In achieving our mission to decelerate the climate crisis, we believe a collaborative effort is not only beneficial, but highly required, especially in regards to the locals. By conducting focus group discussions, we aimed to secure their support and participation in our conservation efforts. We found that the people of the Thousand Islands recognize the need for a program such as ours as an imperative effort to protect their homes. 

Through our discussions, we were able to identify their concerns and interests relevant to our project. The locals recognized the decline in quality of their existing coral reef ecosystem as a result of climate change. It becomes evident that conservation efforts need to be carried out to reduce the impact of the climate crisis whilst increasing protection for the coral reefs. This can be further supported by education initiatives aimed at raising awareness and understanding on the importance of coral reefs for the community.  

However, since there are plenty of pre-existing organizations and youth groups with a similar mission to Carbon Ethics, the locals feel that educational workshops can often feel redundant. As a proposed solution, they believe that we would make a stronger impact by collaborating with other organizations as well as the local government.

The tourism industry also plays a substantial role in the local livelihood, considering the widely recognized appeal of the Thousand Islands’ beautiful underwater ecosystems. However, the bustling tourism industry of the Thousand Islands can often be perceived as a threat due to a lack of education and awareness on how to be a responsible tourist. The locals feel that one of the efforts we can incorporate into our conservation agenda is to educate tourism practitioners as well as visiting tourists on sustainable and responsible tourism. 

These discussions are not just a platform for exchanging perspectives and identifying the needs of the community, but rather as a genuine way to connect with them on a deeper, more personal level. It is hoped that further discussions like these can be held on a regular basis as a way to align our conservation efforts with the community’s needs.

Save The Reefs, They’re The Only Ones We Got!