A Regular Update of News from CEPF's East Melanesian Islands Contact Us from the RIT COVID-19 As Everyone Is Well Aware, The

A regular update of news from CEPF's East Melanesian Islands

FROM THE RIT

COVID-19

As everyone is well aware, the pandemic continues to cause major disruptions across the planet. We are lucky in that the majority of grants in the East Melanesian Islands are proceeding as planned, and we bring you an update here from some of the grantees working in the region.

If you have not already done so, please talk with the RIT to discuss any impacts that covid-19 restrictions are having on your project.

Farewell to Zola Sangga

The RIT is sorry to farewell Zola Sangga, who has been with us as the PNG National Country Coordinator since 2016. Zola has been an integral team member for CEPF’s investment in PNG. She leaves behind a legacy of well-supported civil society groups in PNG and will be sorely missed!

We all wish Zola the best in her future journey.

Please contact Helen Pippard, RIT Manager and acting PNG Country Coordinator, for all PNG grants.

FROM THE FIELD

A list of all small and large grants currently active in the East Melanesian Islands can be found here

Papua New Guinea Wildlife Conservation Society provides training on alternative livelihood options in Manus

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working in the Great Central Forest (GCF) of Manus - an area under immediate threat from logging which has happened without community consent.

As well as carrying out legal awareness for affected communities, WCS is working with model farmers/families from each of the ten clans that have consented to signing conservation deeds in Manus. They are being WCS is providing support to local farmers to develop a supported to grow vanilla. conservation-compatible livelihood centred on vanilla production. © Elodie Van Lierde Training has been provided on site selection, spacing between vines, use of shade trees, Related news article on the Rubber plantation in Manus mulching, vine planting and curing of vanilla in the harvesting and processing stage. A booklet on vanilla farming has been drafted for distribution to the vanilla farmers over the next few months. WCS will continue to support these communities as their farming activities grow.

New grants IUCN recently signed a grant with the PNG Forest Certification Inc (PNGFCI), who will undertake a project jointly funded with Bread for the World to revise PNG’s national high conservation value toolkit. At present, the HCV toolkit only applies to logging companies. By revising the toolkit, it will better serve and assist all private companies and natural resources sectors in PNG, to promote sustainable development through the integration of better environmental and social practices.

IUCN also recently signed a grant with NGOPromotion, a CBO based in Madang, who will provide capacity support to civil society groups in Bougainville. The project will provide mentoring in institutional development, monitoring, and financial capacity building to 3 conservation groups. This support will provide them with skills needed to progress with and raise funds for future conservation activities.

CEPF recently signed a large grant with the New Guinea Binatang Research Centre (BRC), also based in Madang. This project will see at least 20 rangers and conservation professionals from priority sites in the East Melanesian Islands Hotspot trained in tropical ecology and conservation techniques. The course will include residential and practical training at BRC and in the Wanang Conservation Area as well as mentoring by

BRC staff.

Other PNG News We are happy to see that Rotokas Ecotourism has received funding from the Waterloo Foundation and Lubee Bat Conservancy towards a community livelihoods fish farming project in the Mt Balbi Kunua Plains KBA. Well done to the RET team!

The first ever plant list for the island of New Guinea has been catalogued by 99 experts including Osia Gideon, Tiberius Jimbo, Penniel Lamei and Peter Homot from the Binatang Research Centre in Madang. Over 13,600 species have been described and recorded from the island of which two-thirds are found nowhere else on the planet

The island of New Guinea has the greatest plant diversity of any island in the world

Commentary on the paper by Vojtech Novotny of the BRC and the Czech Academy of Sciences Fraction of species that are trees (pink), herbs (dark blue), epiphytes (orange), shrubs (green), climbers (light blue), non- Read the paper: New Guinea has the world’s climbing palms (yellow) and tree ferns (mid blue). Courtesy of NATURE. richest plant flora

Solomon Islands SIELA Workshop at Tetepare

Solomon Islands Environmental Law Association (SIELA) is raising awareness on environmental laws and regulations of Solomon Islands to community-based organizations and communities.

Tetepare island in Western Province is the last unlogged area in the Solomon Islands, and home to many native and endemic species of flora and fauna. The Tetepare Descendants Association (TDA) has been protecting the island from logging for many years. However, the island is yet to be legally protected under the Protected Area Act of Solomon Islands. With logging pressure growing on the island and throughout the country, SIELA has chosen Steneth Kaniki, Trevor Maeda and TDA Members at Tetepare © Tetepare as its first site to receive legal SIELA awareness training.

SIELA (Mr Steneth Kaniki) and MECDM (Mr Trevor Maeda) recently travelled to Tetepare island to conduct legal training with TDA members. It is hoped that this assistance, along with support from other partners such as WWF Solomon Islands, has provided TDA with information and support to progress towards a formal Protected Area status for the island.

