BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project Coordinator, and local field biologist Cornelius Qaqara shared the importance of conservation to Sirubai Voko Trabe Association (SVTA).
Qaqara has been working for Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF) based in the Babatana area of Choiseul Islands.
During the session he shared his decade of experience working with the Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project during his short visit to Pusiju Community in the Western Province.
His session highlighted how the Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project successfully engaged local communities from registering their Protected Area to advancing into Carbon Credit initiatives.
“Very interesting. Because I share with them the experience and what actual benefits the Babatana group received. So, they encourage themselves to work together towards their Protected Areas (PA) declaration. Because they want to know what are the benefits if they conserve their forest,” Qaqara said.
He mentioned that more than 20 people both men and women attended the event.
“SVTA are now in the process of creating the PA management plan, mapping the PA area, land use plan then would later start to create plan and map or designated area to be protected,” he said.
He said that the next step for the SVTA is to register the rangers and submit the documents to the Ministry of Environment’s conservation division.
He said that women representatives who attended the awareness session expressed their appreciation for the inspiring work led by NRDF, WWFSI, and the Nakau Programme in Choiseul Province.
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