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Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program Bruce Beehler / Conservation International TREE KANGAROO CONSERVATION PROGRAM 2008 ANNUAL REPORT Bruce Beehler / Conservation International CONTENTS 2 BACKGROUND 4 YEAR IN REVIEW 6 CONSERVATION 10 RESEarCH 13 COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION 14 EDUCATION 16 HEALTH 17 OTHER NEWS 21 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 23 YUS CONSErvaTION arEA maP BACKGROUND T K CP: THE TrEE KaNGarOO CONSErvaTION PrOGram 008 A FOSTErs wiLDLIFE AND HABITAT CONSErvaTION NN U A L AND SUPPORTS LOCAL COmmUNITY LivELIHOODS IN R EPOR PaPUA NEW GUINEA THROUGH GLOBAL ParTNErsHIPS, T LAND PROTECTION, AND SCIENTIFIC RESEarCH. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation ranges, thus preserving a PROGRAM GOALS: Program (TKCP) is partnering with complete altitudinal spectrum 1. Create the first officially local landowners on the Huon of Huon Peninsula habitats recognized Conservation Area Peninsula in Papua New Guinea free from resource extraction. (CA) on the Huon Peninsula in (PNG) to create and manage the The Matschie’s tree kangaroo Papua New Guinea. country’s first Conservation Area (Dendrolagus matschiei), which 2. Establish a Community- encompassing over 150,000 acres is endemic to the region and has Based Organization (CBO) of cloud forest and Matschie’s important cultural significance that provides long-term tree kangaroo habitat. TKCP for the local indigenous people, management for the CA works within the YUS Local serves as a flagship species and improves the livelihood Level Government in Morobe for the program. In addition to opportunities of local Province, PNG. YUS stands for conservation and research, TKCP communities. the three main watersheds in is establishing a Community the area: Yopno, Uruwa, and Based Organization within 3. Support long-term Som. The population of YUS is Papua New Guinea to manage management and financial approximately 10,000 with over the Conservation Area. The sustainability of the CBO. 35 villages. The local people ongoing community improvement 4. Facilitate ecological and own all of the land in the YUS efforts include education projects social monitoring of the area, 150,000 acres of which was and scholarships as well as an CA and promote scientific pledged to the Conservation expanding healthcare initiative research. Area for protection. The people in villages called “Healthy 5. Build local capacity to address of YUS are subsistence farmers Village, Healthy Forests”. All of conservation, education, and hunters who rely on the land these components include a high healthcare, and other and understand the importance degree of capacity building for community needs. of protecting the forest and Papua New Guineans, including 6. Disseminate lessons learned wildlife. The YUS Conservation PNG university students, village through a global network to Area (CA) extends from sea research assistants, and members support community-based level to 4,000-meter mountain of the YUS community. conservation in Papua New Guinea and act as a model for other conservation programs. b TrEE KaNGarOO CONSErvaTION PrOGram STAFF ACKGRO U N D Dr. Lisa DaBEK SUsaN O’NEIL TKCP Director and Director TKCP Coordinator at of Field Conservation at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA. Washington, USA. TOBY ROss SUE TaLLariCO Conservation & Research Capacity Building & Manager in Cairns, Training Manager in Australia. Cairns, Australia. RUBY YamUNA GaBriEL POROLAK PNG Program Research & Conservation Coordinator in Lae, Coordinator in Lae, Papua Papua New Guinea. New Guinea. KaraU KUNA, JR. DaNNY SamaNDINGKE Mapping Coordinator in Education Coordinator, Lae, Papua New Guinea. Teptep village, Papua New Guinea DONO OGATE Conservation Officer for Uruwa, Yawan village, Papua New Guinea. TREE KANGAROO CONSERVATION PROGRAM YEAR IN REVIEW ittermeier / Conservation International M . A ussell R y EAR IN REVIE W HiGHLIGHTS OF 2008 » Papua New Guinea National » TKCP Education Coordinator, » Health patrols are conducted Government approves the YUS Danny Samandingke of Teptep in all three regions of YUS Conservation Area, officially Village in YUS, graduates from — Yopno, Uruwa and Som, protecting over 150,000 acres the University of Goroka, PNG with Village Birth Attendant of tropical forest and tree with a Bachelor’s of Education (midwife) training completed in kangaroo habitat. and assumes full responsibility Yawan village. as the Education Coordinator. » TKCP staff works with local » TKCP staff works with landowners to start creation » TKCP Research & Conservation community representatives to of the YUS Conservation Coordinator in PNG, Gabriel start the YUS Village Library Organization, a community- Porolak, completes his Master’s Initiative, with the goal of based organization tasked thesis on tree kangaroo home establishing libraries in each with managing the protected range and habitat use from YUS village primary school. area, healthcare and education James Cook University in » Ruby Yamuna is hired as PNG projects, and capacity building Australia. Program Coordinator, officially in YUS villages. » Three YUS students