(TTT) — Tåno Tåsi yan Todu invites the local community to attend the sixth Mariana Islands Conservation Conference. As always, the event is free and open to the public and will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. More than 250 students, researchers, natural resource managers, environmental advocates, and community members from Guåhan and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and various non-profit, academic, and governmental institutions participate annually.
This year, the conference will be held in Saipan from Feb. 25 to March 1. Established in 2017, the event fosters collaboration across the archipelago and shares the most recent advances in environmental conservation and restoration. “While Guam and the CNMI are separated politically, the conference creates a space for CHamoru and Refaluwasch people and members of the local community to gather and discuss strategies to protect and restore land and marine resources, as well as associated challenges,” said board member Tina Sablan.
The conference was formerly called the “Marianas Terrestrial Conservation Conference,” but this year, the focus of the conference expanded to include projects and policy initiatives to protect and restore marine resources as well, and thus, the name of the event was changed accordingly. “We are excited to include stakeholders dedicated to safeguarding and repairing marine and coral reef systems this year,” said board member Dr. Haldre Rogers.
The week-long event will include research presentations, scientific posters, professional development activities, and a career fair focused on jobs in conservation. Attendees will learn first-hand about efforts to restore populations of the Nosa’ in Luta, and other birds and animals native to the Mariana Islands. A particular highlight of the MICC are the field trips, which provide opportunities to visit and learn about coral reefs, limestone forests, and ongoing conservation projects with knowledgeable guides. While attendance is free, TTT encourages the community to register soon for the five-day event to receive updates in advance of the conference.
Tåno, Tåsi, yan Todu is still accepting abstracts for 15-minute oral presentations and scientific posters. Abstracts should convey research results, provide updates on conservation projects, share policy achievements, or present traditional knowledge. The deadline to submit abstracts is Monday, Jan. 8; however, if additional time is needed, please contact TTT.
“We thank the Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assistance Program, Saint Louis Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, and the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography for their generous support, and we welcome additional donors to sponsor various events during the conference either through a financial donation or in-kind support.”
Interested individuals or companies should contact us at the email below.
To register for the conference, submit an abstract, or learn more, visit https://www.marianasterrestrialconservation.org/.
Contact tanotasitodu@gmail.com for questions and further discussions about the event.
