These are stories highlighting the benefits and accomplishments of conservation activities throughout the Pacific Islands Area. The National Campaign website offers a variety of conservation stories from across the Nation.
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) is a USDA-wide effort to carry out President Obama's commitment to strengthening local and regional food systems. We know that demand for local and regional foods is strong, as consumers across the country are looking to connect with their food and the people who grow and raise it.
Forestry in the Islands
Forestry applications in tropical Pacific Island settings represent a unique blend of “classic” forest management principals with island traditions and needs. Fundamental benefits such as watershed function, erosion control and invasive species control are addressed through objectives including native ecosystem restoration, wildlife enhancement, agroforestry and commercial plantations. Though projects can span hundreds of acres, many of our Cooperators address forestry needs on sites less than five acres in size. Join us for a look at some of our forestry/agroforestry management efforts!
Ranching in the Islands
Our conservation technical and financial assistance is available to ranchers across the Pacific Islands Area. Some of the practices include prescribed grazing, pest management, watering facilities, and waste storage structures/lagoons. More success stories to come!
Conservation: Our Purpose, Our Passion
The purpose and passion for conservation is shared among many. It is shared between NRCS employees and partners who help people help the land. And it is shared by the landowners with whom we work. Our passion is manifested through the benefits derived from stewardship of private lands—benefits we all enjoy, such as cleaner water and air, improved soils and abundant wildlife habitat.
Learn about our stories, the stories of conservation made possible through a shared purpose, a shared passion and a shared commitment to conservation.
Carbon Sequestration
One of the agency's Venture Goal is Clean Air. Agriculture makes a positive contribution to local air quality and the Nation's efforts to sequester carbon. This is one example from Maui.
Conservation Showcase - American Samoa
Photos of practices in America Samoa displayed (Tree/Shrub Establishment, Herbaceous Weed Control, Composting Facility, Waste Treatment, Vegetative Barrier, and Hillside Ditch).
Conservation Showcase - Ho Family Farm
Wei Chong Ho has 40 acres on Oahu to farm Japanese cucumbers, long beans, squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. He and his family have been stellar land stewards for over 20 years. The conservation plan they hold with NRCS is to address weeds, insects, and plant disease by following an integrated pest management system.
Energy Conservation
This solar collection panel and charger is one of the projects in Saipan that illustrates the innovative ways that farmers are conserving energy.
People's Garden Hoolehua: Hoolehua Plant Materials Center (PMC) has only recently initiated the "official" People's Garden. It is located at the PMC and covers an area roughly 2,400 sq. ft. (60'x40'). The area has been roughly cleared and except for some native a'ali' shrubs for windbreak that's all that has been done. Molokai UH Extension Service, USDA NRCS Field Office, Molokai/Lanai Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Molokai High School Molokai Environmental Preservation Organization (MEPO) has been contacted and they have all agreed to partner in this effort.
The Molokai Peoples Garden will incorporate conservation practices such as windbreaks, green manure cover crops, mulching, pollinators, and use of natives plants for conservation use.
Pohnpei: USDA NRCS donates cabbage to the Early Childhood Education - Pohnpei Center. The FSM NRCS team has done an important work in extending the White House and USDA People’s and Community Garden initiative. NRCS sponsored training and skill development for construction and operations of raised bed gardens appropriate to the local community and climate is actively provided to Pohnpei state students and interns from the College of Micronesia.
The cabbages were harvested from the raised beds at the SWCD shade structure. This was the finality of a good project with the two students that just completed their Agricultural Certificate internship with our office. They built a creative raised bed garden out of a pallet, prepared the soil, and planted the cabbage.
Ugum-Atate Team...The Adventure Begins.
In partnership with Guam Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Forestry, NRCS is providing training on how to prep, dig and describe a simple soil investigation pit. As part of site investigations, the team will dig small pits and collect soil samples, note observation of horizons, effective rooting depth to establish the baseline site assessment.
In addition, the forest on the ridge crest they hiked in Guam has a limestone outcrop with a dark black rich organic soil. The team planted vetiver slips, sowed some acacia seeds in the soil pit they dug up, and collected some basic site data.
