Biodiversity conservation labour is great but workers few

42 graduates pausing after receiving their

Certificates in Biodiversity Conservation with

the DPM Hon. Davis Steven, UPNGs Vice Chancellor

Professor Frank Griffins, Professor Simon Saulei

head of Biology Division, Mrs Beatice Waiin

- Deputy Dean (Academic) and now

A/ Executive Dean, and Dr. Jane Mogina

representing ExxonMobil, PNG at the UPNG’s

Drill Hall.  Picture by Liberty Betuel

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 program on Biodiversity Conservation at the UPNG’s Drill Hall on Friday 20, December, as guest speaker for 42 community based conservation practitioners from all over Papua New Guinea including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The first batch of graduates under this program was held in late 2017 with an enrolment of 24 trainees.  These graduates have graduated with UPNG certified Certificates approved by the University Senate and the Council.

Mr. Davis also emphasised the need for Policies and Laws to be developed and used as guiding principles that are fundamentally important to govern our nation.

In congratulating the students for completing their three weeks intensive course on Biodiversity Conservation, he stressed the important role Policy and Law play in managing our country’s natural resources, our economy, society, cultures, politics and infrastructure development.

He further thanked UPNG for its leadership and responsibility to train the 42 students despite their limitations. 

Mr. Davis pointed out that this training is a step forward in addressing the challenges school leavers face in 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.

UPNGs Vice Chancellor Professor Frank Griffins added that, this program marks 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 programs, but at a certificate level for people who could not make it to the University.

“Our certificate program in biodiversity conservation is a practical skills based program and comprises three modules:  1) The Establishment and Management of Community Organisation; 2) Marine Biodiversity Conservation; and 3) Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation,” he said.

The 42 graduands have just completed Marine Biodiversity and Terrestrial Conservation training.

Prof. Griffins said the University has realised the need to contribute towards the government’s drive to conserve and utilize 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.

He said: “These were then expended into workable training modules under the Strengthening Conservation Capacity Project (SCCP) funded by MacArthur Foundation over a 9-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 Exxon Mobil under its Biodiversity Offset program since 2016, the University through its Division of Biological Sciences established a Centre dedicated to Biodiversity Conservation studies and Research at UPNG.

“This then set the scene for the establishment of Biodiversity Conservation program dedicated to Biodiversity Conservation studies and Research to be included in a degree program as well as a certificate program for the University’s community outreach,” said Prof Griffins.

“By training the Stakeholders through the Certificate Program,” Prof Griffins said, “the University aims to address long-term sustainability of biodiversity conservation at Community Level.”

He pointed out that there is also a plan to develop a bridging Program – a diploma and degree programs in Science through this Biodiversity Conservation Program.  This will enable people wanting to earn a University degree but were unfortunate not to do so because of lack of space or through the entry selection processes.

Furthermore, Prof. Griffins said, in 2017 the School of Natural and Physical Sciences through the Division of Biological Sciences established the Centre of Biological Conservation and Natural Products and also incorporate training programs.  This included: a year-long coursework for Post Graduate Degree in Science (PGDSc) and Honours with a minor thesis and a two year Masters in Science Program by Research in this area of study.

He said in 2018 the PGDSc by coursework and MSc by research were initiated with the enrolment of 12 PGDSc students.  These students have graduated earlier this year.  Four MSc students will continuing their program and should complete their studies and graduate in 2020.

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 programs as well as research and development the University needs one additional academic and two technical staff to add to the two academic staff and one technician who are being supported by Mama Graun/Exxon Mobil biodiversity offset commitment.

Prof. Griffins called on the Government and relevant stakeholders to support UPNG so it can fund its research.

“Such partnership should: Address the needs of the country and its institutions; be transparent and on equal footings; projects developed must be locally conceptualised or initiated, driven and managed; must produce results that are relevant to our local setting and also contribute to the body of knowledge; and outputs have local meanings and can be customized to local situations for implementation,” stressed Prof Griffins.

Dr. Jane Mogina a former lecturer at UPNG, currently a senior biodiversity advisor to ExxonMobil PNG said the objective for supporting this capacity building program is to ensure that communities are empowered to do conservation on their own land.

“In 2017 I was there to witness the first graduands under this sponsorship program.  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 graduands instead of going on leave or taking this time to do research.

Dr. Mogina challenged the graduands to influence their leaders to ride on this wave and to support community conservation efforts just like what the DPM Mr Stevens is doing in Esa’ala District in Milne Bay Province.

Speaking on behalf of the 42 graduands, Daina Budia, 59, single mother, with four children, from the Ga’ida, clan, Kadawarubi Tribe, of Tureture village, in Kiwai LLG, South Fly District, Western Province, called on all stakeholders particularly the corporate entities, local MPs, provincial governments, and relevant government departments to join Exxon Mobil 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.

Present at the graduation ceremony were Prof. Simon Saulei head of Biology Division with his staff who ran the training – Mr. Pius Piskaut, Mr. John Genolagani, Mr. Alfred Ko’ou, and Mr. Robin Totome. Others included important dignitaries Mrs Beatice Waiin- Deputy Dean (Academic) and now A/ Executive Dean, and Dr. Jane Mogina representing ExxonMobil PNG.  They were joined by other UPNG staff, representatives from CEPA, JICA, Dr. Jeffrey Noro and his wife, Mama Graun’s executive director, Paul Lokani, Mr. Damien Ase who co-authored the Protected Area Bill 2014 with Dr/former Judge Brian Brunton, and relatives of the graduands.