Tetioaroa Updates, Avaaz Amazon campaign
Oh my god high energy particles may be glitch in space time
Ia Ora Na
The days are getting longer and the weather has warmed up. We are heading into summer with the uncertainty of what this year’s El Nino will bring us. Our efforts to bring Tetiaroa back to its natural state, with a healthy coral reef, motu forests, and native animal populations is preparing the island for the uncertainties of this year and those to come. We are learning as we go and developing a model of success for other tropical islands. Our efforts have been supported by our local partners, especially The Brando Resort, by financial support from our donors, and by all the hard work of our staff and the amazing volunteers that have helped us when we needed it the most. Thanks to all, and we hope you enjoy a few stories here and that we will see all of you again on this magical island.
Nature Notes | Crabs are really cool
Crabs are really cool. They are part of a group of animals called Arthropods that account for 80% of all animal species (you know them as spiders, beetles, ants, millipedes, mites, mosquitoes, butterflies, lobsters, shrimp, etc.)
On Tetiaroa, like many remote Pacific islands, before the arrival of mammals (humans and rats), crabs played a huge role in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The mammals however reduced the crab populations to a level where some species almost disappeared, and others were greatly diminished.
As Tetiaroa Society removes invasive species the island is returning to its natural state. One of the results of this is that the crab populations are returning to normal and they are resuming their natural roles on the atoll.
Read more about the crabs on Tetiaroa
This is a question that University of Washington (UW) researchers are interested in better understanding. Very little is known about where Brown Boobies in tropical waters are going to forage. The University of Washington is placing GPS tracking tags on Brown Boobies, which record their locations with high accuracy every 5 minutes when they leave Tetiaroa.
From this, we can all learn how far Brown Boobies travel, how long they are away from Tetiaroa, and if they travel to the same locations repeatedly. The antenna on Tahuna Iti is receiving the data from the tags placed on the birds and then sending it via the cell network to the researchers at UW.
Currently, UW researchers are monitoring 12 birds and are planning to tag at least 14 more. In this figure, you can see the pathways some of the tagged birds took during the first week of monitoring. On this map, each bird is represented by a different color. All of the birds are currently nesting on Tahuna Iti and return to their nests after venturing out. As you can see, more of the birds so far are traveling south rather than north, with some birds visiting Moorea and Tahiti. The tags will stay on the birds for a couple of months, letting the researchers learn more about Brown Booby foraging locations and behaviors during nesting.
Funding and support for this research provided by the Seeley, Anderson, and Bailey Families, and Tetiaroa Society.
Mauruuru to our volunteers
On Tetiaroa we have a dedicated staff that works hard to teach people about the island and support our science and conservation programs. We also have an exceptional extended family of donors that support what we do. But sometimes the most important people in our organization are volunteers who come to the island and put in long days carrying out field work.
Most recently we had a group that came to help with the ant eradication. They cleared kilometers of trails through the bush, carried 10 kilo buckets of bait across the motu, and distributed the bait carefully across selected areas. Many of this group were returning volunteers who helped with the rat eradication, and have come on trash collecting campaigns, and will very likely work with us again.
During this season we would like to say a hearty thank you to all of these dedicated people who have worked with us to preserve and protect Tetiaroa.
Our program, the Blue Climate Initiative, has just published an important new white paper, "Next Generation EV Batteries Eliminate the Need for Deep Sea Mining." As part of an ongoing global effort to bring about a moratorium on deep sea mining, the paper refutes the claim that deep sea mining is necessary for the growing EV battery market - which strikes at the heart of the mining companies' rationale for mining Earth's least understood ecosystem.
https://www.instagram.com/tetiaroasociety/
Dear friends,
The Amazon isn't dying. It's being murdered.
My people have cherished this rainforest for 6,000 years -- it is the greatest manifestation of life, anywhere on the planet.
But oil companies don't see that. They drill precisely where the rainforest is most alive, spilling their black death, poisoning our rivers -- and fuelling the climate fever. They are killing the rainforest and all the life it holds.
Now those same oil giants are ready to grease negotiations at the UN climate talks, starting in days. A huge oil boss will lead the summit in Dubai, and hundreds of industry lobbyists are ready to feast.
We cannot let them speak for the Amazon.
Negotiations are about to start -- but we have a bold plan to flood the talks with the voices that matter most: ours. We don't just live in the rainforest; we are a part of it. The Suruí people, the Baniwa, Karipuna, Ashinka and so many others…let us ALL be heard.
If we raise enough, we can send a powerful delegation of Indigenous leaders to the summit, supported by Avaaz campaigners to get face to face with decision makers, and in front of TV cameras. We'd be standing up to some of the most powerful corporations on Earth -- we can't do it alone.
I'm calling on you to help power an Indigenous uprising to ban fossil fuels in the Amazon. I promise no one will fight harder -- donate what you can now:
My father was the Great Chief Almir Suruí -- he taught me that we must listen to the stars, the wind, the animals, and the trees. They are pleading with us now.
Today the climate is warming. The animals are disappearing. And our plants don't flower like they did before. The Amazon has more plant species than the number of stars you see in the night sky -- and look what they're doing to it!
The Avaaz community has been a steadfast ally in our fight for the rainforest. You have supported Indigenous communities to rally, plan, and speak with a united voice. Now we need help getting our voices into the halls of power -- we cannot do it alone. With your support, Avaaz could:
Bring powerful Indigenous voices straight from the Amazon to meet decision-makers at the critical UN climate talks;
Run bold stunts to soak up media attention outside the summit, forcing Amazon protections onto the political agenda;
Support Indigenous leaders with Avaaz's brilliant media and advocacy campaigners -- helping us win legal protections for our Amazon lands;
Equip Amazon communities to show up at every key negotiation summit next year -- we'll fight for rainforest protections at every opportunity; and
Fund Avaaz's campaign to save the Amazon, building a powerhouse of campaigners and legal experts to take on miners, loggers and Big Oil.
The Amazon is Earth's most intricate ecosystem -- and my people are part of that web. If the rainforest is under mortal attack, then so are we. The fate of the Amazon hangs in the balance, and we must be heard. Donate what you can now:
The Amazon doesn’t just need heroes; it needs voices of wisdom. Voices that resonate with the depth of the forest and the clarity of the waters that sustain it. It has never been this urgent, and we must keep showing up, again and again. The survival of the Amazon hinges on our unity now, and your support could help ignite an historic uprising to save it.
For the Wild,
Txai Suruí, of the Paiter Suruí Indigenous community in Brazil, and the whole team at Avaaz
Txai Suruí is a 26-year-old activist, land defender, environmentalist, and advocate for the rights of Indigenous people. Her community's lands are some of the most devastated by the impacts of climate change. She founded the Indigenous Youth Movement of Rondônia, which rallies young people in her state, and coordinates the Associação de Defesa Etnoambiental-Kanindé, a community organisation that has worked with Indigenous people for over 30 years.
PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.
More information:
My people have lived in the Amazon for 6,000 years: You need to listen to us (Climate Home News)
What drought in the Amazon means for the planet (The Washington Post)
Cop28 host UAE has world’s biggest climate-busting oil plans, data indicates (The Guardian)
Petrobras expects to drill near Amazon mouth in 2024, says CEO (Reuters)
A Growing Movement Looks to End Oil Drilling in the Amazon (Inside Climate News)