members spend one to two days in the forest measuring the plots using several measuring techniques.

Recent monitoring results have clearly shown that CSP’s terrestrial strategies are having a positive effect, as there has been a 50% decrease in forest clearing since the last quarter. The most impressive results were apparent in the areas where the watershed boundary lines were already demarcated, U and Madolenihmw. This shows that having signs and permanent markers demarcating the watershed boundary line is an effective strategy to lessen intrusion into the watershed.

Income Generating Activities
As an organization, CSP understands that for some farmers sakau is the only income for their families. To combat this problem, CSP created a strategy to teach community members other ways of making an income. One such activity is the carving of non-timber products. During the course of natural changes, storms uproot trees, nutrients are leached from soil and trees die, or branches fall. This wood that naturally dies is called non-timber because it is not harvested while still living. The products made from this wood are not harmful to Pohnpei’s environment, and a very good sustainable source of income. CSP and NRCS-USDA offer a non-timber product workshop, targeting the local sakau farmers in communities where there are severe clearings in the watershed areas. A local carver, who commits most of his time to carving for the financial support of his family, leads the workshop and teaches about non-timber carving, the necessary tools for the craft, and the types of items most desirable for selling (rice and feast spoons.) Following the workshop, members of the community form their own carving organization and give their products to CSP to sell and promote to potential on and off-island buyers.