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The first trip that the F.C.I.P. team made to the field location was in early September with a group of scientists form the University of the South Pacific. This was a reconnaissance trip and the team returned to Suva after two weeks to prepare for the first Project Phase.
Getting Started
Phase 1 of the Fijian Crested Iguana Project was a great success. As this was the first trip, there was a lot of paper work to sort out before any fieldwork could be done. Visas, research permits and required documents were first obtained in Fiji’s capital city, Suva, located on the main island of Viti Levu. The formal introductions of F.C.I.P. team members to Fiji based contributors such as the National Trust of Fiji and the University of the South Pacific, was an integral part of this initial trip. Most of the scientific equipment needed for the project was brought from Australia, but due to strict baggage limits on the team’s flight over to Fiji, many more supplies were purchased in Suva and boxed up to make the long journey to Yadua Taba.
The journey started with a drive from Suva to northern Viti Levu. Next, a ferry took the team to Nabouwalu on the southern side of Vanua Levu. Then a ‘carrier’ truck was hired to transport team members and all of the required gear and supplies to the village of Bua located on the western tip of Vanua Levu. In Bua, the team was met by residents of Denumanu Village from the island of Yadua – including the National Trust Ranger, Pita Biciloa. The villagers helped us load the gear into their boats, and we all set off due west into the Pacific Ocean towards the island of Yadua.
On Yadua, a sevu sevu or formal introduction ceremony involving Yaqona (yan-go-na) or Kava root was performed by Pita the ranger, introducing the F.C.I.P. team to the village Ratu (chief). Permission for the project was granted and arrangements were made for the team to use a small piece of land on the island of Yadua as a base camp. This base camp was previously used by the British marine biology group, GreenForce, but was no longer inhabited. The solar electric system was set up, gear was unpacked and the project was ready to begin.
Field Projects
The First Project Phase was broken into four main parts:
Iguana movement patterns / territorial habits / nesting locations
Edible flora phenology
Seed germination / dispersal studies
Crazy Ant base number surveys
The F.C.I.P team, with the help of Pita, the ranger, also organised a comprehensive field day with the local village school as well as the chief, village elders and other adults. The team explained about the concepts of conservation, the importance of ecosystems and the effect that these had on Yadua and Fiji. They also explained the role of the villagers as the custodians of these amazing animals. Equipment such as the radio telemetry gear and PIT tag scanners was brought over from the base camp and demonstrated for the group, with the children all having a chance to handle and experiment with it. Over all, the field education day was a huge success and the villagers expressed their heartfelt thanks for many days following.
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