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(April 21, 2020) For many years, biologists and conservationists across the globe have recognized Papua New Guinea as one of the world’s greatest hotspots for biodiversity. Some 300 kilometers north of New Guinea’s mainland is the island of Manus. Its Great Central Forest covers approximately 70,000 hectares of the largest, remnant patch of intact forest in the Admiralty Islands.The forest boasts many species found nowhere else, including the Admiralty cuscus, the Superb Pita, and the Manus melomys. ...

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(April 21, 2020) The people of Papua New Guinea treasure feathers from the Pesquet’s parrot for use in ceremonial headdresses. But the practice could be driving the birds to extinction.

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(April 21, 2020) Negative impacts of climate change can significantly affect food and socio-economic security of smallholder farming communities.To enhance the resilience of these communities, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Nari have collaborated under the Darwin Initiative – Climate Change Partnership project to diversify their access to improved crop varieties and farming practices in order to reduce unsustainable harvest of wild plants and animals. 

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(April 21, 2020) A blessed country of spectacular landscapes and the most diverse array of cultures on Earth, Papua New Guinea is also a global hotspot for biodiversity. Just in terms of species, the South Pacific nation has more birds than all of North America, over three-quarters of the world’s hard corals, and at least 2,000 reef fish. At least 131 kinds of sharks and rays have been documented in its waters, including four species of endangered sawfish. Indeed, the waters of Papua New Guinea and norther...

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(April 04, 2019) Fifty-two clans from Papua New Guinea's Manus Island have renewed a pact to protect the island's last remaining tract of indigenous rainforest.The clans together own 43,000 hectares in the island's centre, and they've opted to conserve it rather than bow to the pressures of logging and mining.They were mustered by the NGO, Wildlife Conservation Society, whose PNG director, Ambroise Brenier, says Manus Island is a biodiversity hotspot with species found nowhere else on the planet.Dr Brenier told ...

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(April 04, 2019) Fifty-two clans from Papua New Guinea's Manus Island have renewed a pact to protect the island's last remaining tract of indigenous rainforest.The clans together own 43,000 hectares in the island's centre, and they've opted to conserve it rather than bow to the pressures of logging and mining.They were mustered by the NGO, Wildlife Conservation Society, whose PNG director, Ambroise Brenier, says Manus Island is a biodiversity hotspot with species found nowhere else on the planet.Dr Brenier told ...

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(March 21, 2019) Fifty-two clans on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), recently renewed conservation agreements to protect 43,000 Hectares of their forested land areas.The renewal of these conservation agreements, that were first initiated in 2014 with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), represent an ongoing commitment by local communities to conserve two-thirds of the Great Central Forest on Manus Island for their long-term livelihood sustenance.Located north of the island of New Guinea, Manus Island ha...

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(November 20, 2018) The protected area will contribute to the protection of the Bismarck Range forest, a contiguous intact forest corridor in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s top seven regions for the highest plant diversity and an area supporting the highest mammal and amphibian species richness and endemism in the country.Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s least developed nations, is home to the largest remaining rainforests outside the Congo and Amazon. This forest is u...

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(November 19, 2018) To ensure better planning, engagement and participation of all relevant stakeholders, workshops on Review of REDD+ Stakeholder Engagement were conducted in three pilot provinces from 5-9 October in Papua New Guinea (PNG) under the PNG REDD+ Programme.These review workshops were held following by the completion of REDD+ stakeholders mapping assessment in the previous month in those pilot provinces, including East New Britain (ENB), West New Britain (WNB) and Madang.Terence Barambi, Acting Manager...

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(November 06, 2018) WCS President and CEO Dr. Cristián Samper issued the following statement on the announcement of 7,500 square kilometers of new marine protected areas in Papua New Guinea’s Bismarck Sea:“We applaud the Government of Papua New Guinea for its recently announced commitment to protect an enormous expanse of one of the world’s natural wonders: the Bismarck Sea. Papua New Guinea is already well known as a land of great cultural diversity and home to the famous birds of paradise...

