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Track Record Pacific Island Projects has been collaborating with natural resource management initiatives since 2005. We're proud of our track record to-date, and pleased that one project nearly always leads to another.
Sep 30 2021

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Welcome

Latest news

Community forestry today

How will the project help?

What are the expected outcomes?

Who is collaborating on this project?

Research findings and activities 

 

Welcome from the project leaders

WelcomeOn behalf of the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and our partners, we would like to introduce this important research project to you. The project has 7 major organisations involved: Forest Research Institute in Lae (FRI), PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) from Port Moresby and Goroka, Ramu Agri Industries Ltd (RAIL), the Timber and Forest Training Centre (TFTC) and Univerity of Technolgy in Lae, and the Tropical Forest and Peoples Research Centre (TFAP) at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. The project has over 16 researchers from diverse backgrounds including forestry, anthropology and environmental science all collaborating to improve rural livelihoods through family-focused community reforestation and ecoforestry.  The project team are designing and testing tree-based livelihood systems for family-focused community-based reforestation and identifying the methods by which family-focused community-based reforestation can be scaled-out to a landscape scale. The project will also identify and pilot test institutional arrangements and policy recommendations which improve access to formal timber markets based on natural and secondary forests.

For more information, please refer to our project brochures:

 

Mr. Goodwill Amos, Acting Director, Forest Research Institute, Lae, Papua New Guinea.

Associate Professor Grahame Applegate, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Australia.

 

Latest news: Online social science workshop

The project facilitated a social science training workshop on Zoom from 12 to 16 April 2021. The purpose of the workshop was to provide an introduction to social science concepts and methods involved in interdisciplinary research on community forestry for PNG partners from the PNG Forest Authority, the PNG Forest Research Institute and Ramu-Agri Industries Pty Ltd. Several participants from the ACIAR project "Improving community fire management and peatland restoration in Indonesia" were also invited. The workshop was co-hosted by and The PNG Forest Research Institute. It was facilitated by Dr Bob Fisher from the University of the Sunshine Coast project team and opened by Dr Goodwill Amos the acting Director of the Forest Research Institute. In addition to USC researchers, there were eighteen participants at various stages. Due to COVID- 19 restrictions in PNG the workshop was held on Zoom. One morning Zoom session was scheduled each day over the five days. This generally worked well, although access to internet and patchy connections did lead to some problems. 

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The online workshop consisted of:

  • Some overview lectures on aspects of social science related to community forestry including applications and methods.
  • An opportunity for participants to share their experiences. 
  • A number of presentations by participants.
  • Practice sessions on interviewing skills.
  • Reflections on lessons learned during the workshop.
  • Reflections on ways to apply social science in future work.

The workshop focused on qualitative research and particularly on interviewing skills. Despite the challenges faced due to the use of zoom (people in different locations, even in different countries), a number of role plays were organised in which a pair of participants played roles as an interviewer and an interviewee carrying out an interviewee on a forest related topic. Following the interviews the full group of participants commented on the interview commenting on ways that the interviewing technique could be improved. During the last session four groups prepared plans for implementing future research projects related to their project work. Both the PNG project and the Indonesian project involve social science and social science training is important in both of these interdisciplinary projects.


Dr. Robert Fisher, Senior Research Fellow, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Australia.

 


Community forestry today

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The PNG Medium Term Development Plan sets a goal to "build a forestry sector that is sustainable and highly profitable." The importance of community forestry in achieving this goal is explicitly recognised, through one of the nine sector strategies, namely to "Promote community forestry activities with the view of empowering rural communities and alleviating poverty." Plantation forestry is expected to "reduce the impact of climate change and meet the future timber demand for both domestic and international markets". In order to facilitate the expansion of the plantation estate, the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) has recently established the program Operation Painim Graun na Planim Diwai which plans to expand the area of planations and woodlots in each Province by at least 1000 ha per annum.

