Pacific Islands Project Highlights RARE Center for Tropical Conservation The RARE Center is a nonprofit organization that has supported conservation education campaigns in 20 countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and the Pacific (Palau, Pohnpei and Western Samoa). These campaigns have reached over 1.75 million people and generated strong grassroots support for conservation, resulting in the establishment of protected areas, strengthening of wildlife protection laws and regulations, recovery of endangered bird populations, and increases in public and private sector support for conservation. The center's Conservation Education Program is designed to promote and build long-term local conservation awareness in small, developing island nations. During a one year startup period, RARE works with a local project leader and lead agency (usually the government forestry department or a leading non-government organization) to develop a campaign tailored to local ecological, social, political, and economical situation. The campaign usually focuses on a single species, usually an endangered bird, using techniques such as billboards, church sermons, school presentations, puppet shows, and community meetings. In 1999, the RARE Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mayor of Rota established an agreement to start a Conservation Education Program in Rota. Rota is the southernmost island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands in the Pacific. The Service's Pacific Islands Ecoregion is providing funding necessary to implement a one year program. The colorful Marianas Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus roseicapilla) , known locally as "Totot", has been chosen to represent the Conservation Education Program in Rota. The fruit dove is endemic to the Mariana Islands and is a secretive forest bird that keeps to the canopy. Isaac Calvo Jr. is the Project Coordinator in the dove costume pictured left. The island of Rota offers some of the most diverse forests in Micronesia. Undisturbed limestone forests support many native plants and animals, as well as provide food and traditional medicine for islanders. Rota is also home for the endangered Mariana Crow, the Mariana Fruit Bat, and the Rota Bridled White Eye. Projects Highlights Home Page Top of Page