Research

WCS’s wildlife monitoring

In PNG, wildlife is important for both sustenance and cultural use. In order to quantify the importance of wildlife for the communities and assess the risks of overhunting, WCS will undertake wildlife monitoring within forests and quantify the rate of wildlife use within the villages. Communities will be informed of species at risk of overexploitation, and WCS will work with these communities to include sustainable harvest limits into their management plans. Scientific information on the endangered Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo to ensure effective conservation actions (e.g., its home-range size, diet, and population size) remain unknown, and WCS will support a research student to study the species. WCS will also work with TKCP to develop this program, as the organization has a long history in tree kangaroo research. Wildlife researchers from WCS and TKCP will be supported through site visits to each community to strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration between the programs.

TKCP’s marine-specific resource management

TKCP will focus on adapting and integrating marine-specific resource management methods into its ward-level land use planning process by defining baseline or marine resources and developing a roadmap for action in FY 2022.

TKCP will undertake the development of a technical and social survey (to be carried out in 2022) among the communities in the Nambis (coastal) zone of YUS to inform the further development of marine-specific conservation management plans in YUS. The survey will enable ongoing community-based monitoring of marine resources (in conjunction with TKCP’s development of community land use monitoring) and will be based on best practice methods and tools developed for the PNG/Pacific context by the WCS and James Cook University.

TKCP will also conduct a review of marine research and monitoring efforts in YUS to collect recommendations for the development of a community-level technical and social survey.

Additionally, TKCP will conduct a learning visit to a WCS site (i.e., New Ireland Province). This visit will inform the development of the survey and the tentative community marine monitoring plan.

These planning activities will inform TKCP’s implementation of a baseline survey and the community marine monitoring activities for 2022.

Creating a community of practice

LGP’s partners are working together through cross-training and exchange visits to create a community of practice for the different gender-inclusive, conservation, and livelihood contexts in the LGP terrestrial and marine areas. As these areas evolve, the team aims to institutionalize them in learning networks through national organizations or local-to-national-level linked organizations and enterprises through market chains or knowledge networks.

The first mechanism is the development of learning networks for the community of practice, beginning with the YUS Conservation Area as a learning site. TKCP is leading this effort, with the Cardno capacity-building team coordinating and facilitating efforts across the Program. Particular focus will be given to the sharing of best practices regarding community-based land-use planning, research, monitoring, livelihoods, One Health, and community conservation leadership. TKCP will complement the planned learning and collaboration activities with the production of resources and materials to prompt partners to share program models and community engagement approaches.

Empowering female biologists for research and conservation

The small grants program includes institutional strengthening activities to (1) help MSMEs apply for and operate professionally within a grant, (2) provide assistance in completing program assessments, and (3) support communities in developing financial capacity-building and livelihoods. Most of the applications relate to training the staff of CBOs and MSMEs on conservation best practices. Training topics include empowering female biologists for research and conservation in PNG.