Greetings! & Mabuhay (welcome) My name is Anna Moyer, Im from North Carolina: But now Live in The town of President Roxas, The Province of Capiz,on the island of Panay, The Philippines My degree is in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology; So Im an environmental volunteer Preserving the natural resources of the Philippines leads to prosperous and sustainable coastal communities My main job: Working with the fisher folk in reforesting the local mangrove forest Mangroves are trees that grow in the tidal zones of the sea, they are found in the tropics and sub tropics. The trees in the front are mature mangroves These are our newly planted mangroves Why are mangroves important? The provide protective habitat for juvenile fish, crabs and prawns. They produce detritus and leaf litter that is the bases for the food webs in coastal and estuary habitats. Protect the coastal communities from the strong winds and waves of storms. Filter run-off pollution. Source of timber, tannins, alcohol and charcoal. With so much coast line and so many people dependent on the sea for their livelihood, a healthy mangrove environment is critical to a healthy economy and communities Secondary Project Solid waste management issues: A law was passed outlawing open dumps and requiring towns to use sanitary land fills, but these are too expensive to build so not much is done to improve waste disposal. We work on educating people on alternative ways to dispose of their trash that is not as hazardous, such as composting, recycling and burying. This is a picture of the open dump near my house. Glad to have met you!!! Let me know what questions you have. Salamat (thank you)