Grace Nugi

Coming from the highlands province of Chimbu, where the feathers of birds continue to be used in extravagant ceremonial headdresses, Grace Nugi, a conservation scientist, wondered what the impact of this harvesting might be. 

As part of her honours degree at University of Papua New Guinea, Nugi worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to understand the impacts of cultural use on Pesquet’s Parrot (also known as the New Guinean Vulturine Parrot) a species with vibrant red feathers which are typically used to decorate headbands.

"This was my wonder when I first came to know Ruby. Her beauty made you turn to have a second glance, and you’d catch yourself staring admirably. She always looked like she had walked straight out of a magazine, even on a ‘bad hair day’.
“When I think of Ruby’s character, she was a wise lady with maturity beyond her years. Her confidence and intelligence was not loud or boastful, it emanated naturally with how she held her conversations, her poise, and how she holds it all together even under extreme pressure.

When congratulating Abigail, she said let us as a nation support whatever steps she takes next and raise the bar for the Miss Pacific Islands title.

Miss Pacific’s role is to contribute to regional affairs and promote the Pacific Islands as an ambassador of the region for the next 12 months.

She will promote the region’s tourism to draw attention to our challenges as third world peoples and to be role models for our region’s young girls.