PAPUA NEW GUINEA | 148,000 ACRES TO PROTECT
Protect Rare Marsupials in the Third-largest Rainforest in the World
In the spectacular Torricelli Mountain Range in the northwestern area of Papua New Guinea, an ancient virgin forest laced with waterfalls faces growing threats from industrial-scale logging, mining, and hunting. Shockingly, zero percent of this richly biodiverse region is officially protected. Hunting has devastated the populations of the Tenkile and the Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo, both of which are now critically endangered.
The island of New Guinea is rich with superlatives: It supports Earth’ s third-largest tropical rainforest, contains 7 percent of the world’ s biodiversity( despite occupying only 0.003 percent of the world’ s land area), and is home to at least 49 species of marsupial.
With our support, local partner Tenkile Conservation Alliance Inc. will work with Indigenous Peoples from 43 villages to protect 148,000 acres of their ancestral territories in the Torricelli mountain range. This protected area will safeguard 30 percent of the Critically Endangered Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo’ s global range, 40 percent of the Critically Endangered Tenkile Tree Kangaroo’ s global range, and an astounding three quarters of the global range for the Critically Endangered Northern Glider, a small marsupial that resembles a flying squirrel.
Tenkile Tree Kanagaroo | COURTESY TCAI
PHILIPPINES | 75,000 ACRES TO PROTECT Protect Endemic Birds in the Philippines
Mindoro Hornbill | RONET SANTOS
The Philippines may harbor more unique species diversity per square mile than any other country in the world. The island nation’ s list of endemic species includes approximately 185 birds, at least 100 mammals, and more than 3,000 plants, including at least 700 orchid species. Many of these species are restricted to forest fragments scattered across the Philippines’ more than 7,641 islands.
Despite extensive deforestation, some larger sections of highly intact rainforest remain. One of these is found along the rugged central mountain spine on the island of Mindoro. Recognized as both a Key Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area, this forest is home to two of the world’ s rarest birds— the Critically Endangered Mindoro Bleeding-heart and the Critically Endangered Black-hooded Coucal— as well as the Endangered Mindoro Hornbill, Endangered Imperial Pigeon, and Vulnerable Mindoro Racquet-tail.
To better protect these and other species, we and our partner, Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines, are supporting two Iraya Mangyan Indigenous communities in their efforts to secure an Ancestral Domain Land Title designation for 75,000 acres. Once this process is complete, these acres can then be established as an Indigenous Community Conserved Area, providing additional protections against forest and biodiversity loss.
Every single one of these projects is supported by our generous CAF donors. Thank you for helping safeguard acres, protect species, and prevent extinctions!