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Palawan Environmental and Marine Studies Center
Overview and Projects
Palawan Environmental and Aquatic Conservation, and Education (PEACE ONE) TERESTRIAL PROJECTS:
Butterfly Sanctuary and Environmental Center:
MARINE PROJECTS:
Coastal Preservation and Water-Cottages:
Palawan Eco-Adventures, Cruises and Expeditions On the cusp of the South China and Sulu Seas where waters wash a thousand years of reefs, white sands glisten at the edge of azure seas, where winds brush cliff and coves and palm trees, where a thousand kinds of wildlife live and so few people are seen… we the intrepid searching souls look for perfection, a life of purity and grace-drawn sustenance found were so few modern-folk find such peace. The seas and sunsets brings forth such bounty in simply being free… PEMS now has three traditional banca boats from fifty-five feet for larger expeditions, crossing Linapacan straights between El Nido and Coron and to the outer islands, to medium and small craft depending on the size of the group, the weather and the destination. Our internationally trained crews offer Kayaking and diving, climbing and traditional cuisine and extraordinary camp sites for novice and experienced traveler throughout northern Palawan.
THE CENTER | ECO-TOURS | THE REGION
E-mail: carilridley@hotmail.com |
The sanctuary's structure will be a latticework of woven bamboo rising to a height of twenty meters creating an enclosed space surrounded by an array of five twenty meter domes, like the petals of a great flower. When seen by air or from the Coron Cross, a local tourist destination, the structure will appear as a blossoming flower open to the tropical sun with a large butterfly perched at its center. Within this towering facility a myriad of fluttering butterflies representing every region of the Philippines fluttering around natural streams and waterfalls, trails with benches, an open air restaurant, tea garden, reading room and art gallery, each offering pause and reflection to travelers and residents alike. This project will become a première location for environmental and healthcare seminars, lectures, poetry and music presentations, even weddings. Its multiuse space will offer an environmental and cultural center for residents and a destination for visitors to the area. A night “Sleeping with the butterflies” will be offered to highlight the experience of a lifetime and a memorable visit to Buswanga.
Establishing effective coastal protection requires effective incentives and community empowerment. This PEMS Peace initiative offers a multifaceted approach to the problem, a strategy that will reduce illegal activities through community involvement and on site protection, additional education, scientific investment and the prospect of alternative tourist-based incomes tailored to each region and every community. Municipalities and independent Tagbanua borangay villages would have opportunity to sponsor one, two or more water-cottages within their region. These floating and/or stilted structures would each be designed to house international environmental and marine studies projects, scientific research facilities, student groups, recreational programs, tourist accommodations and local education facilities as well as an alternative income and coastal protection. This strategy empowers villages with economic and environmental control.