Seacology

“THE ORGANIZATION HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING POLICY:1) The draft of the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 be distributed toall members of the Seacology Board of Directors as a PDF file via email within 5 days of the deadline for submitting the Form 990 to taxing authorities (original or extended deadline); and 2) That the draft of the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 will be reviewed and approved by the Chairman of the Board, the Executive Director, and the Accounting Manager, each acting on behalf of the Board of Directors, prior to submitting the Form 990 to taxing authorities.”

“The following policy has been adopted by the organization: no member of the board of directors shall participate in any discussion or vote on any matter in which he or she or a member of his or her immediate family has potential conflict of interest due to having material economic involvement regarding the matter being discussed. When such a matter presents itself, the director must announce his or her potential conflict, disqualify himself or herself, and be excused from the meeting until discussion is over on the matter involved. The president of the meeting is expected to make an inquiry if such conflict appears to exist and the board member has not made it known.each member of the board of directors, employees and independent contracts (who receive more than $25,000 per year from seacology) shall annually sign a statement which affirms that such person:a. Has received a copy of the conflict of interest policy,b. Has read and understands the policy,c. Has agreed to comply with the policy,d. Disclose the existence of any potential conflicts of interest, ande. Understands seacology is a charitable organization and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes.”

“The organization has established a compensation committee to review the compensation of key employees earning in excess of $100,000 per year. One compensation committee meeting is held per year.”

“Financial Reports: Seacology prepares an Annual Report and distributes it to the public via email, mail, and by posting it on Seacologys website. The Annual Report contains an unaudited ending-year statement of financial activites with a note that recommends the public contact the Seacology office mid-year to obtain a copy of audited financial statements. Seacology also distributes the Internal Revenue Services form 990 to the public by posting a copy to the Seacology website.Governing documents, and conflict of interest policy: Seacology distributes policies approved by the board of directors, including the conflict of interest policy, to staff in an employee manual and/or accounting manual, to the board of directors in a board handbook, and stores these policies along with governing documents in a readily accessable area of the main office for staff to provide to the public upon request.”

“Seacology's 2021 projects funded a variety of community benefits in return for various protections, including: 1. Protection of 500 acres of mangroves for 20 years in indonesia on tawabi island in exchange for mangrove learning center and environmental education.2. Protection of 400 acres of forest and 400 marine acres for 10 years in thailand on haad sai dam island in exchange for new environmental education center and nature trail.3. Environmental education for youth; cleanup and protection of mangrove ecosystems in mexico on mujeres island in exchange for soccer equipment for youth groups.4. Protection of 2,258 acres of rainforest and 937 marine acres for 15 years in fiji on vanua levu near wailevu village in exchange for village hall to use as kindergarten, community center, and storm shelter.5. Enforcement of restrictions around islands; environmental education and manatee pride outreach campaign in guatemala on cecon island in the rio dulce national park in exchange for renovation of visitors' center, new signs spelling out regulations in protected areas.6. Protection of 135 acres of mangroves for 20 years in brazil on cardoso island near enseada da baleia community in exchange for cultural and community center.7. Environmental education for youth; 2.5-acre outdoor environmental classroom in colombia on tierrra bomba island in exchange for soccer equipment and environmental education program.8. Conservation and restoration of a critical one-acre remnant of mangroves within a 77-acre mangrove area in dominican republic near el astillero mangrove site in exchange for creation of a mangrove park and "coastal classroom," community education, youth activities, a media campaign, and mangrove restoration.9. Protection of 86 acres of mangroves for 15 years in indonesia on sulawesi island near the kuri caddi village in exchange for community center for mangrove eco-tourism, environmental education, and sustainable livelihood training.10. New 151-acre no-take marine zone for 15 years in federated states of micronesia, yap on gagil-tomil island near the riken village in exchange for bathrooms and showers to improve community meeting house.11. New 20-acre no-take marine zone in honduras on roatan island near the el berrinche community in exchange for environmental education hub with computer lab and library.12. Enhanced enforcement of fishing restrictions in 2,933 marine acres for 15 years in philippines on palawan island near the liminangcong village in exchange for floating watchtower, signs, equipment, and training to protect mangrove and marine area.13. Protection of 2,686 acres of forest and 5.6-mile firebreak for 20 years in madagascar near adnranohobaka village in exchange for new primary school building and furniture.14. Improved reef health through parrotfish protection in mexico on espritu santo archipelago island in exchange for pride and protection campaign videos and outreach.15. Reseeding six acres with seagrass in united states near san juan island in westcott bay of the puget sound.16. Seagrass protection through mapping 741 acres and public outreach in philippines on mactan and olango islands.17. Protection of 2,000 marine turtle nests per year in indonesia on papua island near resye and womom villages in exchange for computer skills development and environmental education for youth.18. Permanent protection of 173 acres of mangroves, fringing reef, and seagrass in federated states of micronesia, pohnpei near awak village in exchange for aquaculture facility to re-seed reef and mangrove areas.19. Permanent protection of 10.5 acres of mangroves in federated states of micronesia, kosrae near malem community in exchange for improvement of community sports field and addition of restrooms and rainwater tank.20. Permanent protection of 252 acres of marine wetland bird habitat in chile on quinchao island in exchange for bird blinds, interpretive signs, gear, and education for school environmental club.21. Protection of 222”

