A Fascinating EcoTour Near Our Sister City in the Philippines

By Nodelyn Smith

As Kermit the frog famously said - ‘It isn’t easy being ‘green.’’This is one of the most important lessons I learned from our pilot EcoTour to the Philippines, a tour intended to explore the creation of a new program to be offerred to students or adults interested in seeing firsthand how coastal communities near and surrounding our sister city of Palo, Leyte, Philippines, deal with their environmental issues. From climate change, to overfishing, to habitat destruction from severe climate events and people. I learned It takes bravery, determination, and the inclusion of the entire community to save the environment. For success, it is necessary to include fishermen in sustainable fishing practices, to educate villagers on the benefits of the new trees being  planted nearby, and to constantly remind people everyday about the importance of the environment and of sustainable practices.

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