The theme of this seminar is ‘Making Papua New Guinea (PNG) Rich through Biodiversity Conservation in the 21st century’. Despite Development and Research Challenges, we have every reason to be rich as we have all it takes with our vast biodiversity found rarely anywhere else on the planet.

In 2002 the World Bank Environment Monitor reports states that, “Papua New Guinea has a total land area of 46.28 million hectares, of which about 36 million ha, or 77% of total land area, is still covered by closed natural forest. This constitutes one of the most complex, species rich significant tropical rainforest wilderness remaining in the world. Although this biodiversity has been extensively surveyed, the best current scientific estimates are that 5% to 7% of the world’s biodiversity is found in PNG. Terrestrial biodiversity includes 304 mammal species, 15,000 – 20,000 plant species, 1,500 tree species and 733 bird species. This includes many unique species not found anywhere else on earth. Best known birds include the birds of paradise (90% of the world’s total), bowerbirds, mound builders, and cassowaries. Many of PNG’s mammals are marsupials, and include the tree kangaroo, cuscus, and the world’s longest lizard. Outstanding PNG insects abound such as the world’s longest lizard. Outstanding PNG insects abound such as the world’s largest butterfly, Queen Alexandria’s Birdwing.”(2002 PNG environment monitor, World Bank 2002, p.10).

Birds are a major tourist attraction. Some may say that birds are a potential tourist and interest group attractions, but I will say that birds are a major attraction for tourists, film makers and scientists. In the space of only two years (2018 to 2019) Hogave had two impactful tourist, scientific and film making organisations.

The first to visit our site for a filming project was the Japanese National Broadcasting Corporation, called NHK in Japan. The four-man film crew was led by a National Photographer Captain Tadashi Shimada who has visited Papua New Guinea over twenty times. This team was endorsed by their government to come to Hogave and work in our forest.They came to work on a bird called ‘Lawes Parotia’, dubbed the ‘Love Bird’ because of its unique dancing styles that attracts females to watch their performance before mating. The Japanese were very successful in capturing all aspects including physical features, their dancing styles from all angles, and the views and observations of the female Parotia.

The next major project was undertaken by a team from Silverback Films working for Netflix. They came from Bristol in the United Kingdom to work on a bird called the Macgregor’s Bower Bird. The team consisted of three film makers led by female team leader, Tania Estaban originally from Spain. The Silverback Film crew were well organized, much more organized then the Japanese Film crew. They were also very successful in filming all the behaviours of the Macgregor’s Bower Bird. As a matter of fact they filmed the climax of the bird’s behaviour on the very first day of their filming project. At tower one (1) the cameraman and his village assistants were able to capture this phenomenon on his camera, after the male Bower Bird only performed for a little while and got the female’s interest and went straight into the act of mating.

Both the Japanese and English film team spent a month each in the Conservation Area. They returned to their countries very satisfied that they had captured every aspect of the bird’s behaviour according to their filming goals. We would like to believe that Hogave will become a major birding hot spot in Papua New Guinea like four (4) other renowned birding sites.

A survey of all birds show that there are 781 Bird species in Papua New Guinea. Records also show that out of 43 known Birds of Paradise species in the World there are 38 species of Birds of Paradise found in PNG. With almost 90% (88.37%) of Birds of Paradise found in PNG, we have compelling reason to say that Birds are indeed a major attraction for tourists, film makers and scientists. Someone also stated that Papua New Guinea is a birdwatchers mecca and with 38 of the 43 known species of Birds of Paradise found here it is no wonder why we would have influx of birdwatchers flocking our shores. (Trans Niugini Tours 1996-2019 in Google & Wikipedia).
At Mt. Michael late Paul Igag, a Bird Specialist then with PNG Institute of Biological Research noted 136 Bird Species sighting the works of Diamond & Terbough in 1964 and Diamond in 1966 to 1967 survey report.
In the 2009 Rapid Assessment Survey Paul himself recorded 56 Species of Birds in Hogave Conservation Area alone. Of these there were 10 Birds of Paradise species recorded together with the previous survey carried by the then Department of Environment and Conservation in1989 led by Mr. Samuel Antiko. The more popular Raggiana Bird of Paradise is endemic in the lower altitude areas of Hogave tribal land. They live in warmer areas compared to the other Birds of Paradise found in high altitude areas. The Blue Bird of Paradise is one of the most beautiful birds – some reckon it is more beautiful than other Birds of Paradise. It lives around human disturbed areas, such as near gardening areas and where there are other human activities. (RAP Survey Report 2009)

The Birds of Paradise Species that are currently active in Hogave Conservation Area include:

All these birds are under IUCN red alert listing International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (1996) meaning that they are least concerned and are a threatened species.
The major threat to their existence now, is commercial logging and the clearance of their habitats and rainforests for gardens and other human activities as the country’s population grows. This is a true experience for Hogave and the neighbouring communities.

