Nature Park

New Leadership Team for POM Nature Park

The new leadership team including are set to steer the organization towards its mission of safeguarding PNG's unique environment through conservation, education, and recreation. The three prominent additions to the board are:

Chairman - Lorna McPherson Senior Vice President - Chief of Sales at Digicel

Director - George Constantinou Group Chairman and Governing Director of Constantinou Group of Companies; Chairman and Managing Director of Hebou Construction and Monier Limited

Youth Voter Festival Port Moresby

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and other donors have shown their support for the PNGEC in ensuring there is maximum participation of eligible youth, women and persons with disabilities in the 2022 National Election.
This is the second Youth Voter Festival hosted by IFES in the country, the first was held in Goroka early this month.

Schools Education Program Wraps Up

The Culture Connects program is the third of a series of four special themed education programs run annually at the Port Moresby Nature Park through its education department since September 2016.

Since the inception of this special schools education program, the Park’s Education team has had many successful highlights.

Successful Nature Park internship

However, in true community spirit, Port Moresby Nature Park has made it possible for four students from the University of Papua New Guinea, under the Sustainable Development Program, by offering them a six-week internship program at the Park.

Aaron Urakowi, Akoma Huripa, Jeremiah Pingin and Gol Karal began their internship with the Park in March of this year and have been actively assisting the Park’s marketing team preparing some of its treasured displays for the upcoming Trash to Treasure Sculpture Festival.

Park successfully breeds green tree frogs

This success comes as part of the ongoing in-situ research program on the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), that is being carried out by the park’s wildlife team. Phase one of this program is to develop captive frog management skills for the wildlife team at the Port Moresby Nature Park (PMNP) through training and skill share.

Whistling Kite released back into the wild

Over a year and two months ago, Jackie had come to the park with an injured wing and required immediate treatment. The following weeks turned into months as the park’s wildlife keepers nursed Jackie back to health.

Jackie was not expected to survive but after much specialised care and attention from the wildlife team, the Whistling Kite was on her way to making a full recovery.

Jackie was moved into a larger enclosure that gave her a bigger space to fly. This allowed the wildlife keepers to monitor her flight and continue rehabilitation.

‘Mystery of the shiny egg’

Gates will open at 8 am and close at 4 pm.

This is the second of many school holiday programs the Park will be running for the year along with its education programs and themed months.

Kids on school holidays can put their detective skills to the test this Easter period by solving the ‘Mystery of the shiny egg’, which will run until Tuesday, April 23rd.

For more information on the program, visit the Nature Park Facebook page, call them on 3260248 or email reservations.pomnp@gmail.com

Nature Park to expand kitchen for users

ExxonMobil PNG, a major sponsor of the Park since 2012 recently donated a disused camp office to the Park, while Gold Sponsor Red Sea Housing came to the rescue by transporting and re-constructing the building near Nature’s Café, the Park’s popular eatery.

The project stemmed from the Park’s need to expand its kitchen area to provide better onsite catering to guests holding picnics in the park and for the increasing number of tour groups using the Park for lunch.  The current kitchen is able to cater to café patrons only with big catering orders having to be prepared offsite.

Kundu drum making skills slowly dying out

However, he is faced with one problem, and that is, the lack of interest shown by the young generation.

Clectus is from the Tavir cultural group on the Tangai Island, an LLG in the Namatanai District of New Ireland Province.

Currently, he is one of the only few on the island, with this skill as the older generations have already passed on.

Clectus says he carved his first Kundu drum while he was still in high school, which at that time took him about six months to complete.

Tumbuna Pasin Day underway at Nature Park

Currently underway at the Port Moresby Nature Park, this event is showcasing a variety of traditional practices including culinary, dances and art.

Performances include sago making, carving masks and totems, basket weaving, traditional painting, dances, fire making, and food processes such as aigir, maget, cassava cake and kulau jam among others.

Hosted in a relaxing and free environment, this first of its kind event is fast attracting both local and international audiences.