While community forestry offers a mechanism for improving rural livelihoods in PNG, its success is influenced by a complex range of factors. This project builds on from the ACIAR project Enhancing the Implementation of Community Forestry Approaches in PNG which identified five key factors that influence the success of community forestry groups, namely: effective governance; secure property rights; social equity; government support; and tangible benefits. A causal diagram was developed which depicts the interrelationships between these success factors and the key points at which project inputs may be best applied. The project found that cross-community or even cross-group initiatives may not be feasible without extensive investment in building social capital. Initiatives targeted at families or family-groups may be more successful.

 

How will the project help?

CFP_News_updateThe project aims to improve rural livelihoods in PNG through family-focused community reforestation and ecoforestry. The project's research-for-development activities  concentrate on:

  • Designing and testing tree-based livelihood systems for family-focused community based reforestation.
  • Identifying how family-focused community based reforestation can be scaled-out to a landscape scale.
  • Identifying and testing institutional arrangements and policy recommendations that improve access to formal timber markets.

These activities are currently being undertaken in the Madang-Lae-Goroka triangle which provides good access to both natural forest (for ecofrestry) and grassland sites (for comunity reforestation). Project partners are particulary keen to understand how women's development in rural environments, and how women working with men in a family unit, can lead to improved agroforestry systems and profitable livelihoods. Applying this knowledge along with improved technology and training will help the project to improve livelihood options and reduce poverty in these rural communities.

 

What are the expected outcomes?

CFP_OutcomesEconomic outcomes

  • Increased production of plantation crops (cocoa and coffee).
  • Improved community access to formal timber markets
  • Reduced poverty in rural communities

Social outcomes

  • Improved reforestation skills of families (e.g. establishment of agroforestry systems)
  • Improve livelihood options and greater food security in rural communities
  • Better access to firewood, poles and timber
  • Improved research skills of project partners (social and biophysical sciences)

Environmental outcomes

  • Recommendations to PNGFA for policy changes.
  • Revised Timber Agreements and processes suitable for ecoforestry in PNG
  • Revised Reduced Impact Logging guidelines and management planning for ecoforestry.

 

Who is collaborating on this project?

CFM_Partner_LogosThe project is financed by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), managed by the University of the Sunshine Coast, and implemented in collaboration with the following local partners:

 

For more information, please contact Grahame Applegate (Project Leader) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Research findings

The project's research reports and publictions are presented below:

 

Research activities

The timeline below provides an ongoing record of our research & development activities and events since project inception. 

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January 2021: RAIL Project Foresters visited participants of the 3rd Nursery Best Practice Training (see November 2020) at Bopirumpun Village in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province). Many of these farmers have already raised Eucalyptus pellita seedlings in their small family nurseries; ready for out-planting in their family garden plots.

Photos above show trainees at a recently established family nursery (left), with a wilding transplanted into a rice packet 'polybag' (centre) and weeding around seedlings planted in a food garden (right).

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November 2020: RAIL Project Foresters maintaining the Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot and recording growth data as per the site monitoring schedule.

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November 2020: Champion Farmer - Saki Sakarias - delivered his 3rd Nursery Best Practice Training to around 50 interested farmers from his village at Bopirumpun in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province). Since then many training participants have germinated and planted-out tree seedlings in their family plots (see January 2021).

Photos above shows training participants learning the correct way to fill a polybag (left), sow fine Eucalyptus pellita seeds in a germination tray (centre), and apply water to a germination tray sown with Eucalyptus pellita seeds (right).

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October 2020: RAIL Project Team took the initiative to design and install specific signboards at the 2 scientific trials (variable spacing & mixed species) established in Ramu Valley (Madang Province), as well as the Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot in Markham District (Morobe Province). 

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September 2020: RAIL Project Foresters commenced the capture of video footage for various project activities across the Ramu and Markham Valleys. These shots will be collated into a short promotional filabout the Community Forestry Project's research findings.

Photos above show site maintenance and data collection activities being captured at the Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot in Markham District (Morobe Province).

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August-November 2020: RAIL Project Foresters and Field Staff visited farmers from Atzunas Village in Markham District (Morobe Province) to assess existing family plots and additional plantings. Most project participants have now planted trees in their small garden plots using simple agroforestry systems. The assessment looked at each planting system and identified the challenges faced by each family (e.g. availabity of labour for maintenance and damage cused by fire & livestock).