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(April 04, 2017) WCS New Ireland Program commemorated the World Water Day with two schools in Kavieng town last month. The event was celebrated on its annual international sanctioned date - March 22 with the theme Waste Water. WCS community engagement officer Mr. Francis Gove and community facilitator Ms. Nerry Mana celebrated the event with the Cateret and Sacred Heart Primary Schools. They talked to students about the importance of water and how it should be conserved to sustain their livelihoods and household...

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(March 06, 2017) Mussau Island in New Island Province lies 160 kilometres north of Kavieng and is well known for having a large population of green turtles. However, recent surveys by WCS have found turtle densities around the island to be highly variable.  Two villages, Nae and Lolieng, are separated by just 33 kilometres of coastline have very different turtle densities. For example, the reef crest at Lolieng supports an average of 7 turtles per hectare whereas the same habitat at Nae has only 0...

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(February 16, 2017) Ambroise Brenier is the new country director for the WCS PNG program.He joined the Goroka head office at the beginning of this year with his wife and two daughters.For the past 13 years Ambroise has worked in Africa, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions to develop and implement field based marine conservation and coastal fishery management initiatives. In 2016, he led the WWF ocean conservation efforts in French overseas territories. From 2010 to 2015 he led the WCS's marine prog...

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(September 13, 2016) We have a campaign to “Strongim kastom – Lukautim Bilas Bilong Yu,” for the 60th Goroka Cultural show this weekend from the 16th – 18th September. Hundreds of cultural groups gather annually to celebrate the country’s Independence Day in their traditional attires. But have you ever thought about how many different birds and animals go into making those outfits? We have and with this campaign “Strongim Kastom – Lukautim Bilas Bilong Yu,” we will be ...

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(September 08, 2016) Three primary schools in New Ireland province celebrated this year’s World Water Week with a stream of fun and activities with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). WCS New Ireland’s Climate Change Educational Resource Centre (CCERC) involved students from the Elivanera, Sacred Heart and Cateret primary schools in various educational activities about water. “This is so that students would understand the roles water play in our lives and the importance of saving it,” sa...

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(July 21, 2016) Three student groups were awarded token of appreciation for their efforts in writing the best essays and poem during the World Environment day celebrations with WCS New Ireland in June.   As part of the centre’s WED celebrations activity, participating schools were given the opportunity to write essays and poems on the WED theme ‘Fight Against the Illegal Trade of Wildlife’.   Grade eight students of Maiom Primary school and grade seven students of Kaselok Primary sch...

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(July 21, 2016) Addressing food security is a key project activity for WCS PNG.WCS recently completed a soil fertility and pests & diseases management training with 75 locals from the Tigak Group of Islands in New Ireland province from the 6th-13th June.This project activity is funded under the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) which also includes other activities that WCS New Ireland has been actively involved in since March this year.It was the first of its kind for the participants of Salapiu,...

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(April 21, 2016) WCS PNG programme has published a major report in relation to the country’s national circumstances for implementing REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation including the promotion of activities that enhance forest carbon stocks) and for understanding the key direct and indirect factors that are driving deforestation and forest degradation in the country. The report, which is titled “Analysis of National Circumstances in the Context of REDD+ and Identi...

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(March 29, 2016) A project to help rural communities in five provinces in the country tell their climate change stories is underway with two island villages in New Ireland province been the first to complete a media workshop on digital storytelling. Funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Climate Change Development Authority-CCDA (formerly OCCD) this was one of the activities that the Wildlife Conservation Society in Papua New Guinea (WCS PNG) was contracted to undertake...

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(March 29, 2016) Prohibiting destructive fishing practices, closing fish spawning aggregation sites, minimum size limits, no-take areas and rotational harvesting of some invertebrates are a few of the fisheries management initiatives that villages of the Tigak and Tsoi Islands in New Ireland province have agreed to include in their fisheries management plans. 10 communities in the Tigak and Tsoi Islands have been working in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea programme to sustai...

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