Friday 5th of June 2009 was the World Environment Day. On Saturday 6th of June 2009, about 200 people comprising men, women and children braved the rain in Port Moresby to turn up at Tahira, Bootless Bay next to Loloata Resort jetty to take part in planting of mangroves seedlings.

Although the occasion was not popular, the message of this small but significant event was very clear: Climate Change is here to stay and each and every one of us as living and breathing creatures of planet Earth need to do something about it before our destiny is changed forever. If 200 people can plant over 5,000 mangroves seedlings on the 6th of June 2009, imagine the impact if 20,000 to more than 100,000 of us took to the bushes, deserts, rivers, mountains and planted a seedling. Imagine the impact planting of over 1 million to 5 million seedlings over a period of 5 to 10 years will do to Climate Change and Carbon Concentration in our atmosphere and oceans. As a tropical and coastal country, Papua New Guinea is vulnerable to Climate Change and so must contribute in efforts like this to minimise the impacts of Climate Change.

Photos below show the planting of mangroves by the volunteers to mark World Environment Day.

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Papua New Guinea is already covered in vast and diverse flora and fauna. However, the impact of climate change knows no boundaries and no country as we have already witnessed the first refugees of climate change are none other than the Carteret Islanders of Bougainville in PNG.

Thanks to marine biologist Thomas Maniwavie of UPNG and his team of NGOs, we now have a champion of the Environment that we all can look for leadership in conserving and becoming environmentally minded people. Don’t forget the World Environment Day which falls on the 5th of June every year. Spread the message and participate in conserving our Environment.