Mangroves and the high tide

“We can’t always control the crisis that comes in our way, but we can control our response to them”

If the summarization of my experience on co-chairing project Grove Green, this quote would be the story. As one of the initiatives of our Rotaract Club’s Environmental Service Avenue, this project was meant to be a mangrove restoration effort with improving the biodiversity and improving the life of the community. Instead, it became one of the best experiences for leadership, adaptability, and crisis management, leaving me with the most unforgettable memory of my Rotaract journey.

Let me tell the story of how our team navigated through logistical obstacles and a national fuel crisis to successfully plantation of mangroves along the estuary of Madu River.

The Low Tide

The starting phase was as usual. When my co-chairperson and I were officially appointed to lead the initiative, we immediately started working on it. We formed our organizing committee, while assigning workload among the passionate volunteers.

Our initial plan for this year was straightforward. We planned to execute this time as a continuation of last year’s initiative since there was a necessity to increase the mangroves in that area.

The High Tide Hits

Suddenly, we had to change our plans. Local authorities informed us that our designated planting location had been eroded and inaccessible due to severe weather conditions.

Because mangrove ecosystems require highly specific environmental conditions to thrive, we were left with very few alternative locations due to transportation constraints.

After some research, the plantation had relocated to Madu River area, and we changed our plans accordingly, where both the environment and the community can take the benefits. However, this change introduced a series of new challenges alongside the fuel crisis.

A logistical Pivot

At the time of the change, all of our PR flyers were designed for the original location. Furthermore, our volunteer base had been briefed about a land-based project.

Our original location was accessible by land and road, but our new location required boats, our transport budget was skyrocketed due to added boat, added extra distance, and fuel cost.

By the time we finalized the necessary arrangements for this logistic shift, but the project had fallen roughly a month behind our original schedule.

The Fuel Crisis and Exam Season

When we were relocating the project, an unexpected fuel crisis struck. Which also caused the delay and increased our budget. Simultaneously, our timeline delay meant that our core team members and the organizing committee and me are couple weeks ahead with our university examination, and some were facing the examination.

Fortunately, our early preparation for the initial public relation materials paid off. Since the foundational designs were complete, we only needed to make minor adjustments accordingly before the final submission for approvals. My team did a great job through designing flyers and making minor adjustments even when some of them are facing exams. Driven by necessity, the video editing works, I took it upon myself to learn video editing from scratch which was a field I never touched.

Planting Day: Against All Odds

Our logistical relocation meant we had to hire a boat along with an experienced local guide. We also managed to source and purchase approximately 70 healthy mangrove saplings from a local nursery in the region.

Finally, the long-awaited day of plantation arrived. Despite the obstacles we faced during the planning, we were energetic and excited about the project we were about to complete. We gathered early at the university premises, loaded our supplies, and made the journey to the Madu River.

The physical work was demanding yet unforgettable. Navigating the muddy banks at islands, by the end of the day, we successfully concluded our project, having replanted mangroves across more than five distinct sites along the estuary. In addition of that, we were able to get much knowledge about mangroves from the local guide.

Project Grove Green was no longer just an environmental initiative. It taught me that how to manage crisis under pressure, how important to have a good team and many more leadership qualities, like a mangrove in a storm.