Sakol, 25, on mission to protect environment

By JAMES GUMUNO
A young man in Enga is taking the lead to preserve the natural environment and stop his people from hunting endangered birds.
Angale Sakol, 25, from Aituli village in Lagaip-Porgera district, initiated the concept to look after the environment.
He said that many people in his village and surrounding areas did not recognise the importance of the environment.
Sakol attended a short course in Israel in 2017 under the Enga Agriculture Industrial Centre, which was facilitated by the Engan government in partnership with Israeli company, Innovative Agro Industry.
He learnt many things about agriculture and environment.
“I want to show my people the way forward by taking the initiative to look after forest resources, and advocate on sustainable use and rehabilitation of natural environment in the communities,” he said.
Sakol said his tribe owned large forests, but due to no-care attitude of the people, native flora and fauna were rapidly disappearing.
Sakol said that he started small early last year by making nurseries of rare tree seedlings.
He also ventured into growing orchids.
Sakol said that he stopped his people from hunting birds, tree kangaroos, cuscus, and other wild animals in the forest.
He also collects orchid specimens from different geographical locations and cultivates them in the forest.
Sakol said his people now understood the importance of their environment.
He said they now refrained from setting bush fires to hunt animals, and unnecessarily cutting down trees to make gardens.
“I have a plan to build a lodge near my forest, promote eco-tourism and preserve our forest in the long run” he said.
Sakol said it was a voluntary labour of love to protect the forest and its inhabitants.