Bio-diversity database upgrade allows community involvement

The new, upgraded Bio-diversity database was launched on Thursday morning at the office of the National Environment Service with the Minister for Environment Hon Cassey Eggelton in attendance.
Director of National Heritage Gerald McCormack announced the launch and demonstrated the upgraded system.
The Cook Islands Bio-diversity and Ethnology Database was started in 1990 and went on line in 2003 through the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. McCormack has been responsible for maintaining the database which now has nearly 5,000 entries of Cook Islands plants, animals and marine life.
According to McCormack the database is visited by 1,000 people a month mainly from the USA and Australia.
The upgrade will allow people to contribute entries and also edit entries. It will enable people in the outer islands to participate in updating and adding new entries.
Here to take part in the launch is Professor Michael Fisher from the University of Kent in the UK. He said there will be a formal launch by McCormack in Fiji in July and he hopes other Pacific nations will show an interest in adopting a similar system.
He said previously the database could only be updated by McCormack but the upgrade will allow involvement by the community and importantly, children.
An important feature of the database is that it preserves the Maori names for local plant, animal and marine life. This was the vision of Sir Geoffrey Henry from the outset.

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