Inception Workshop in Leona Village, Vella Lavella

On 30th April 2020, the Barekasi Tribal members in Vella Lavella gathered for an inception workshop to kickstart their project in Vella Lavella.

The Barekasi tribal land contains the last remaining intact lowland and hill rainforest on the Island of Vella Lavella and the tribe has had a long history of objecting logging and promoting conservation. The new project which is supported by CEPF and implemented by the Natural Resources Development Foundation aims to strengthen and increase the capacity of the Barekasi Landowners Association (BLA) and Tribal members to Members of the Barekasi tribe listening to presentation at Leona village © NRDF conserve their Forest Protected Area, obtain legal protection and prepare the tribe to implement a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) project to support livelihoods. The capacity support will include training in areas of financial management, project design, protected area management and monitoring skills.

NRDF welcomes new tribe to the network of forest conservation areas in South Choiseul

On 27th May 2020, an official Protected Area consultation meeting was held with the Lukulombere tribe in Choiseul Province.

The Lukelombere tribe is the latest member to join the network of forest conservation areas within the Babatana forest conservation project, which comprises 8 tribal lands covering more than 10,000 hectares of pristine rainforest. Two tribes (Sirebe and Siporae) have already been officially declared a Members of the Lukulombere tribe and surrounding tribes and Protected Area under the Protected Area Act communities discuss the proposed Protected Area © NRDF of the Solomon Islands. All other tribes are in the process of becoming legally protected areas.

With its 600 hectares of forest, Lukelombere is one of the smaller Babatana members. However their forest is a striking example of an intact rainforest ecosystem and water catchment area along the South Choiseul coastline which is threatened by unsustainable logging.

The meeting was attended by 76 people and was witnessed by an Official from the Provincial Government and the General

Secretary of the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities (LLCTC).

Gizo Women in Business agroforesty plots established As an alternative to logging to earn income for a living, GWIB are assisting communities in Kolombangara and Ghizo to set up agroforestry plots and identify market outlets for people to market their fruits. Workshops and practical training were carried out in May and June, providing community members with knowledge on land use planning, food security and farming techniques. Demonstration plots were Vice president of Dughore Women Association doing practical at established at Lolobo on Kolombangara and in the Agroforestry Demonstration plot © GWIB Gizo town.

A feasibility study to identify market opportunities for local dried fruits was also carried out, looking at options for commodities such as bananas, ngali nuts, pineapple, coconut and cocoa. A space has also been secured at the Gizo Market for women to sell their organic food crops. GWIB will continue to work with womens groups in the target communities to explore these options further.

The first two customers to buy vegetables from the Agroforestry demonstration plot in Gizo since its establishment in early May 2020. The picture on the right is the space allocated for GWIBDI organic farmers to sell their produces in Gizo main market ©GWIB

Baru Conservation Alliance Over the last few months, BCA has been working with its team of advisors in Solomon Islands and overseas to develop its strategic plan and financial policies and procedures. Regular zoom meetings have taken the place of workshops, proving that a reliable internet connection is a means to continuing project activities when travel is disrupted. Our National Country Coordinator, Ravin Dhari, recently attended the financial policy drafting workshop, which was facilitated by Felix Naitoro and Ben Namo from close NGO partners Wai Hau Conservation Foundation. Felix Naitoro presenting during the financial policy and procedure workshop at Gala © Ravin Dhari

Tommy Esau conducts a regular zoom meeting with advisor and friend to BCA, Dr David McLaren of JCU. © BCA

Mai Maasina Green Belt livelihood scoping exercise in Malaita The MMGB is a growing initiative to bring together Malaitan communities in a united conservation front, especially as logging increasingly threatens the island. The executive team undertook a trip from the 6th - 14th June 2020 to meet with 18 partner organizations in southern Malaita. The main mission of the trip was to visit and meet with all member committees and discuss and update them with the current and future plans of MMGB. This is a critical way of ensuring that members are involved and feel ownership as MMGB grows and strengthens. Whilst visiting Team photo at AruAru © MMGB each group, the team scoped out interest and potential of possible business and livelihood opportunities. Interest was seen for ventures such as kava, honey, carbon trading and ecotourism, and MMGB will now work with communities on the feasibility of pursuing these ideas in each area.

New Grants IUCN recently signed a grant with the Solomon Islands Community Conservation Partnership (SICCP) to establish ngali nut agroforestry for forest conservation in the Marovo-Kavachi KBA. The area around Zaira village on Vangunu island is some of the last remaining intact forest on an island rife with logging. The community is currently working towards formal protection of their area. This project aims to provide an alternative income source for the community, and provide new skills in agroforestry, establishment of nurseries for ngali nut trees and the development of a finished ngali nut product for the commercial market. Dr Shane Tutuo and Mandus Boselalu from SICCP at SolAgro facility at Burns Creek Area, East Honiara © Ravin Dhari

Other news from Solomon Islands Feral cat abundance, density and activity in tropical island rainforests Tyrone H. Lavery, Masaafi Alabai, Piokera Holland, Cornelius Qaqara and Nelson Vatohi.

