Diving Fellowship Activities

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29 November 2021
Grace Easteria

After practicing in the pool, the women were finally ready to take their skills for a drive in the open ocean! On the first day, the women revisited some of the basics that they had learned during the pool session, and practiced in the waters of Baung Penyu, our coral conservation site. By the second dive, they were visibly becoming more comfortable in the water. Although they hit a small current and had to grip onto a rope, they remained enthusiastic – and even more so when they encountered sea turtles and colorful fishes swimming around them. After an exhausting couple of days, the women were finally certified divers!

 

The women were also tasked with photographing different corals and fishes as part of their coral and fish identification specialty course. They then identified the corals and fishes they photographed together in class. They also helped to plant coral onto reef stars, which are structures designed to help restore coral reef ecosystems. They collected baby corals from a nearby site called Bias Tugel, and attached them onto the reef structures. 

 

At the end of their dive training, we were ecstatic to hear how much the women had grown through the program. One group member, Dede, was able to overcome trauma about being in the water. Another, Saras, learned to enjoy the dives despite her seasickness. The women have also grown incredibly close to each other, forming close friendships and feeling united by a shared love of the environment and a mission to save the ocean.

 

Grace Easteria

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Supporting partners 2023

Supporting partners

The Restoration Stewards program provides funding, mentorship and training to deepen the impact of youth-led restoration projects. The year-long program is run by the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) under the banner of Generation Restoration to support and highlight the work of eight young restoration practitioners and their teams in 2023.

During the program, the Restoration Stewards and their teams are  supported to further develop their project and serve as ambassadors at both global and local levels. Globally, the Restoration Stewards share their journeys in a series of vlogs and blogs documenting their stories of inspiration and challenges and participate in different international events to showcase their work. Locally, they are sparking a restoration movement, mobilizing local communities and creating pathways to connect, share, learn, and act for livelihoods and landscapes.