Oceanus Conservation is dedicated to empowering coastal communities as they take on a crucial role in safeguarding marine ecosystems. Through Project MaSANAYAN—short for Mangrove and Seagrass Advocacy for Nurturing Awareness and Youth Action in Nature—Oceanus, in partnership with the Rumah Foundation, is supporting local conservation efforts in key coastal areas across the Philippines. Building Local Conservation Capacity The...
Category: Community
Growing Futures: Exploring Livelihood through Mangrove-Based Non-Timber Products
For the past five years, Oceanus Conservation has been at the forefront of mangrove restoration and conservation in the Philippines. As one of the pioneering NGOs in this field, many see restoration efforts as a simple act of planting trees, efforts have often prompted the question: “After all the planting, what will we gain?” Why...
The power of community: reflections from a field officer
One morning, before heading out for another day of work in the muddy fishponds which I consider my office, I was encouraged to join the Generation of Sea and Earth Advocates (GenSEA) camp. In the program, I saw “project pitching” and immediately thought, “Is this like Shark Tank?”. So without much thinking, I said yes....
Security Bank Grows Resilient Communities with Mangrove Restoration Effort
Press Release: A Sustainable Commitment to Coastal Protection and Livelihood La Union, Philippines—In celebration of “Month of the Ocean”, Security Bank has taken a bold step toward environmental sustainability by planting 940 native mangrove seedlings alongside the Dulao Fishpond and Fishpen Producers Cooperative, in collaboration with Oceanus Conservation and Communities for Nature. This initiative marks...
Biodiversity on Lens: Youth Citizen Science in Action
The role of youth in environmental conservation is becoming increasingly vital. Citizen science is one of the most effective tools for engaging young people in hands-on environmental conservation work. One exciting initiative under the Global Landscape Forum (GLFx) Mindanao Chapter is the Biodiversity on Lens: Youth Citizen Science in Action. This initiative brought together youth...
“BayBayanihan sa Capiz”: What Happens When Youth Lead the Charge for Climate Action?
In the face of rising sea levels and environmental degradation, a movement is taking root in Capiz—one driven by the passion and determination of young leaders. Certainly, BayBayanihan sa Capiz: Climate Awareness & Action Workshop isn’t just a workshop; it’s a movement for climate resilience that empowers youth with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience...
25,000 Mangrove Saplings and Counting: Reviving Bitaugan West Through Community Action
With the support of the Blue Marine Foundation, we successfully wrapped up the project’s first year of mangrove rehabilitation activities. In partnership with the Bitaugan West Fisherfolks Association (BWFA), we planted the last batch of mangrove saplings, 9,764, hitting our target of 25,000 saplings for the year! The BWFA, with 55 members (24 women and...
AI can help us save mangroves. We want to do better, starting with Bislig City.
We have seen the potential of AI in supporting our conservation work. Figures 1-2. Workshop participants during the Community-Based Rehabilitation and Conservation Training last December 3-4. Sources: Andreu Bayongasan, Oceanus Conservation; Dafrose Bajaro, Thinking Machines In 2022, Oceanus partnered with Thinking Machines Data Science and Gainforest to improve monitoring of mangrove forests through mobile data...
Two local community associations trained for sustainable livelihood by 2025
The Bitaugan West Fisherfolks Association (BWFA) and Aras-asan Coastal Fisherfolks Association (ACFA), play an important role in mangrove rehabilitation and conservation in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur. Oceanus Conservation, with the support of Blue Marine Foundation, a UK-charity foundation, conducted series of trainings to enhance the leadership and organizational capacities of two local community associations. The...