Vanua-Tai Resource Monitors: Vanuatu's Grassroots Network Guarding Turtles and Reefs

Wan Smolbag Theatre, a Port Vila-based NGO known for using drama for social change, launched a turtle-monitoring program in 1995 that grew into the Vanua-Tai Resource Monitors Network. Trained volunteers in coastal villages record turtle nesting activity, patrol nesting beaches, and monitor the health of reefs and mangroves, extending the network's reach to most of Vanuatu's inhabited islands. At its 2025 gathering marking 30 years of the program, the network counted 261 active members organized into 27 sub-networks nationwide, trained in turtle handling, nest protection, and coastal resource management. The model has made Vanua-Tai one of the longest-running community-based marine conservation networks in the Pacific.