Ambua Lodge in Tari, is a world renowned birding destination with over 217 different species recorded in the area. The Lodge offers early morning birding tours to all guests visiting the lodge as well as day and night birding tours to avid birding groups.

Rondon Ridge in Mt. Hagen, has almost 180 species of birds in the surrounding forests and is also home to many Bird of Paradise species. Rondon is fast becoming a popular birding facility and also offers early morning bird walks through the Lodges’ rainforests as a part of the regular touring program.

Karawari Lodge, East Sepik with 229 recorded species, also offers early morning birding by riverboat along the Karawari River. Several species of Bird of Paradise are resident as well as many other lowland and water bird species.

Bensbach Wildlife Lodge has 191 recorded bird species and offers a unique glimpse of massive flocks of migratory birds as well as species endemic to the area. Western province is home to over 50% of New Guineas total bird population. Lake Murray is one of the best bird watching areas in the Province. In addition to a host of migratory birds, several birds of paradise species, pelicans, hornbills, eagles, parrots and numerous other birds have been sighted according to Wikipedia.

In the last few years, we had high profile film makers interested in coming to work with us on few of these special birds. In 2018 we had a team of four (4) Cameramen from the National Broadcasting Corporation of Japan (NHK). They came to photograph, film and produce a documentary for their National TV Network, NHK. The team was led by Captain Tadashi Shimada widely known in Japan as the National Photographer. Shimada said he has been to PNG more than 20 times to film birds of various types, but he said, “Hogave is best because he walked only 20 to 30 minutes to watch and film the bird they came to record.” In other places, for example at Ambua Lodge in Tari Hela Province, they would drive him out for an hour or more before they reach the place where the birds are to be filmed or photographed. Though he has been there so many times as well as Mt Hagen, he was not able to either photograph or film Lawes Parotia. Hogave to Tadashi and his team was a real magical place because on the very first day while arriving at the Conservation Centre car park area, he immediately heard the call of Parotia whilst sitting in the 10 seater Toyota Land Cruiser.

The NHK Team came to work on ‘Lawes Parotia’ dubbed the love bird which has exotic dancing styles to attract the females for mating. They were pleased to note that the Bird Lawes Parotia was just a mere 30 minutes’ walk from the Conservation Centre Guesthouse.

The crew spent a full 30 days beginning from November 11th to 7th December in Hogave to record all the behaviour of Lawes Parotia. They were very satisfied as they were able to film and photograph every aspect of Lawes Parotia. The Lawes Parotia has a dancing style that resembles human beings dancing the ballerina. That was a very successful project which the film crew and the management team of Hogave were satisfied as it ended with a traditional singing and farewell mumu (traditional cuisine).

Prior to the Japanese (NHK) team coming, we had Silver Back Films from Bristol UK that were contracted by Netflix to film do a film on Wild Bird’s Mating. The team of three specialized camera men in partnership with New Guinea Binatang Research came firstly to Mt. Hagen and Mt Wilhelm in Simbu to work on the Blue Bird of Paradise, King of Saxony Bird of Paradise and Macgregor’s Bower Bird. However, it didn’t work out for them so after much discussion and persuasion, we approved their request to come to Hogave. As they already spent and lost much of their time in Mt Hagen and Mt Wilhelm they spent only three weeks in Hogave.

The Silver Back Films Team sighted the birds but not able to capture them performing. The reason is that they didn’t tell or inform us in advance to track down the birds and identify their dancing arenas. Therefore due to shortness of time and choosing to come to Hogave as second option, things didn’t work out for them tofully and successfully complete their mission

Also we were then preparing to receive the Japanese NHK film crew so we asked them to leave before the Japanese would arrive. We didn’t want them to disturb the Japanese crew from filming Parotia at their performing arena.

In 2018, three professional camera men (two men and a lady) from Silverbacks Film came to do a project under the theme ‘While Chase Productions’ for BBC and Netflix. .  (This is a confusing story, it seems that story about Silverback is repeated three times?)

This team spent one (1) full month in the forest to work on Macgregor’s Bower Bird. The project ran from 4th October to 4th November. This is another successful project like the film crew from Japan. This team was very well organized. Prior to their coming, they contacted us at least three (3) months in advance to identify the towers being constructed by the Macgregor Bower Birds. We were contracted even before they ever put their foot in Hogave to work for them as their contract workmen.

As a result of these arrangements we set ourselves to work by identifying four (4) Bower Bird Towers in the forest. We checked to ensure they were fresh and active spots. We Then took GPS readings of their locations and plotted them on google map and sent it over to their team leader. The map also show distance and time from Guesthouse to the bower towers. They were pleased to see that on the google map and were satisfied that there is real, solid evidence that the Birds are active in building their bowers. We continued to check these tower construction areas to ensure that they were current and active until the day the film crew arrived in Hogave. The three (3) cameramen took positions at three bower tower locations. It took only the second day to capture the important activity of the Bower Bird which is mating. At tower one (1) the cameraman and his assistants were able to witness and film Bower Bird dancing and then mating with the female which is the climax of any film-making in the Bird world.