Photos above show RAIL Project Field Staff assessing Eucalyptus pellita stands in a family garden plot (left) and family woodlot (right) and a woodlot being planted by a young male project participant (centre).

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August-November 2020: RAIL Project Foresters visited farmers from Bopirumpun Village in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province) to assess existing family plots and additional plantings. Most project participants have now planted trees in their small garden plots using simple agroforestry systems. The assessment looked at each planting system and identified the challenges faced by each family (e.g. availabity of labour for maintenance and damage cused by fire & livestock).

Photos above show a female project participant maintaining her food garden with newly planted Eucalyptus pellita seedlings (left & centre) and Eucalyptus tereticornis planted among other food crops by a champion farmer in his garden plot (right).

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 May to September 2020: An Online Training Course to Enhance Research Publication was delivered by Associate Professor Grahame Applegate, Dr. Pavla Graham and Dr. Laura Graham under the ACIAR Gambut Kita Project. The hands-on training enabled project partners to analyze a range of research data, as well as display the findings in a series of output models. 

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April-July 2020:  RAIL Project Foresters visited farmers from Atzunas Village in Markham District (Morobe Province) to assess their carefully chosen plots and planting designs.

Photos above show RAIL Project Forester with Eucalyptus pellita seedlings (left) and family woodlot (right) in Omang hamlet, and inspecting the nearby Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot (centre).

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March-May 2020:  RAIL Project Foresters visited farmers from Bopirumpun Village in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province) to assess their family based nurseries and tree planting sites, as well as distribute essential materials. 

Photos above show interested farmers receiving basic nursery materials (left), local nursery owner showing off his Eucalyptus pellita seedlings (centre) and positive assessment of a Eucalyptus pellita plot beside a family's home in Sunki hamlet (right).

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March 2020: A Variable Spacing Trial was established to study the performance of 4 high-value tree species: Pometia pinnata (Taun), Instia bijuga (Kwila), Tectona grandis (Teak) and Pterocarpus indicus (Rosewood). 

Photos above show the Variable Spacing Trial design (Vanclay, 2006) and RAIL Project Foresters marking plot boundries (left) and planting Pometia pinnata (right).

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February 2020: RAIL Project Foresters planting Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seedlings under Eucalyptus pellita, Gliricidia sepium (gliricidia) and Instia bijuga (kwila) with combinations of vegetables and nuts at the Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot in Markham District (Morobe Province). This research site was established in November 2018 to identify suitable agrisilvicultural systems for landowners. Cocoa is the most common cash crop grown in the Markham and Ramu Valleys, and 300 clonal seedlings were supplied by local distributor NGIP-Agmark Ltd. 

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January 2020: RAIL Project Foresters undertaking the 5th quarterly measurement of tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and height (H) at the project's Mixed Species Trial in Ramu Valley (Morobe Province). 

Photos above show RAIL Project Foresters measuring Eleocarpus sphaericus (left), Nauclea orientalis (centre) and Octomeles sumatrana (right).

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20-21 November 2019: Dr. Norah Devoe (ACIAR Forestry Program Manager) and Mr. Jim Roshetko (External Reviewer) visiting project sites in Ramu Valley (Morobe Province) with the RAIL Project Team as part of the project's Mid Term Review (MTR).

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19 November 2019: Mid Term Review (MTR) meeting participants at the PNG Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Lae. During the meeting project partners presented their research and development activities and outputs to Dr. Norah Devoe (ACIAR Forestry Program Manager) and Mr. Jim Roshetko (External Reviewer).

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October 2019 to February 2020: Project Foresters from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) assisted farmers from Bopirumpun Village in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province) to establish their family based nurseries and plant-out selected tree seedlings in manageable plots.

Photos above show RAIL Project Foresters visiting a family based nursery with elevated beds (left) alongside Eucalyptus pellita seedlings on hardening bed ready for planting (centre) and Eucalyptus pellita seedlings planted-out at family plot (right). Photos: Bob Fisher.