graduate opening a TKCP office in Lae, » Woodland Park Zoo and from Balob Teachers College PNG. Conservation International in Lae, PNG as part of the » Seattle-based TKCP partner to ensure long term TKCP Teacher Scholarship Coordinator Susan O’Neil funding for management of the Program in collaboration with is selected as a Kinship YUS Conservation Area via a the YUS LLG, and are assigned Conservation Fellow in 008. Conservation Trust. to teaching positions at YUS village schools. » Drs. Russ Mittermeier, President, and Bruce Beehler, Senior Research Scientist, of Conservation International visit the Wasaunon field site and Yawan Village. » German Development Bank representatives visit TKCP and YUS villages. » Exclusive WPZ-CI event featuring the TKCP Conservation Trust and Pulitzer Prize-Winning author and scientist Dr. Jared Diamond is held in Seattle, Washington. READ ON FOR deTAILS ABOUT TheSE 2008 hiGHLIGHTS And AccOMPLISHMenTS. CONSERVATION YUS village and landscape of YUS Conservation Area 7 CONSERVA YUS CONSErvaTION AREA APPROVED BY PNG GOVERNMENT T ION After over a decade of working While Papua New Guinea has gazettal on national maps, with PNG officials at the local, other types of protected areas, corporations and prospectors will provincial and national level, mostly Wildlife Management know that this area is off-limits and following all steps of the Areas, and a few national parks, to large scale extraction such as Conservation Areas Act of 1978, the Conservation Areas Act of logging and mining. CI’s Global TKCP, Conservatin International, 1978 allows for the highest form Conservation Fund (GCF) has the Department of Environment & of protection available in the generously supported this work Conservation and the people of country. Yet until now, this Act since 00 which allowed TKCP to YUS finally succeeded in gaining had never been utilized in PNG. successfully take the time needed official approval of the YUS Under the Act, both wildlife and to work with the YUS community Conservation Area (CA). Approval habitat are protected. TKCP to create a sustainable and new by the Ministers who make up worked with the PNG Department type of protected area in PNG. the PNG National Executive of Environment & Conservation, Committee was finalized during CI, the Morobe Provincial As the first designation in the their last meeting of 008. The YUS government, the Minister for the country under the Conservation CA passed the governing body Environment, and numerous other Areas Act, the YUS CA will with firm support. The people of partners and advisors in PNG on serve as a model for future YUS are incredibly proud of their gaining final approval through conservation efforts in PNG. conservation success and of being the national government of PNG. In collaboration with the PNG the first in PNG to create a CA. Because the land remains in the Department of Environment & TKCP is now able to move forward ownership of the local people, Conservation and CI, TKCP will with helping the YUS community stewardship and management help other PNG communities and in the next steps of managing and of the YUS Conservation Area non-governmental organizations monitoring the new protected lies in the hands of the YUS by creating a step-by-step area. The Attorney General community with TKCP as an guide for the establishment of signed the YUS Conservation active partner and participant. a Conservation Area. We hope Area into the PNG National The YUS community and TKCP that our work in forging this Gazette on January 9, 009. are devising the regulations new ground will assist others and management structure for and speed the process to protect enforcing the protection of the additional forests and other area at the local level. Through habitat throughout PNG. Toby Ross working with community 8 T K CP: YUS LaNDOWNER WORKSHOP 008 A NN U In March, 008, TKCP staff Toby of the Center for the Support of AN EXamPLE OF ONE OF THE A L R Ross, Karau Kuna, Susan O’Neil, Native Lands in Washington, RULES & assOCiaTED FINE EPOR and Sue Tallarico worked with D.C. with funding from the Tok Pisin: I tambu long kukim ol T Arthur Ganubella of the PNG National Geographic Society. bus insait long CA. Department of Environment The purpose of the project is English: It is illegal to light forest & Conservation, and Kepslok to document culturally and fires within the CA. Kumilgo of Conservation biologically significant landmarks International-PNG to hold a within YUS according to the Fine: K200.00 (~US$80.00). Landowner Workshop in Isan landowners and villagers using village in YUS. The purpose of the traditional language and symbols. workshop was to draft the YUS Landowners edited and added Conservation Area Management information to the current maps Plan, which will define the rules, for each region of YUS (Yopno, regulations and enforcement Uruwa and Som). These were structure for the YUS Conservation later digitized into a Geographic Area (CA). The draft plan must be Information System and edited approved by all landowners who by Wycliffe Antonio and staff have pledged their land to the at the University of Technology CA as well as the PNG Minister in Lae, PNG.
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