Defend Endemic Species in the Rugged Rainforests of Papua New Guinea
DONATE NOW DONATE NOWUnprotected species face growing threats of deforestation and hunting on Papua New Guinea’s tropical mountain slopes.
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Species at Risk
Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo (EN), Eastern Long-beaked Echidna (VU)
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Carbon stored
25,591,378 mT CO2e*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program–PNG (TKCP–PNG)
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74,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation - Conservation Area (customary rights recognition)
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Project Cost: $243,968
74,000
Unprotected species face growing threats of deforestation and hunting on Papua New Guinea’s tropical mountain slopes.
-
Species at Risk
Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo (EN), Eastern Long-beaked Echidna (VU)
-
Carbon stored
25,591,378 mT CO2e*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program–PNG (TKCP–PNG)
-
74,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation - Conservation Area (customary rights recognition)
-
Project Cost: £193,625
74,000
Highlights
- A montane rainforest in Papua New Guinea sustains endemic wildlife like tree kangaroos and echidnas whose populations are declining due to deforestation and hunting.
- In partnership with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program–PNG (TKCP–PNG), Rainforest Trust will support the expansion of a critical conservation area by 74,000 acres through collaboration with local communities and government partners.
- This landscape and its elevation shifts are essential for species survival amid the rising risks of climate change. The forest in the expanded conservation area holds stored carbon that, if released, would be equivalent to emissions from the annual electricity use of 5.3 million U.S. homes.
Header photo: Endangered Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo, by Doug Bonham, TKCP
On the island of New Guinea, a lush rainforest covers the tropical slopes of northeastern Papua New Guinea. Rocky shores rise to mountain peaks almost 3 miles high. The YUS Conservation Area lies within this landscape, providing habitat and corridors for wildlife across elevations. As they adapt to global climate change and local seasonal shifts, the region’s remarkable species will rely on these corridors for survival.
Without protection, habitats surrounding the YUS Conservation Area remain vulnerable to deforestation, and rare species continue to be unsustainably hunted. In partnership with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program–PNG (TKCP–PNG), local communities, and government partners, we have the opportunity to support the expansion of the protected area by 74,000 acres.
New Guinea’s rainforest holds
of global biodiversity.
Explore Papua New Guinea
Endangered Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo, by Jonathan Byers, TKCP
YUS Cloud Forest, by Ryan Hawk
Vulnerable Eastern Long-beaked Echidna, by TKCP
YUS Landscape, by TKCP
Endangered Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo, by TKCP
Fortify a conservation milestone
This project builds on our strong partnership with TCKP-PNG. Together, we helped establish the YUS Conservation Area across 233,186 acres. This was the country’s first nationally recognized conservation area of its type, named for the Yopno, Uruwa, and Som rivers that flow through it. Subsequent protections have expanded the reserve to cover nearly 400,000 acres today.
The remote YUS Conservation Area includes a largely intact, primary forest within the Finisterre and Saruwaget mountain ranges. After the expansion, protection will span a significant portion of habitats that support endangered, endemic marsupials, such as the Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo and the Mountain Pademelon. The larger landscape sustains 22 endemic sub-species of tropical birds, and it is highly likely to host many species not yet described, from orchids to amphibians. This rainforest is also a valuable carbon vault, holding carbon stores that, if released, would be equivalent to annual emissions from electricity use in 5.3 million U.S. homes.
Strengthen communities through conservation
TKCP is at the forefront of conservation in Papua New Guinea, and the YUS Conservation Area is recognized as a model for protected-area management in the country. This latest expansion will continue a collaborative approach with local, state, and federal governments that secures permanent protection and prioritizes community needs.
Conservation work is critical, challenging, and can be costly. We work hard to ensure we raise only the funds needed for each project. In the rare case we raise more money than needed or a project comes in under budget, excess monies will be transferred to the Conservation Action Fund. This fund supports our important conservation work throughout the tropics.
Project Modifications
Rainforest Trust conducts extensive research and due diligence on each of the projects that we support, so that once a project is offered for public support we believe it will succeed. We work closely with our project implementers, offer support, and regularly monitor their progress. Given the nature of the work, projects may not progress exactly as intended and may be unable to meet all objectives. To respond dynamically to the needs of our project implementers and the realities of the landscapes in which they operate, Rainforest Trust expressly reserves the right to modify a project as it deems necessary, provided that donor intent is honored by ensuring that that the original project objectives are diligently pursued and that project funds continue to benefit the landscape and species identified in the project overview. Project modifications that we may need to make in certain circumstances include the specific project implementer, the size of the landscape to be protected, the type of protection to be afforded to the landscape, and the development of sustainability mechanisms.
Partnering to Save Rainforest
Our partners’ ability to work with their governments and build strong connections with local communities ensures the successful implementation of our projects.
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