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October 2019 to February 2020: Project Foresters from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) assisted farmers from Atzunas Village in Markham District (Morobe Province) to establish their family based nurseries and plant-out selected tree seedlings in manageable plots.

Photos above show RAIL Project Foresters demonstrating the preparation of potting media and filling of polybags (left) alongside local farmer at his family's 4-month old Eucalyptus pellita plot (centre and right). This farmer has planted approximately 135 seedlings. which he intends to interplant with food crops. 

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October 2019:  Project Foresters from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) conducting a Refresher Community Nursery Training at Bopirumpun Village in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province) following the Initial Community Nursery Training that was conducted in June 2019.

Photo above shows one 'local champion' explaining in the local vernacular how to prepare Canarium indicum (Galip) seeds as part of the refresher training.  This young lead farmer has established a family nursery with 5 different tree species that are already being planted-out on his land. In his own time, he also facilitates local seed collection activities and provides basic technical advise to people in his community who are interested to raise quality tree seedlings.

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August 2019:  Project Foresters from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) visiting project sites in Madang and Morobe Provinces to monitor progress to-date, as well as provide project participants with hands-on training and support. 

Photos above show new participants with seedlings still in the germination tray (left) and other who have transferred their Eucalyptus pellita seeds into polybags and placed them under green shade cloth (centre).  The principal objective is to get all the seedlings ready for planting-out during the wet season at the end of the year (right).

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June-July 2019: Project participants from the Atzunas community in Markham District (Morobe Province) receiving a series of Refresher Community Nursery Trainings. The hands-on sessions focused on correct seed collection, seed preparation and sowing, mixing potting media, soil sterilisation, and care of seedlings during germination stages.  The refresher trainings ensured all community participants were able to produce high quality seedlings using best practices.

Photos above show Brian Daniel - RAIL Project Forester - demonstrating the (i) preparation of correct potting mix for germinating Eucalyptus pellita seed (left), (ii) broadcasting method of sowing fine seeds onto a germination tray (centre) and (iii) the best method of applying water to the recently sowed seeds (right). 

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June 2019: Members of the Bopirumpun Community in Usino-Bundi District (Madang province) receiving their Initial Community Nursery Training from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) field-workers. The training demonstrated best practices for raising high quality seedlings for out-planting using Eucalyptus pellita and 3 other local priority species: Araucaria cunninghamii (hoop pine), Gnetum gnemon (tulip tree) and Canarium indicum (galip). The training topics ranged from seed collection and preparation through to hardening of seedlings in preparation for out-planting. There were around 35 participants. 

Photos above show the RAIL team (i) explaining the rationale of using sand in a potting mix (left) and (ii) demonstrating the method of watering recently sown Eucalyptus pellita seeds at an available water source.

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May 2019: Project participants from the Marawasa and Atzunas communities visiting the Umi Agro-Forestry Demonstration Plot in Markham District (Morobe Province) with their project partners from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL). The purpose of the field trip was to showcase the integration of trees with local garden produce and cash crops (cocoa). The field trip also highlighed simple but important techniques for protecting trees and crops from common threats including fire and weeds.

Photos above show project participants observing crops growing alongside Gnetum gnemon (left) and Instia bijuga (right) within the demonstration plot.

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March 2019: Researchers from the ACIAR Projects managed by the Tropical Forests and People Research Centre in the Philippines and PNG who are involved in both the social science research and the more technical aspects of reforestation and undertaking species, spacing and mixed species field trials, undertook a 3-day training Workshop at Visayas State University (VSU) from 1-3 March. The workshop followed the Forest and Landscape Restoration Conference (see Fenruary 2018) for the researchers along with researchers and practitioners working on the Philippines Project based at VSU and in other regions in the Philippines in which the project operates .

The hands-on training was divided into two parts - Design, Establishing & Monitoring Forestry Field Trials and Social Science - and held concurrently, with over 36 participants, involving 10 females and 26 males from 11 institutions from PNG and the Philippines.

