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COLLEGE OF MICRONESIA

LAND GRANT PROGRAM
Contact us: (691) 3202462/2728
P.O Box 1179 Kolonia,Pohnpei FM 96941
  • COLLEGE OF MICRONESIA LAND GRANT PROGRAM

COM Central Office

Director, Island Sustainability Institute, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, visit COM Nett Point Aquaculture Hatchery

 Dr. Anne McDonald and Dr. Iain Hall, Director and Visiting Researcher, respectively, at the Island Sustainability Institute, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, are in Pohnpei as part of helping Pohnpei State to finalize its Food Security Policy. The team showed interest in COM Land Grant Aquaculture Program activities and visited the  COM Land Grant Nett Point Aquaculture Hatchery in Pohnpei on March 9, 2024. 

The team observed the Sandfish sea cucumber larval rearing activity and interviewed the Micronesian staff under Dr. Manoj R Nair, Director and Chief Scientist of Aquaculture Technology Development, Rex Edmund, and Clayton Maluwelgiye about different aspects of the sea cucumber hatchery, nursery and farming program and how they work towards improving ordinary Micronesians’ livelihoods.

Dr. McDonald was impressed with the program and encouraged project staff Rex to apply for a Master’s degree program at her university for his professional development.

Pictured from left to right: Clayton Maluwelgiye, Dr. Iain Hall, Dr. Manoj Nair, and Dr. Anne McDonald at the COM Land Grant Nett Point hatchery in Pohnpei.

College of Micronesia Land Grant Executive Director, Mr. Stanley Lorennij and his staff at the COM Central Office meet Governor of Pohnpei State, Hon. Stevenson A. Joseph

Pictured from left to Right: Grace Lorrin, Administrative Assistant COM Land Grant Central Office; Haraline Ramirez, Secretary for COM Land Grant Board of Regents; Hon. Stevenson A. Joseph, Governor of Pohnpei State. Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant, Doman Daoas, CFO, COM Land Grant, and Ricardo Vera Cruz, Business Manager, COM Land Grant Program at the Governor’s office in Pohnpei February 27, 2024 ( Photo and news credit: Pohnpei State Public Information, Office of the Governor)

COM Land Grant Executive Director Stanley Lorennij did a courtesy call on Hon. Stevenson A. Joseph, the newly elected Governor of Pohnpei State. COM Land Grant Executive Director Stanley Lorennij extended congratulations to Governor Joseph and provided updates on the program and discussed potential collaborative efforts.

Hon. Stevenson A. Joseph expressed his thanks and gratitude for the of a close partnership with the College of Micronesia Land Grant and Pohnpei State Government to benefit the lives of the local population.

During the discussions, The Hon. Governor emphasized The Pohnpei Food Security Policy and the importance of engaging non-governmental organizations (NGOs), particularly at the grassroots and community levels. Governor Joseph cited successful examples of NGOs cultivating sea cucumber and rabbitfish, contributing to sustainable practices and economic development.

During the meeting, COM Land Grant Executive Director updated Hon Governor Joseph about the upcoming construction of a new office building for the College of Micronesia Land Grant, Hon. Governor Joseph expressed his full support for the proposed new office in Kolonia, Pohnpei

College of Micronesia Land Grant staff meet in Yap State, FSM to finalize the next COM Land Grant Plan of Work

COM Land Grant Administrators, Researchers and Extension Agents under the leadership of Executive Director Stanley Lorennij met at in Yap State of FSM from February 10-18, 2024 at the Yap State Early Childhood Education Conference Hall to finalize the next COM Land Grant Plan of work (COMLG-POW) to be undertaken by the COMLG staff at the three partner Colleges:- College of Micronesia -FSM, College of the Marshall Islands and Palau Community College. The team discussed the needs of stakeholders of the three countries and discussed ways to incorporate those needs in the next COMLG-POW to be submitted to National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA for approval and implementation. Annual Accomplishment Reports of the staff from each partner college were also presented and deliberated upon during this meeting.

Executive Director, COM Land Grant; Stanley Lorennij, inaugurating the POW meeting in Yap on February 10, 2024

COM Land Grant team discussing the Annual Accomplishment report and the new COMLG-POW

PCC Land Grant staff train and install a soil probe in Yap

During their attendance at the Plan of Work meeting in Yap from February 10-17, 2024, PCC Land Grant Vice President Dr. Christopher Kitalong, along with Director Lyndon Masami, Senior Extension Agent Elchung Hideyos, and Field Assistant McKnight McArthur, was involved in a climate change demonstration project. Elchung and McKnight demonstrated and trained CRE staff from FSM and RMI on using this all-in-one soil probe device. This soil probe measures weather, soil, hydro’s, salinity, etc. data. This data from the probe will help improve agriculture management practices and contribute to the long-term productivity and sustainability of taro cultivation systems, especially in the face of climate change. McKnight did a demonstration training on how to build the probe for the other islands. Elchung gave a presentation explaining the different parts of the soil probe, and she was also able to train the other extension agents on how to use the app to collect data and access the cloud. PCC-CRE already has 10 probes installed all around Palau from Kayangel, Ngeremlengui, Melekeok, Airai, Ngermid, Ngerbeched, Peleliu, Angaur, and even Hatohobei. This trip to Yap added the number 11th probe. Expanding this tool to the other CREs in FSM and RMI will give us a better understanding and comparison of taro cultivations in the Micronesian region to support our community in the face of climate change.

(PCC staff pictured from left to right: Director Lyndon Masami, Field Assistant McKnight McArthur, Senior Extension Agent Elchung Hideyos, and Vice President Dr. Christopher Kitalong)

(Field Assistant McKnight McArthur (center), demonstrating how to set up the soil probe to Senior Extension Agent Lajkit Rufus (middle) and CMI Food Technology Researcher Tebio Tamton )

(Field Assistant McKnight McArthur (left), demonstrating how to set up the probe to COM -FSM Pohnpei CRE Coordinator Trisden Elias (right))

(Installed Soil probe in a Taro patch in Yap)

COM Land Grant Executive Director Meets COM-FSM President, Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono and COM-FSM IT Consultant, Dhiraj Bhartu

COM Land Grant Executive Director Stanley Lorennij met with COM-FSM President Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono and COM-FSM IT Consultant Dhiraj Bhartu at the COM-FSM President’s office at Palikir, Pohnpei, on January 26, 2024. The meeting discussed, among other things, collaboration possibilities of COM and COM-FSM with revamping and upgrading the COM Land Grant website. Dr. Manoj Nair, Director and Chief Scientist of Aquaculture, accompanied the COM Executive Director at this meeting.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Manoj R Nair, Director, Chief Scientist, Aquaculture; Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant; Dhiraj Bhartu COM-FSM IT Consultant; COM-FSM President, Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono