January 15, 2025
We’re Joining the Global Rewilding Alliance!
We're joining the Global Rewilding Alliance, a network of environmental organizations around the world!
Our new online shop is live!
Published on
November 16, 2022
Written by
Island Conservation
Photo credit
Island Conservation
Polynesian community members partnered with local and international nonprofits to protect the island ecosystem by removing invasive rats
Persistence, courage and frequent improvisation lay at the heart of a pioneering island restoration project on Kamaka Island, French Polynesia. The operation used innovative drone technology as part of an ongoing initiative by global nonprofit Island Conservation and their partner Envico Technologies to refine and reduce the cost of conservation technology. The Ornithological Society of French Polynesia (known as Manu) and members of the local community facilitated the complex endeavor, overcoming formidable terrain, weather and sea conditions, and frequent logistical challenges. This project was co-funded by the European Commission through its BEST 2.0+ program.
Kamaka is an island in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia where seabirds – such as the Polynesian Storm Petrel, Tahiti Petrel and Murphy’s Petrel – once thrived. However, invasive rats devoured eggs and young and destroyed their natural habitat, severely reducing biodiversity and making the island hostile to endemic plant and animal life. A first attempt at rat eradication in 2015 revealed significant logistical challenges that highlighted a need for increased local community engagement, support and coordination. Years of planning synthesized lessons learned about challenging tropical conditions and how to facilitate increased drone capacity.
The decisive factor in this second, successful operation was the involvement of the Mangareva community in the Gambier Archipelago, as well as implementation support from Manu, a group dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of French Polynesia.
“We are committed to working with the island communities that provide in-depth knowledge of these environments. We simply could not have completed the Kamaka project without their time, skills, expertise and relentless energy,” says Richard Griffiths, Head of Operations for the South and West Pacific at Island Conservation.
Each island has its own terrain and weather conditions to navigate, and this determines which drone is suitable for the distribution of conservation bait. Kamaka’s landscape required all supplies to be ferried up steep terrain and coastal cliffs by hand. The team completed up to 100 drone flights a day, several days in a row. In the end, they conducted over 600 flights to ensure adequate coverage.
“The drone technology used has been developed over many years. These operations traditionally use helicopters, which are effective but are incredibly expensive and require far more time and resources. Instead, for Kamaka, we utilized the ENV 10, which is smaller than other drone models but could easily adapt to the frequent flights required,” says Cameron Baker, Managing Director of Envico Technologies.
Island Conservation and Envico Technologies use field operations to refine drone technology for diverse conservation projects in adverse conditions around the world.
“The use of drones on Kamaka was our most ambitious to date, demonstrating the potential for this technology to be a tractable and cost-effective solution for island restoration compared to conventional methods,” says David Will, Head of Innovation at Island Conservation. “We are working with Envico and island communities to advance this technology through real world experience so that it can be easily accessible. We want to democratize the use of drones so that healthy islands can be protected by the people who live there.”
Once the island is free of predatory invasive rats, Island Conservation expects birds from the nearby source populations to repopulate the island, reestablishing Kamaka as the seabird-driven ecosystem it once was. Seabirds are critical connectors between land and sea, producing important nutrients that fertilize the surrounding marine life.
“We also anticipate a host of critically endangered, endemic plants to recover on the island as the impacts of invasive rodents wane,” says Richard. “We will continue to visit Kamaka to monitor these changes and formulate a strategy to rewild the island as necessary.”
Island Conservation and Envico Technologies will collaborate once again on Wallis and Futuna later this year, using data and technical information obtained from Kamaka to adapt to local conditions.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Island Conservation
Sally Esposito
Director of Communications
Sally.esposito@islandconservation.org
+1 706 969 2783
Envico Technologies
Cameron Baker
Co-founder
cameron.baker@ectech.co.nz
+64 27-8000-369
###
Island Conservation
Island Conservation is our world’s only international nonprofit conservation organization dedicated solely to preventing extinctions on islands. Our collaborations with local island communities aim to improve livelihoods, manage invasive species, and reintroduce native animals and plant life. Island Conservation is a United States-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization working through diverse local and international partnerships to foster sustainable development, climate resilience, and healthy island-marine ecosystems across the globe. Visit us at www.islandconservation.org.
Envico Technologies|
Founded in 2018, Envico has already garnished significant interest around the world for its leading drone technology and automated ground devices for invasive vertebrate management. With head office in Tauranga, New Zealand, and Australian office in Melbourne, Envico conducts R&D on a number of technology projects as well as provides services using proprietary drone technology in New Zealand, Australia and throughout the Pacific.
Check out other journal entries we think you might be interested in.
January 15, 2025
We're joining the Global Rewilding Alliance, a network of environmental organizations around the world!
December 9, 2024
Groundbreaking research has the potential to transform the way we monitor invasive species on islands!
December 4, 2024
Ann Singeo, founder of our partner organization the Ebiil Society, shares her vision for a thriving Palau and a flourishing world of indigenous science!
November 22, 2024
This historic agreement aims to protect the marine and coastal areas of the Southeast Pacific.
November 18, 2024
Our projects to restore key islets in Nukufetau Atoll forecast climate resilience and community benefits in Tuvalu!
November 12, 2024
Endangered Polynesian storm-petrels returning to Kamaka Island, French Polynesia within one month of social attraction tools being deployed. Polynesian storm-petrels have not been recorded on Kamaka Island for over 100 years due to invasive rats. These seabirds are able…
November 5, 2024
Island Conservation attended the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity!
October 30, 2024
Our new branding and website support our vision of a world filled with vibrant biodiversity, resilient oceans, and thriving island communities!
October 29, 2024
Audubon's Shearwaters are nesting on Desecheo Island for the first time ever! Read about how we used social attraction to bring them home.
October 3, 2024
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!