By Carl Lewis, September 25, 2008
A forest of Clinostigma ponapense on Pohnpei
Despite its small size, Pohnpei has a diverse native palm flora. It is home to five palm species, including two that are endemic (found nowhere else) and two that are found on only one other island. As we study the two species of Ponapea we are also gathering information on the other palms of Pohnpei. Read More…
By Faith Bishock, September 23, 2008
Pohnpei is a high volcanic island with three named mountains, the tallest reaching 2100 feet. It has an area of 350 square kilometers (135 square miles) and a population of about 35,000. A road circles the island, taking about two hours to drive around. The island is divided into five provinces, each headed by a chief who has descended from ancient royalty. This is an island rich in history, myth and mystery.
Inside the ruins of Nan Madol.
The ancient city of Nan Madol is a spectacular, 200 acre archaeological site that is comprised of 92 man made islets off the coast of Pohnpei. The islets were constructed on a large section of near-shore coral reef, using quarried stone and crushed coral. Paths and walls were made of basalt rocks brought from the opposite side of the island. Huge stone walls surround the tombs and buildings, and the rocks range in size from 600 pounds to 60 tons. To this day, there is no good explanation for how the largest of the rocks were transported. Construction probably began around 800 A.D. and lasted several hundred years. Nan Madol was the government and religious center, and also the home of royalty – similar to the Lelu ruins on Kosrae. Read More…
By Christie Jones, September 21, 2008
Carl using the pole saw to collect DNA samples.
Today was our first day in Pohnpei. We jumped in the SUV this morning with intentions of driving the island to get a feel for the lay of the land. Our expectations were pretty low. It is Sunday and everyone on the island rests today, including the field guides.
We have all settled into our roles on this expedition. Steve is the driver and has a general idea of where we are going since he has been here before. He has 30 plus years of experience in the field and is prepared for anything. Carl, in addition to his expert palm identification skills, is our fearless collector. He plunges happily into the swamps in search of fallen seed. We stand by the roadside and cheer him on (and think to ourselves “glad it’s him and not me.”) Read More…
By Christie Jones, September 19, 2008
It is 8:30 on Saturday morning and the countdown begins for our next migration. I’m sitting on the beach of this tropical paradise with Carl– not because it’s scenic, though it is – but because this is where our computers get the best reception to the island-wide wireless internet service. Carl has no trouble seeing his laptop screen in the broad daylight. I prefer to economize my battery and throw a towel over my head to make the screen seem brighter.
Christie blogging under her sun shade.
Our experience in Kosrae has been a great one. All on the expedition are feeling great because we have done just what we set out to do here. We found our palms and collected DNA samples, herbarium specimens and seeds for the garden. Read More…
By Carl Lewis, September 19, 2008
Over the past three days we found palms in many of the accessible lowland and middle-elevation sites on Kosrae. The jagged ridges and peaks were inaccessible, but we were able to spot large numbers of palms from below. Once we learned to recognize the bright white flowering stalks of Ponapea ledermanniana from a distance, we began to see them all over the island.
Ponapea is abundant on Kosrae. We estimate that there are more than 1,000 mature individuals and many more juvenile palms. They grow at all elevations, from lowland swamps to the high peaks and ridges. However, there are real threats to the survival of Ponapea ledermanniana on the island. Kosrae is small (110 square kilometers), so any of these threats could impact the entire island quickly. Read More…
By Faith Bishock, September 18, 2008
Mural on wall of Kosrae Museum showing traditional houses.
It’s exciting to get back into the field, having done this type of travel in my youth and again with the International Palm Society. With this type of field work, one really has to be prepared for anything: rain, mud, streams and rock climbing in rain and mud through streams. But the thrill of discovery makes one forget all the hardships.
Kosrae is nine time zones from Florida, across the International Date Line – so it’s tomorrow here already. This small island has ruins of an ancient culture built in the thirteenth century. It’s a slow moving island with friendly guileless people. The Federated States of Micronesia (of which Kosrae is a state) is a US protectorate so dollars are the currency and English widely spoken, although the islanders have their own language.
By Carl Lewis, September 16, 2008
Today was our first day of hiking on Kosrae. It was a great success– We found very healthy populations of Ponapea ledermanniana on two parts of the island, and saw many other interesting plants along the way. Overall, we are impressed with the health of the populations we have seen. Although the distribution of Ponapea palms may be limited, they appear to be reproducing well and do not seem to be in decline here on Kosrae.
Swampy forest of Ponapea ledermanniana palms.
This morning we searched for the last location where Ponapea palms were seen and collected more than ten years ago. Using location data from a herbarium specimen, we followed a dirt road to its end and hiked a trail that criscrossed a stream. Christie spotted the first Ponapea palm, and then Steve found a few further along the trail. Eventually we found a big group of a few adult palms and many young ones. Read More…
By Christie Jones, September 16, 2008
Today Carl, Steve, Faith and I flew into Kosrae, the smallest and most rural state of Micronesia. We are excited to begin our hunt for Ponapea ledermanniana. We know of only one locality but suspect it is spread throughout the island.
Leaving the airport, the first thing I noticed was the limited amount of flat land that is squeezed between the rugged mountains and mighty ocean. It is on this narrow swath of land ringing the island that the residents live.
