New Guinea Binatang Research Centre

05/06/2026

World Environment Day | June 5, 2026 🌏
Every year, the 5th of June calls us to pause — to appreciate the world we live in and honestly ask: are we doing enough to protect it?

📍At the New Guinea Binatang Research Centre (NGBRC), that question is not a passing thought. It is one we carry every single day — into the field, into our research, and into every decision we make as an organisation dedicated to protecting the extraordinary natural world of Papua New Guinea.

Now for Nature. Now for Climate.💚
The 2026 theme is a recognition that the window for meaningful climate action is narrowing. Every year we delay, the cost grows heavier — for our ecosystems, our communities, and our future generations. It is a call to move with urgency and a deep sense of responsibility toward the natural world that sustains us all.

🍃Papua New Guinea is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth — home to ancient rainforests, clean rivers, and communities who have lived in deep relationship with the land for thousands of years. But today, that heritage is under pressure. Deforestation, habitat loss, and climate-driven change are not distant threats. They are lived realities. That is why research, community engagement, and advocacy are not optional — they are essential.

🤝🏼Lukautim graun na bus.
We protect our environment, and our environment protects us.

🤲🏼We invite you — wherever you are, whatever you do — to find your place in this movement. Plant a tree. Reduce your waste. Speak up when the environment is threatened.

🌲💚For our forests. For our climate. For our future.

26/05/2026

EU-FCCB Scholarship Programme - Inception Course 🌱

🤝🏼As part of NGBRC’s long-running student training program, the Tropical Ecology Course provides intensive, hands-on field training in ecological research. The course brings together local and international participants and is built around collaborative research, giving students the opportunity to learn by doing in real field conditions.

📚The course has now been integrated as an inception course into the EU-FCCB Scholarship Programme to strengthen the research and technical capacity of participating MSc students. It guides students through the full research process: developing small research projects, conducting fieldwork, analysing data, preparing scientific reports, and presenting their findings.

📌Training combines classroom sessions, tropical rainforest field ecology, independent research projects, biostatistics, evening lectures and workshops, and ecological field trips. Through this structure, students gain practical experience in field research, data analysis, scientific writing, and oral presentation, while also being exposed to major ecological research sites and biodiversity infrastructure in Madang and Wanang.

👥️The first cohort of EU-FCCB Scholarship Programme students participated in this field course from 26 July to 27 August 2025.

Thank you to the European Union for making this initiative possible and for supporting the development of Papua New Guinea’s next generation of conservation leaders. 💚🤲🏼

European Union in the Pacific The EU FCCB Programme Expertise France

21/05/2026

🌿📡 GREAT NEWS FROM PURARI & SEE YOU AT NATURE PARK! 🇵🇬

Our field team working deep in the Purari rainforest is now officially connected to the world through Starlink internet, thanks to the generous support of Prof. George Weiblen from the University of Minnesota.

For the first time, our researchers and field assistants in one of Papua New Guinea’s most remote rainforest research sites are able to video call directly with our Madang and Port Moresby teams, improving communication, coordination, safety, training, and research operations in real time.

This is a huge milestone for biodiversity research and conservation work in remote PNG forests. 🌳🛰️

At the same time, we are excited to announce that NGBRC will also be participating in the 🌿 World Biodiversity Day Expo 🌿 at Port Moresby Nature Park tomorrow!

Come visit our booth to: 🔬 Learn about our rainforest research in Wanang, Purari, and across PNG
🦋 Discover fascinating insects, plants, mammals, and canopy research
🌏 Explore how PNG science is contributing to global biodiversity knowledge
📸 Meet our researchers and field teams
🚁 See exciting stories from the Kakoba Canopy Crane and long-term forest plots

📍 Port Moresby Nature Park
📅 22 May 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 3:00pm

Bring your family and friends and celebrate Papua New Guinea’s incredible biodiversity with us!

21/05/2026

BRC will be there ! Come by Nature Park, meet the team, and learn more about our work in research, conservation, and biodiversity! 😊 👏🏽

We have some amazing organizations joining us tomorrow to set up information booths - TWM Group, New Guinea Binatang Research Centre , The Nature Conservancy , National Museum & Art Gallery Papua New Guinea , Eda Davara Marine Sanctuary , The Lake Kutubu Wildlife Management Area, Yumi Kikori Conservation Group and many more! Come join us for a fun filled day, learning about our country's unique biodiversity and how we call all play a part in protecting it.

20/05/2026

The New Guinea Binatang Research Center extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and the wider forestry community on the passing of the late Robert Kolis Kiapranis.

Robert was a highly respected mentor, leader, and teacher to many young Papua New Guinean botanists and foresters. He was known for his immense knowledge, professionalism, kind heart, and great sense of humour, while always remaining disciplined and committed to doing things properly and guiding the younger generation.

Over many years, Robert worked closely with NGBRC staff and botanists on collaborative research projects, field activities, and training programmes both at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) and at the Wanang Swire Research Station and 50-hectare Forest Dynamics Plot, where he is fondly remembered by our researchers, students, paraecologists, and field assistants.

He also played an important role in the planning, training, and implementation of the Papua New Guinea National Forest Inventory and contributed to collaborative forestry and biodiversity research alongside NGBRC researchers and national and international scientific partners.

Forestry and botanical science in Papua New Guinea have truly lost a great man.

May he rest in eternal peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire future generations of Papua New Guinean scientists, conservationists, botanists, and foresters.

Forever remembered.