While carrying out surveys in Solomon Islands, the authors’ camera traps detected cats, introduced rodents and pigs. Feral cats were most commonly seen and are abundant in the surveyed forests of Solomon Islands. They are likely a major threat to the endemic and native fauna in the country.

Congratulations to the team from Oceania Ecology Group, WWF, ESSI, NRDF and Kongulai village on the writing and publication Feral cats are abundant in Solomon Islands © Tyrone Lavery of this paper, which presents important information for the future management of forests and species in Solomon Islands.

Download the paper here

Amendment of Solomon Islands Forests and Timber Utilisation (Felling Licenses) Regulations 2005 On 27th May, Regulation 13 (1) (c) of the Principal Regulations was amended by deleting “unless approved by the Commissioner of Forest Resources”, meaning that it is now illegal to carry out felling operations in areas that are 400m above sea level.

Vanuatu

Live and Learn Vanuatu assist West Coast Santo communities following Cyclone Harold

Following Cyclone Harold, CEPF was able to assist affected communities on Santo by adding a cyclone recovery and relief component to Live and Learn Vanuatu’s grant.

Live and Learn Vanuatu have been working in west coast Santo for many years, and their main partner communities around Kerepua were severely affected by Cyclone Harold. This community has been working with Live and Learn and partners to establish the largest Distribution of seedlings at Wusi © Live and Learn Vanuatu CCA in Vanuatu, at Mt Tabwemasana and the resultant damage to the land poses a threat to the communities and the CCA itself.

Two Live and Learn staff recently visited Kerepua, Elia and Wusi to undertake recovery activities: building an agroforestry nursery and raising vegetable seedlings to ensure food security for the communities; installing a 6000L water tank in each village to ensure a clean water supply; and rebuilding of the recently constructed Tabwemasana conservation mountain bungalow, which aims to provide tourism accommodation at the CCA. Installation of water tank at Elia community © Live and Learn Vanuatu

Eco-lifelihood Associates conducts land demarcation survey around Penoru, NW Santo

EDA carried out a mapping exercise in consultation with local government and community members for the registered Penoru CCA, which is located within the Santo Mountain chain Key Biodiversity Area. The Penoru CCA was the second nationally registered CCA, in 2009. However, since registration, there has been no clear Campsite during the 3 day mapping work around Penoru, NW demarcation of the boundary of the area. This Santo, and plotting the GPS and GNSS coordinates © EDA poses a risk to the CCA itself, as community members move into the area for hunting and farming. It also increases the potential for future conflicts over the boundary. The mapping exercise resulted in the

production of a new official boundary and zoning map for the community.

EDA hopes to carry out a similar exercise in other registered areas in order to assist communities and landowners with the demarcation of their land boundaries.

Edenhope assists Santo communities with CCA progression and Cyclone Harold response

Edenhope, Santo Sunset Environment Network and other partners have been working towards the establishment of CCAs in west coast Santo. In late June, Tasmate village validated their CCA Management Plan, which will be submitted to DEPC for formal registration in the coming weeks. At the same time, Santo Sunset Environment Network (SSEN) ratified its constitution.

The only CBO based on West Coast, SSEN was formed in 2017 with a goal to ensure the protection and conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity in 22 member villages from West Coast and Northwest Santo Tasmate village CCA Management planning © Edenhope Area Councils. The SSEN has custom and tradition at its heart, and promotes traditional knowledge and customary practices held by the people of West and North West Santo.

Following cyclone Harold, the Network was the first organization to reach affected villages: within 72 hours of the Cyclone, a team from the SSEN had visited all affected villages collecting emergency medivac cases and damage reports, and relayed these to the national and provincial authorities via satellite phone.

CEPF rapidly mobilized additional funds to Edenhope for Cyclone Harold relief and recovery, including repairing water systems damaged by the cyclone. Edenhope and its SSEN signing of constitution © Edenhope partners were able to rapidly respond to the crisis by undertaking damage assessments in affected villages, linking national and provincial stakeholders will traditional resource owners and authorities in West Coast Santo, and provide advice on food, water and natural resource security.

Read the Vanuatu Daily Post news article here

Read more about the Santo Sunset Environment Network here

Other news from Vanuatu

Martika Tahi from the Vanuatu Environmental Science Society joins 9

other conservationists from around the world as a “Hotspot Hero”!

CEPF is recognizing hotspot heroes as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations this year.

With help from several CEPF grants, Martika has conducted much-needed scientific surveys of bats, seagrass and dugongs around Vanuatu’s remote islands, and the resulting data are being used to improve management of sites vital to conservation. Her outreach to remote communities on the importance of species conservation has reduced the hunting Martika Tahi © VESS of bats on several islands while protecting the vital ecosystem services these species provide.