
Map of the state of Kosrae
'Walung' is a
municipality in the stae of
Kosrae,
Micronesia. Though it is frequently referred to as a part of
Tafunsak, Walung is a separate municipality.
Geography
Walung is located at the Southwest point of the island, just Northwest of
Utwa. Most of its Western edge is
coastline. Walung does not reach far towards the centre of Kosrae. The
capital of Walung is
Walung Village.
Utwa-Walung Marine Park
Walung and Utwa are home to the Utwa-Walung Marine Park, a conservation area established by
Madison Nena, a local ecologist who has won several awards, including the
Seacology Prize in
1999. In the late 1990s, Madison Nena successfully led a campaign to prevent property developers from building a tourist complex without adequate sewage facilities, and in its place he founded an eco-tourism initiative at Kosrae Village Resort. He has also worked with island elders to revitalize historic methods of Kosraen house construction
[1].
The park features excellent examples of healthy hard
coral, as well as some of Micronesia's most pristine
forests and extensive
mangrove ecosystems
[2]. The park's main office is close to the
shipwreck site of the infamous pirate trader
Bully Hayes, and it is rumoured that Hayes buried some treasure somewhere in the forest
[3].
See Also
#
Lelu
#
Malem
#
Tafunsak
#
Kosrae
#
Utwe
References
1. 1999 Seacology Prize news release
2. Kosrae Nautilus Resort
3. Pacific Magazine December 2005
Maps
★
General Soil Map of Kosrae produced by the US Department of Agriculture