“Saw john is a committed advocate for the environment and culture of indias andaman islands. Saw john, a member of the islands karen community, exemplifies seacologys vision of locally led island conservation.hundreds of miles east of the indian subcontinent, the andaman and nicobar islands are home to rich ecological and cultural diversity. The tropical waters surrounding the islands support countless marine species, including 200 types of coral, and a world-renowned and culturally important shellfish market. Roughly 80% of the islands surface is covered with evergreen forest, populated with hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and insects, many found nowhere else in the world. Mangrove trees ring the coast.the andamans unique location, between mainland india and southeast asia, has made the archipelago home to myriad ethnic groups since the first people arrived thousands of years ago. The karen people came from myanmar (burma) beginning in the 1930s, when the islands were part of the british empire, and today make up a small but significant part of the population of north and middle andaman islands, with about 2,000 people scattered across several villages. With such low numbers, the future of karen culture in the andamans is uncertain. Webi, saw johns home village, is the site of only one of two schools in india that teach the groups language. Cultural knowledge like that passed down to john by his father, one of the last traditional healers in the andamans, is at risk of being lost. When large-scale commercial development began to arrive on the islands, saw john grew alarmed as the strong ties between the karen and their heritage and environment began to erode. For nearly three decades, hes been working to protect the environment, develop sustainable livelihoods for members of his community, and repair fraying cultural ties. After joining the organization in the 1990s, he worked his way up to operations director of the andaman and nicobar environment team (anet), supporting field research to discover new endemic species on the islands, and other projects. Anet has led initiatives that helped local people grow low-impact crops and greener building materials. After the devastating 2004 indian ocean tsunami, the group was instrumental in efforts to protect and restore mangroves around the islands, shielding coastal communities from future storms.with anet, saw john helped found andaman karen crafts (akc), a local cooperative that teaches skills in traditional karen handicrafts and cuisine, so local people can produce and sell traditional goods. In a plant nursery established by akc, he has shown community members how to cultivate and use the plants that form the foundation of karen recipes and traditional medicine. Seacology witnessed saw johns passion for his people and their islands when we worked with anet and akc on our 2014 project in webi village.saw john is proud of his karen cultural and environmental heritage and gives back with action rather than fanfare, said field representative vineeta hoon, who first met him more than two decades ago. When i think of him, these words come to mind: unassuming, quiet, compassionate, kind.when it comes to advocating sustainable ecotourism, saw john leads by example. He converted part of his familys home, which sits on a small organic farm, into an inviting homestay for visitors to the isolated islands. The first ecotourism destination of its kind in the andamans, koh he (island home) also serves as a comprehensive introduction to karen culture for its guests. Traditional tools and other cultural artifacts are proudly displayed on the walls, and the shelves contain saw johns extensive collection of books and articles about the karen. Saw john and his family are happy to guide visitors through the forest to see wildlife, or to introduce them to village elders. Countless guests have enjoyed his hospitality and gained an authentic understanding of his culture. Even as the pandemic has”