In the course of their work, cameramen and woman at towers two and three and four were able to film similar activities as at tower one. At all of these towers the Macgregor Bower Birds were constantly building their towers as well as keeping the base of the tower very tidy with new moss decorations.

Like the Japanese team who worked on Lawes Parotia, this team from Silverback Film were very successful in their project. They got photos and videos, capturing all aspects of Bower Bird life in their month long work.

See their work on youtube, Click Here!

In closing, they bought a huge pig and celebrated with a mumu feast with the management and people of Hogave. On behalf of Hogave Conservation, I ordered a jumbo dark forest cake from the Bird of Paradise Hotel bakery to celebrate on the occasion. That was indeed a successful and satisfying project for all concerned.

A lone Biologist from Germany came to look at the Blue Bird of Paradise and Lawes Parotia in PNG. He looked for these birds at other locations but was unsuccessful and finally towards the end of his stay in PNG, his agents tried frantically to get our approval to come to Hogave.

He wanted to come during the periods the Silverback Film crew were working. We could not allow him until the team left on Wednesday 6th November. In fact this man and four others were brought in by an agent in PNG who took them to a village near Hogave after failing to film and record in other locations. It appears that they were working on the assumption that because the community is in close proximity to Hogave they would be able to see these birds and film them. But they never did because the people in that village were not trained to track birds and also they were caught by surprise to have a bird watcher visitor.

The team left that village and returned to Goroka and continued their journey back to Germany. But this guy Konrad Wothe – a true gentleman, strongly believed that he would see these birds in Hogave so they kept calling me and we eventually we agreed to take him up to our Conservation Centre. He was delighted and very pleased that he could really see these birds and take pictures of them in Hogave.
Konrad Wothe is a member of a German Biological Society and intends to inform his colleagues to consider coming to Hogave. He said to also recommend our conservation project to other organizations in Germany who are actively supporting conservation of tropical rain forests.

A group from New Guinea Binatang Research with a visiting European fellow were keen to research Echidnas. This particular scientist spent almost six (6) months looking for Echidnas at many other locations but was not able to find it. Hence, New Guinea Binatang Research dispatched two field workers do  preliminary investigation work to ascertain whether there were Echidnas in Hogave.

Sure enough, there are Echidnas in Hogave, but not in the Conservation Area. On the very first day he arrived in Hogave he was presented with four (4) short nosed Echidnas. The next day  another one was caught, making a total of five echidnas.  This European scientist and the New Guinea Binatang Research Team were pleased and satisfied, that they were finally able to see, touch and measure the animals.

They spent two weeks in the lower areas of Hogave and studied both the short beak and long beak echidnas. Neighbouring villages also caught Echidnas in their bushes and brought them to the team. They studied them and then released them into the wild.

Villagers who own tribal pristine forest can make money without having to destroy the environment. The virgin forests and secondary growth areas are habitats of native birds and many other wildlife. The birds and other wildlife including the plants and everything else in the forest are dependent on each other and we humans as custodians, are to take care of them. In return for caring for this wildlife the village people can realise some livelihood benefits as is the case for Hogave. Hogave people are able to earn some revenue to sustain their livelihood and other benefits such as a clean and easily accessible water supply system.

The major source of income in Hogave is coffee, and the coffee season comes only once in a year. In a good year they may have a better harvest and subsequently a lot of money flows in the village, which are used for funeral expenses, school fees and basic personal needs.

The Hogave Conservation provides another source of income to village assistants, escorts, guides and porters when we have visiting scientists or film makers. The rates have slowly increased over time when scientists’ entry fees into Hogave increased. Even so, some issues that are constantly being thought about are;

1. Are the fees for visiting scientists and film makers sufficient, or should there be less or more? And,

2. Should there be additional or different price tags for filming another species of bird other than the one they originally planned to work on?

I am also constantly thinking and arguing that if activities that are involved in the destruction of wildlife habitats are assumed to be paying so much money; how can those of us involved in the conservation of these wildlife and its habitats convince our people that we have a better offer. It’s not good enough to say or assume that we have to look after and care for these wildlife because we are custodians or because it’s our heritage. Times have changed and we must become relevant in our conservation work in the changing and challenging environment.

Many organisations; community based, national and international NGO’s have advocated and are educating natural resource owners like us to conserve our biodiversity. And that is okay but I feel there is more to it than just educating our people to conserve their environment. To me education and advocacy has a time frame, the next most critical phase and challenge is to bring in tangible assistance to the village and tribal resource owners that will give a positive and  boosting assurance that conservation is indeed priceless  and important to treasure for generations to come.

Therefore in that regard, we as conservation practitioners must continue in our endeavours to look after our animals in the wild and its habitat. And in the case of Hogave, the Bird Species that are found which now has drawn important institutions to visit and film them for their wider audience has indeed paved the way for more visitors to come. And I like to conclude that birds indeed are a major tourist attraction that will contribute to the overall aim of making PNG rich through Biodiversity Conservation.