PROJECTS

Turtle Conservation

Working with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Forest Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of the Union of Myanmar, the Foundation built the first sea turtle hatchery in Lampi Marine National Park.

For years, almost all turtle nesting sites have been raided by humans and local predatory wildlife. The Lampi Foundation has empowered local villagers to safeguard all future nesting grounds. One of the Foundation’s most significant projects is the continued protection and monitoring of every sea turtle nest on Wa Ale Island in the Lampi Marine National Park. We are providing a safe environment for the Green, Hawksbill and Leatherback Turtles that nest on the island of Wa Ale. As of January 2016, we have saved over 104 nests and released over 8000 turtles safely into the Andaman Sea off the island of Wa Ale.

Through Lampi Foundation, Wa Ale Resort has monitored every nest and recorded critical data which will help with future sea turtle research in Myanmar. We recorded a Leatherback turtle nest in 2016; a species thought to have disappeared from Myanmar. We have saved over 8000 sea turtles by guarding nests against poaching. Before Wa Ale Resort’s assignment of Wa Ale Island, Dr. Steven Platt of Wildlife Conservation Society’s 2012 Report states that humans were harvesting most turtle nests for the sale of the turtle eggs and unless the nests were protected against human poachers, there would be no nesting on Wa Ale by 2030.

Lampi Foundation, with the guidance of Fauna and Flora International (FFI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has created a system of recording sea turtle nesting data in order to better observe and understand the breeding trends of sea turtles along the coastal shores of Myanmar. The training included turtle patroling protocol; flipper tagging; hatching data collection techniques and strengthening Wa Ale's staff's understanding of sea turtle biology and species identification.

Coral Protection

Wa Ale Resort has installed sea moorings for dive boats and sea vessels within the Lampi Marine National Park to help preserve coral destruction by the anchors of local fishing boats.

The Lampi Foundation has provided the Forest Department with a new speed boat which can carry eight rangers at a speed of over 30 knots. This boat donation is critical to the future protection of all coral reefs in the Lampi Marine National Park. Previous to our contribution, the Forest Department rangers did not have an adequate boat to patrol the national park. We also provide all maintenance and fuel for the Rangers' patrols both at night and during the day. Patrols are critical to combat the illegal boats in the area and protect the coral reefs.

The Lampi Foundation continues to fund diving trips to clean the area of fishing nets that are covering parts of the coral reefs. These nets are a result of illegal fishing over the years.

Early Childhood Education

The Lampi Foundation has continually provided supplies and equipment to the village schools on both the villages of Salet Galet and Ma Kyone Galet. Free English language instruction will soon be provided to the local school children.

The Lampi Foundation provided a grand to the Wildlife Conservation Society to give educational seminars to three local fishing villages on turtle conservation. It is our goal to continue these educational seminars to residents on critical issues such as illegal fishing, waste management and the importance of clean oceans.

Wa Ale Resort works closely with the nearby fishing village of Salet Galet with continual community outreach programs. Our goal is to educate the village, specifically the young children, about the preservation of local flora and fauna and raising awareness of ridding our oceans of plastic and pollution. Wa Ale organizes beach cleanup efforts with Resort staff and the village children, so they can becom effective ambassadors of their region.

Medical Assistance to Local Fishing Villages

We are working directly with Dr. Gerald Zelikovsky of the Global Medical Volunteers to continue to fund donations in the village of Ma Kyone Galet. The Lampi Foundation's first donation of medical equipment and assistance was made in March 2016.

We built a clinic on Salet Galet village and provided seed money for a midwife's monthly salary so she can stay on the island to give necessary and emergency care to residents.

The Lampi Foundation also funds the Wa Ale Resort clinic which is open to all local fishermen. We continually help locals from around the area that arrives at Wa Ale Island Resort for medical treatment. Our clinic is never closed to local fishing village residents and is funded by the Lampi Foundation.

Local Employment

Wa Ale Island Resort is presently employing over 50 local people permanently, encouraging the employees to act as the stewards of Lampi Marine National Park. We continually strive to use as many locals as available to work at both Wa Ale Island Resort or Lampi Foundation. We are also funding and encouraging local entrepreneurs and helping the local fishing villages gain wealth through labor.

As the Wa Ale Island Resort becomes more popular with guests over the next few years, we anticipate hiring more locals from the fishing villages to help with beach cleanup throughout Lampi Marine National Park.