The Port Moresby Nature Park turned four-years-old today.
The Nature Park was launched on this day back in 2012 by the NCDC, with the vision of becoming PNG’s premier recreational attraction.
It took over the site that was previously run by the National Botanical Gardens.
Since opening, a number of major infrastructural changes have occurred, including building a new entry, café and souvenir shop, refurbishing a number of animal exhibit and building a number of new exhibits for animals, introducing multiple cultural displays and most recently, completing a new toilet block and building of new footpaths.
The Nature Park has provided educational programs to over 50,000 school students and has successfully rolled out a number of annual educational themed week programs, including World Wildlife Week, World Environment Week and Cultural Week.
The Nature Park is also running its own successful research programs, including a pig-nosed turtle head-start project aimed at conserving the endangered Pig-Nosed Turtle.
In the last two months, the Nature Park has won an award for Innovation at the Zoos and Aquarium Association of Australasia Awards Night, and also received a 2016 Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor, which it also received in 2015 as PNG’s first attraction to receive the award.
During the celebrations today, general manager Michelle McGeorge highlighted that the success of the Park was due to the passion and commitment of the staff. She said they should be proud of the legacy that they were building for future generations to come.
She also took the time to thank NCD Governor Powes Parkop for his vision to build the Nature Park and to the NCDC Management for their support.
She said this plus the backing of the business community that included ExxonMobil and Australian Volunteers for International Development, and gold sponsors Digicel, BSP, Pacific MMI and Zoos Victoria for assisting in funding park projects.