DIVERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HELP SAVE THE REEFS THEY LOVE

Park Buddy Program pays for urgent marine conservation projects at some of the world's best dive sites.

July 26, 2004

San Francisco, CA - From an underwater poker game in Lubbock, Texas, to a "Reggae for Reefs" benefit concert in San Francisco, California, scuba divers across the country took a stand this spring to help protect some of the world's best coral reef dive sites. Dive clubs and community groups organized a wide range of fundraising events to pay for five urgent coral reef conservation projects. Through this remarkable show of support, almost $19,000 was raised - enough to complete these important projects: mooring buoys in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Belize); patrolling and monitoring equipment for the Parque Nacional Marino Arrecifes de Cozumel (Mexico); park ranger education for the Bonaire National Marine Park (Netherlands Antilles); interpretive signs for Rock Islands (Palau); and patrol and boat equipment for Southeast Cebu (Philippines).

The fundraising events were organized for the Coral Reef Alliance's "Park Buddy" Program, launched this year as part of the annual Dive In to Earth Day event. This new program aims to support coral park managers in their efforts to protect biologically diverse and increasingly threatened reefs by engaging US citizens to become "Park Buddies" and help raise money to pay for coral reef conservation projects.

"Alice and I love Cozumel and visit it whenever we have a chance," says Bill Miller, Coral Park Buddy.  "We want our grandchildren to be able to experience Cozumel's reefs just as we have. This seemed like a great opportunity to directly support real grassroots conservation." Bill and Alice raised $550 by holding a barbecue and raffle with their friends and family. The funds will help pay for a handheld GPS, digital cameras, and other much needed equipment to patrol the Cozumel National Marine Park.

Coral reef marine protected areas are critical to the present and future survival of coral reefs, but they are often understaffed and under funded. All too often, park managers are unable to purchase necessary equipment, or pay for important conservation projects, because they lack the time and resources to fundraise to cover the costs. As Miguel Alamilla, Park Manager of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, stated, "this program has helped take some of the pressure off of our staff, so that we can focus on what we're here to do - patrol, monitor, and protect Hol Chan's coral reefs."

The Park Buddy program is part of the annual Dive In to Earth Day event, developed to raise awareness of coral reefs and ocean issues. In the past five years, 200,000 people have organized more than 1,000 Dive In activities in 89 countries and territories, including beach cleanups and educational seminars. CORAL coordinates Dive In with the support of Project AWARE Foundation, Earth Day Network, International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), Air Pacific, and West Marine.

Park Buddy 2005 sites will be announced in October.

For more information visit: www.coral.org/divein/parkbuddy