BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Solomon Islands Rangers have travelled to Torres Strait, a strait between Australia and the Melanesian Island of New Guinea as part of an ongoing exchange that aims to enhance conservation knowledge, foster sharing of skills, cultures, and experiences.
In a close collaboration with the Torres Strait Regional Authority rangers in the Land and Sea Management unit at Waibene and Boigu Islands, the focus was on aspects like land and sea management, sea-grass monitoring, invasive species control, and the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).
The Solomon Islands Rangers team included; Albert Kwatelae, Technical Consultant, Edward Huitarau, Program Manager, Christina Raenaitoro – Finance Officer, Felix Naitoro -Vice President of the Board, and Eve Aihunu-Program Manager AVI-SI.
They spent two weeks on Waibene Island and had the opportunity to visit Goods Island, Friday Island, and Prince of Wales Island, followed by another week on Boigu Island.
The Solomon Islands Rangers gained valuable insights into the organisational structure, governance, and management practices of TSRA to better understand effective operational strategies.
They also learned from the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) about several areas related to project governance and integration management.
During the exchange trip to TSRA in August, the Project Manager for the Outer Islands Rangers, Ms Alice Manas, mentioned that although they come from a well-funded Rangers program, their goal was to experience and view things through different lens.
While the Solomon Islands Rangers may not be as fully resourced as TSRA in the Torres Strait, they are committed to make efforts to protect and preserve the community and bridge knowledge gaps by learning from the experiences and practices of the Torres Strait Regional Authority rangers.
The SI rangers gained new ideas, insights, and knowledge from the TSRA team, particularly during their visit to Boigu Island, which provided them with a profound sense of experience.
This exchange trip has opened up numerous avenues for growth, allowing rangers to enhance their skills and knowledge while acquiring new perspectives on their professional journeys.
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