19/05/2026

📅From the 27th of April to the 8th of May 2026, BRC in partnership with Rainforest Trust carried out a management training for the board members of the Wanang Conservation Area.
📌 The aim of the conservation area board management training was to equip board members with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to effectively govern and lead conservation initiatives while fostering sustainable community development.

📚The training covered a wide range of practical and strategic topics designed to strengthen governance and leadership capacity. Board members were introduced to their roles and responsibilities, ensuring clarity in oversight and accountability. They also received guidance on conflict resolution to foster constructive dialogue and effective teamwork.
🤝🏼 A strong emphasis was placed on sustainable conservation, highlighted by a field trip to the Balek Wildlife Sanctuary, and on sustainable agriculture practices such as agroforestry, reinforced through a visit to a cocoa farm.

✨️The program included GEDSI training (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion), equipping members to lead inclusively. Sessions on protected area management provided insights into balancing ecological preservation with community needs. Practical skills were also prioritized: financial literacy, fundraising strategies, and the steps of proposal writing prepared members to secure resources for conservation projects.

🌱Finally, the training addressed community-focused planning through a community action plan module and strengthened digital capacity with computer literacy sessions. These included using MS Word for documentation, creating emails with attachments, leveraging Microsoft Edge for research, and preparing presentations in PowerPoint.
✊🏽Altogether, the training provided a holistic foundation for board members to lead effectively, manage conservation areas sustainably, and engage communities with confidence.

18/05/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the team at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London — especially Tim Utteridge and Laura Jennings — for generously sending the New Guinea Binatang Research Center this beautifully signed copy of Trees of New Guinea. 🌿📚

The thoughtful message from the Kew Asia Team means a great deal to us, and the book is already being actively used by our botany team as they prepare for upcoming botanical surveys within the Purari 25-hectare forest dynamics plot in Papua New Guinea’s lowland rainforest.

This incredible volume is far more than a reference book — it is an important scientific resource that will support species identification, botanical training, and long-term rainforest research in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

We deeply appreciate the continued collaboration, support, and friendship from colleagues at Kew who are helping strengthen botanical science and conservation capacity in Papua New Guinea.

For anyone interested in tropical botany and New Guinea rainforest diversity, the book can be found here:
https://shop.kew.org/trees-of-new-guinea

Thank you again to Tim, Laura, and the Kew Asia Team for your generosity and support of science and conservation in New Guinea. 🌱

11/05/2026

We are pleased to announce the EU Forestry, Climate Change and Biodiversity (EU-FCCB) Scholarship – a fully funded programme offering 42 scholarships for Papua New Guinean citizens to study forestry, climate change and biodiversity with partner universities (PNG UoT, UPNG, UNRE, PAU and UoG).
The 2025 cohort currently includes 14 students enrolled across Environmental Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Biology, and Geomatics.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the scholarship programme is implemented by Expertise France under the EU-FCCB Programme national component and managed by the New Guinea Binatang Research Centre (BRC).
This initiative aims to build Papua New Guinea’s national capacity by investing in education and professional development to bridge skills gaps in environmental research, conservation, and climate action within PNG’s rural, culturally diverse context.
The EU-FCCB Programme supports PNG through a development model that reconciles forestry, climate change, and biodiversity with sustainable, inclusive, and gender-responsive green growth and jobs at national and pilot subnational/community levels.

Follow for more updates, events and information!
The EU FCCB Programme Expertise France

08/05/2026

Today, the New Guinea Binatang Research Center proudly joins the world in celebrating the 100th birthday of one of the greatest naturalists and storytellers of all time, David Attenborough.

Sir David’s lifelong fascination with New Guinea and its extraordinary biodiversity helped introduce the wonders of our region to global audiences. Since his early visits to Papua New Guinea in the 1950s, he has documented some of the island’s most remarkable wildlife and cultures, helping the world appreciate the global importance of New Guinea’s rainforests and peoples.

From the spectacular birds-of-paradise of Papua New Guinea’s forests to the unique ecosystems of the island of New Guinea, his documentaries captured the imagination of millions and revealed just how biologically rich and culturally diverse this region truly is. His groundbreaking films brought rare wildlife behaviours to international audiences and helped elevate tropical biodiversity conservation onto the global stage.

Beyond storytelling, Sir David has become one of the world’s strongest voices for environmental protection. Through landmark documentaries such as Life on Earth, The Living Planet, Planet Earth, and A Life on Our Planet, he transformed conservation from a niche scientific concern into a global movement. His advocacy has inspired generations of scientists, conservationists, students, and communities — including many here in Papua New Guinea — to better understand, value, and protect the natural world.

At NGBRC, where we work every day to study and conserve the incredible biodiversity of Papua New Guinea, we recognize the profound influence Sir David has had on inspiring curiosity, scientific discovery, and environmental stewardship across the globe. His work helped shine an international spotlight on places like New Guinea — one of Earth’s great biodiversity strongholds — and inspired countless people to dedicate their lives to science and conservation.

Happy 100th Birthday, Sir David Attenborough.
Thank you for a century of discovery, wonder, and unwavering advocacy for our planet. 🌍🌿🎥

04/05/2026

There will be a series of Tropical Forest Ecology lectures by prof Vojtech Novotny in Port Moresby and Lae. These are university-level lectures open to all students, academics and interested public, freely accessible at the Lamana Hotel conference rooms in Port Moresby and the Forestry Department of the Univeristy of Technology campus in Lae. No registration needed, all welcome.
EDIT: The Port Moresby Saturday 9 May lectures will also be streamed online at: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/43884482832209...