<
https://mymodernmet.com/tca-conservation-deed-for-endangered-tree-kangaroos/>
"A legally binding conservation deed was signed by the last of 266 Indigenous
clan leaders across 41 villages in Papua New Guinea to protect over 125,000
hectares (about 309,000 acres) of rainforest. This agreement benefits local
communities, their land, forests, livelihoods, and endangered tree kangaroos.
Papua New Guinea has hundreds of Indigenous languages and communities that live
in rural areas, where people depend on agriculture, forests, and other natural
resources. Infrastructure can be difficult to develop in many parts of the
country because of the mountainous and heavily forested terrain. This makes
conservation efforts especially important. Instead of treating the forest and
the people who live there as separate issues, the conservation deed, signed on
June 30, brings them together. Protecting the rainforest can help protect
wildlife while also preserving the land and resources that communities depend
on.
The project is being led by the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA), a local
conservation organization that has worked in the Torricelli Mountains since
2001. TCA focuses on protecting native species while working with communities
to reduce hunting and safeguarding forests. The 41 participating villages
agreed to a set of rules about what activities can and cannot take place on
their land that the villages themselves were consulted on over two years.
Tree kangaroos are largely unheard of even though there are 14 subspecies, 12
in PNG and two in Australia. Unlike their more famous counterpart,
ground-dwelling kangaroos, tree kangaroos have adapted to life in tropical
forests. They spend much of their time in trees and can be difficult to observe
because of their rarity and dense forest habitat.
The Torricelli Mountain Range is especially important because it is the only
known place where three species of tree kangaroos live together. The Tenkile
tree kangaroo and Weimang tree kangaroo are classified as Critically
Endangered. The Grizzled tree kangaroo is classified as Vulnerable. Twenty-five
years ago when TCA was founded, Tenkile’s population dropped to only about 100
of these animals, making it one of the world’s most endangered mammals.
Luckily, their numbers have since climbed past 300.
Historically, few efforts in PNG have had a positive long-term impact because
outside agendas have negatively impacted decision-making, according to a study
conducted by researchers Mikal Eversole Nolan, Danny Samandingke, and Timmy
Sowang, published in the
Journal for Nature Conservation. TCA is one of the
organizations that has been steadfast in its mission and morals to help bring
back the tree kangaroos for good.
This conservation deed, which takes the context and importance of the issues to
everyone and everything on the island seriously, can create lasting positive
change."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
