Conservation needs workers

The National Weekender

By WENCESLAUS MAGUN
THERE is so much work to inform, educate, empower, manage and sustainably use our natural resources but the workers are few.
Deputy Prime Minister Davis Steven highlighted this fact at the second graduation of UPNG’s certificate programme on Biodiversity Conservation at the UPNG’s Drill Hall on Friday, Dec 20.
Steven was guest speaker at the graduation of 42 community-based conservation practitioners from all over Papua New Guinea including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

Dr Jane Mogina from ExxonMobil PNG Ltd congratulating Simon Pasingan 69, from Barefoot for graduating with a Certificate in Biodiversity Conservation.

The first batch of graduation of this programme was held in late 2017 with an enrolment of 24 trainees. These trainees have graduated with UPNG certificates approved by the university senate and council.
Davis also emphasised the need for policies and laws to be developed and used as guiding principles that were fundamentally important to govern the nation.
In congratulating the students for completing their three-week intensive course on Biodiversity Conservation, he stressed the important role policy and law played in managing the country’s natural resources, the economy, society, cultures, politics and infrastructure development.
He further thanked UPNG for its leadership and responsibility to train the 42 students despite their limitations.
Davis pointed out that this training was a step forward in addressing the challenges school leavers faced in the pursuit for further studies.
“The education system is developed for the exclusive intelligent people. Our landowners are already educated with traditional knowledge. But we need to be re-educated with the scientific knowledge and skills to compliment what we already know. There is lack of scientific knowledge. Many of us just need basic knowledge. This course is therefore important and relevant,” he reiterated.
UPNG Vice Chancellor Prof Frank Griffin added that this programme marked an important milestone for the university’s outreach work in reaching out to educate and train our people not only through their normal diploma, degree and postgraduate programmes, but at a certificate level for people who could not make it to the university.
“Our certificate programme in biodiversity conservation is a practical skills-based programme and comprises three modules: 1) Establishment and management of community organisation; 2) Marine biodiversity conservation; and 3) Terrestrial biodiversity conservation,” he said.
The 42 graduates have completed Marine Biodiversity and Terrestrial Conservation training.
Prof Griffin said UPNG has realised the need to contribute towards the Government’s drive to conserve and utilise its great natural capital in biodiversity through capacity building. In 2001 they identified: Participatory Project Planning and Design; Conservation Areas Management; Organisational Strengthening; and Development of Delivery of Course consisting of modules.
“These were then expanded into workable training modules under the Strengthening Conservation Capacity Project (SCCP) funded by MacArthur Foundation over a nine-year period.”
Key modules developed under SCCP included:

  • Biodiversity conservation policy and law;
  • Protected area establishment and management;
  • Organisational establishment and management;
  • Fund raising and proposal writing;
  • Economics of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services;
  • Public education; and
  • Community engagement and participation.

With support from Mama Graun Conservation Trust Fund and ExxonMobil PNG under its Biodiversity Offset programme, the university through its division of Biological Sciences established a centre dedicated to biodiversity conservation studies and research.
“This then set the scene for the establishment a programme dedicated to biodiversity conservation studies and research to be included in a degree programme as well as a certificate programme for the university’s community outreach,” said Prof Griffin.
“By training the stakeholders through the certificate programme,” Prof Griffin said, “the university aims to address long-term sustainability of biodiversity conservation at community level.”
He pointed out that there was also a plan to develop a bridging programme through this biodiversity conservation programme. This will enable people wanting to earn a university degree but are unfortunate not to do so because of lack of space.
Prof Griffins said further that in 2017 UPNG’s School of Natural and Physical Sciences through the Division of Biological Sciences established the Centre of Biological Conservation and Natural Products and also incorporated training programmes.
This included a year-long coursework for a Post Graduate Degree in Science (PGDS)and honours with a minor thesis and a two-year Masters in Science (MSc) programme by research in this area of study.

“ In 2017 I was there to witness the first graduands under this sponsorship programme. I was so proud to see them graduate back then and am still proud today. We hope this course gives you the tools so you keep doing what you are doing. What you do at the community level is very critical for biodiversity conservation.”

He said in 2018 the PGDSc by coursework and MSc by research were initiated with the enrolment of 12 PGDSc students who graduated earlier last year. Four MSc students will be continuing their programme and should complete their studies and graduate this year.
To achieve this objective, maintain its current programs and develop new ones, Prof Griffin highlighted the need for partnership and collaboration.
He said to mount these teaching and learning programmes as well as research and development the university needed one additional academic and two technical staff to add to the two academic staff and one technician who were being supported by Mama Graun/Exxon Mobil biodiversity offset commitment.
Prof Griffin called on the Government and relevant stakeholders to support UPNG so it can fund its research.
Dr Jane Mogina a former lecturer at UPNG and currently a senior biodiversity advisor to Exxonmobil PNG said the objective for supporting this capacity building programme was to ensure that communities were empowered to do conservation on their own land.
“In 2017 I was there to witness the first graduands under this sponsorship programme. I was so proud to see them graduate back then and am still proud today. We hope this course gives you the tools so you keep doing what you are doing. What you do at the community level is very critical for biodiversity conservation,” she said.
She thanked Prof Simon Saulei and his team of staff for making time available to train the graduates instead of going on leave or taking this time to do research.
Dr Mogina challenged the graduates to influence their leaders to ride on this wave and to support community conservation efforts just like what the DPM Stevens was doing in Esa’ala District in Milne Bay.
Speaking on behalf of the 42 graduands, Daina Budia, 59, a single mother with four children, from the Kadawarubi Tribe of South Fly District, Western, called on all stakeholders, particularly corporate entities, MPs, provincial governments, and relevant government departments to join ExxonMobil in funding community-based biodiversity conservation projects managed and driven by local communities.
Unless this is done the gap to find more workers to achieve biodiversity conservation outcomes in PNG will be just talk without action.

  • Freelance writer Wenceslaus Magun, who spearheads the conservation of leatherback turtles in Madang’s North Coast area, was also a participant of the course.