Appreciating the work of foresters

The National Weekender

By FAY DUEGA
WHEN I was interviewed for my current job at the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority (PNGFA) over 15 years ago, one of the questions I was asked by the interview panel was: “Are you prepared to accompany foresters to walk the jungles of Papua New Guinea as part of your job?”  My response was in the affirmative.
But since then, the nearest I have got to walking in the forest was during visits to plantations where we would usually arrive in vehicles and park on the roadside to view the forest plantations. If we were to walk around for a look-see, it would take less than 10 minutes.
In April this year I clocked 15 years with the PNGFA and it wasn’t until the following month that I took my first real walk in the jungle. I was in the company of PNGFA’s National Forest Inventory (NFI) team to Goroka, Eastern Highlands, for the country’s first-ever field assessment under the multi-purpose NFI.
There were two NFI teams in Goroka. I was with Team One which trekked through Upper Bena in the Unggai Bena District while Team 2 went to Kesawaka in the Henganofi District. Officers in each team were to carry out an inventory on upper plants, lower plants and soil. There was another team from the Madang-based Binatang Research Centre which would work on an inventory on birds, insects, moths, etc.
The inventory teams left for their respective sites on Tuesday, May 23, while four of us remained in Goroka to await the arrival of Dr Hitofumi Abe, chief technical adviser for FAO (Food and  Agriculture Organisation) who is also attached with the NFI project.
Following his arrival from Port Moresby the next day, we hit the road for a bumpy one-hour ride to Matausa village. I was anticipating catching up with the foresters so I could take pictures of them at work. Upon arrival, however, we were told that the three of us women-NFI communications specialist Mary-Therese Piafu, NFI administration officer Posa Terra and me  would have to return to Goroka with the FAO project coordinator Michael Poesi. Dr Abe and NFI officer Oala Iuda would trek to the campsite.
I was to write about the work of NFI and retuning to Goroka and onward to Port Moresby the next day was defeating the purpose of my being on the trip.  It would be a total waste of money for me to have come this far and yet not complete my assignment, I argued.
The campsite my team was to walk to was about a three-hour trek. On the spur of the moment I made to walk to the Nakaiesega campsite.  I’d have to start at Matausa village and from there walk through rough terrain and steep, slippery mountainsides for five kilometres. Posa decided that she’d join me on the walk. Michael, who was assigned to take us back to Goroka and see us off the next day decided to join in. He didn’t mind that his camping gear was in Goroka.
We left Matausa village at 12.30pm going downhill for about 30 minutes until we reached a beautiful and crystal clear river. From there, the uphill battle began. I must have walked for only five minutes before I realised that this was going to be difficult. A few minutes later I took the first of many rests. In retrospect, if someone had pointed out that Matausa village was still nearby, I would have gladly returned.  But, I’m also happy that no-one uttered any such thing. Instead, I was encouraged to think positive and prod on.
There were five of us PNGFA/NFI staff plus a village elder and three young girls from the village who accompanied us and helped carry our stuff. Posa is a netballer so she was fit, walking way ahead with the others.
After my first 10 steps, I had decided that my boots were too heavy. Ruth, one of the girls was soon carrying the boots as I trudged along barefooted.
I was the slowest in the group and as we ascended higher onto the mountain, I was becoming a little breathless. I urged everyone else to go ahead of me so I could walk at my own, slow pace.
I thought of my two sons in Port Moresby. I began praying and asking God to ensure my safety to and from the camp site. I really was unprepared for this walk. Apart from going for a medical check-up, I should have walked around Port Moresby for some time before embarking on this trip. It was all too late now. I was in God’s hands.
Before we started the walk, I had to ask asked Ruth if there were snakes in the jungle. I really hate the sight of them, rubber or real. I was relieved when she replied that only leeches and little lizards roamed the place.
It normally takes local villagers an hour to walk to the camp site. But for me, the walk was taking too long. Three hours had passed and we were still not at the camp site.  I kept telling everyone to walk ahead. They’d walk on for a while and then rest up to wait for me.
The villagers cut sticks out of bush shrubs which we used to support ourselves during the walk. Initially I saw the sticks as an unnecessary piece of baggage. It soon became evident that without the sticks, there was no going forward, and upward.
It came to a point where I no longer cared where I sat down to get my breath. My feet couldn’t carry me any further.

  • Read part 2 next week for the rest of the journey
  • Fay Duega is public relations officer at PNGFA.