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February 2019: The Forest and Landscape Restoration International Conference was held from 25-27 Februray and organised by both the PNG and Philippines ACIAR Community Forestry and Restoration Projects. The Conference was attended by over 140 persons from 22 countries from the Asia-Pacific region as well as a number of countries in Africa, and Brazil. In particular, the ACIAR Project in PNG had 4 researchers from two of the PNG partners - RAIL and the FRI - with each partner making a presentation on project activities as related to forest and landscape restoration and community forestry. A total of 6 presentations were made by PNG project staff or partners, each focused on PNG or including PNG content. Of these, 4 presentations were made by local partners from RAIL and FRI. 

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February 2019: Field workers from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) undertaking site maintenance and data collection (DBH, height and mortality) at the mixed species trial established at Ramu Valley (see November 2018).

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January 2019: The second family nursery training was conducted in Markham District (Morobe Province) with members of the Marawasa community. Training participants first used an interactive mapping exercise to visualize their community landscape in the future (left photo). Participants were then shown how best to sow fine seed using Eucalyptus pellita (right photo), and perpare potting mix in a polybag for their Canarium indicum seedlings (centre photo). 

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December 2018: Field workers from Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) assisting family's from the Atzunas community in Markham District (Morobe Province) to set-up their nurseries and planting sites using the first batch of Eucalyptus pellita seeds. This activity followed the family based nursery training (see October 2018).

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November 2018: Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) established a mixed species trial in Ramu Valley, Usino Bundi District (Madang Province) to identify suitable tree species and planting systems for forest and landscape restoration in PNG. The trial adopted the planting design developed by Lamb et al. (1998); consisting of 16 species and 20 sample plots. The selection of each species was primarily based on the importance of the species for ecological, social, and economic purposes.

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November 2018: Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) continued to research suitable agrisilvicultural systems for landowners in Markham District (Morobe Province) at the Umi Agroforestry Demonstration Plot. The plot design takes into consideration the different problems faced by local famers such as fire, soil nutrients depletion, weed control, low cocoa yield, as well as the ongoing need for food, firewood, construction materials and cash income. Cash crops such as Theobroma cacao (cocoa) will be planted under Eucalyptus pellita, Gliricidia sepium (gliricidia) and Instia bijuga (kwila) with combinations of vegetables and nuts. 

Research activities included: (i) Establishing a gliricidia block with different varieties of bananas planted along the boundaries (left photo); (ii) Planting out and maintaining the kaukau plots (centre photo); and (iii) Intercropping food crops (corn, beans, kaukau) with kwila seedlings (right photo). 

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October 2018: Over 90 villagers attended nursery training in the Ramu/Markham valley provided by Ramu Agri Industries Limited staff. Villagers from Atzunas were provided with interactive training on how to collect seed (left photo), prepare potting mix (centre photo), germinate and grow tree seedlings (right photo). At the end of the training participants were formed into teams which competed against each other to demonstrate the skills and answer questions about the activities. Participants were also presented with germination trays, shade cloth, a watering can and Galip (Canarium indicum) seed so that they could begin their own home nurseries.

The purpose of the training was to encourage people to grow trees, either in woodlots, for fruit and nuts and in the case of Eucalyptus pellita as shade for cocoa. Once seedlings have grown sufficiently to provide shade, further training will be provided in 2019 to show people how to establish cocoa seedlings. Photos: Nathan Wampe.

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August 2018: Mr Andrew Sengi, Ward Councilor for Usino LLG in Madang province, with his cocoa established under bananas and then 1 year later inter-planted with E. pellita at 4m x 4m spacing (left), and with his E. pellita at age 7 years also established at 4m x 4m spacing (right). Photos: Grahame Applegate Iphone.

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August 2018: Micah Scudder in discussion with landowner Mr Phillip Wago at Oomsis in Morobe province on issues related to community forestry (left). Mr Wago also has cocoa plantings using grafted clonal material which produces beans within 1 year of planting (centre), as well as a Cat 527 to be used in the RIL trial (right). Photos: Grahame Applegate Iphone.

Project focus area: Communication, learning and knowledge building (CLKB), Community driven development (CDD), Forests, climate change and REDD (FCCREDD)