Island and Ocean Ecosystems
Over 35 students of Taro Primary School in the Solomon Islands participated in the SPREP Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Project in partnership with USAID to plant over 120 Trees on Taro Island.

The Standard Six students took time out from their normal classes to plants trees along the coast and to learn about climate change with other organisations and partners of the Choiseul Integrated Climate Change Programme.

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These include SPC-GIZ, Youth at Work, the Choiseul provincial government, Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Community (LLCTC), and representatives of the Ministry of Environment. The Ministry of Forests' Director of Herbarium, Mr. Myknee Sirikolo, was the lead technical officer with support from the SPREP EbA Officer in Solomon Islands, Mr. Fred Siho Patison.

Speaking during the event, the deputy Provincial Secretary, Mr. Geoffrey Pakipota, encouraged all students to take ownership of the plants and expressed the commitment of the province to ecosystem-based adaptation activities undertaken by SPREP and other partners.

The SPREP EbA project is also supporting a similar activity for water catchment rehabilitation in Sasamuga village. The Pirini community which owns the water catchment are also undertaking catchment rehabilitation through forest rehabilitation and re-planting of trees in October.