More than 20 years of work officially recognised
Dr. Patrick Pikacha has received recognition for his significant environmental achievements in the South Pacific.
Dr. Patrick Pikacha, vertebrate ecologist and field biologist, has been honored with the National Leadership in Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Award by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Dr. Pikacha is a senior lecturer in ecology in the School of Science and Technology at PAU. Prior to that, he was an associate lecturer in International Programs with the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia.
“I’ve been working with community conservation organizations in the Solomon Islands for more than 20 years,” said Dr. Pikacha.
“I have a passion for community resource management initiatives that help maintain ecosystems and services whilst meeting human needs. As you know, Melanesians have an innate connection to place and land. Yet, within our land and seascapes, we have seen unsustainable exploitation of our natural resources.
“This has been a cause of concern for me and the local organization I am associated with on the ground—Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands.”
Dr. Pikacha said he is humbled by the recognition. “As Pacific islanders who live on tiny islands, resource management is everyone’s business. I only represent a fraction of the individuals and like-minded organizations, such as Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands, who work tirelessly to ensure our natural resources are sustainably managed in the Pacific Islands.”
SPREP is a regional organization established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific, charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources of the Pacific. Its head office is in Apia, Samoa.
Footnote.
This article was originally published on the website of Adventist Record.
Read full article: https://adventist.news/news/adventists-recognized-for-environmental-achievements
Source. Solomon Times Online.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
