Jean Thomas Wins Top Conservation Award

Victorian, Jean Thomas has received the highly acclaimed Future for Nature award.

A volunteer with Australian Volunteers International, Mrs. Thomas was selected from more than 100 nominees.

United Nations Environment Protection Deputy Executive Director Ms Angella Cropper presented the award at Bergers Zoo near Amsterdam last Friday.

Wildlife presenter Ms Saba Douglas- Hamilton presented cheques for 50,000 Euros to the 3 winners of the future for nature award, Ms Les van Lavieren (Holland) and Mr Alberto Campos (Brazil) also received awards for their conservation work.

For the past seven years Jean and her husband, Jim Thomas, have worked with the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) to conserve endangered tree kangaroos in a remote area of Papua New Guinea.

Jean Thomas giving acceptance speech Jean’s work with local villagers implementing conservation, educational and training programs was recognised by an international panel of experts in conservation and sustainable development.

A bilinguist, Jean has developed and written training manuals in Pidgin English that have allowed Papuan New Guineans to teach others about conservation and sustainable living programs including natural resource management.

Her work with local women and children on health issues has seen a dramatic decrease in a range of childhood diseases.

Jean’s initial role was to connect with communities throughout the Torricelli Mountains to raise awareness of the plight of two endangered mammals, The Scott’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus scottae) or Tenkile and the Golden-Mantled Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus) or Weimang.

Her scientific and teaching background enabled her to achieve much more and after seven years Jean’s work and dedication to the TCA has been recognised.

For the next two years, Jean will embark on a large scale water and sanitation project funded by the European Union, while continuing to implement her successful conservation education programs to schools, teachers and village communities.

Fact Sheet

The Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) is a non-government organisation based in Papua New Guinea since 2001. Under the direction of Australian Project Managers Jim and Jean Thomas, the TCA has implemented many projects including research, conservation and sustainable livelihood projects.
TCA’s work involves establishing alternative protein sources in the form of rabbit and chicken farming to alleviate hunting pressure on the local wildlife. Other community development projects include gardening, water and sanitation projects and HIV/AIDS.
Jim and Jean Thomas are also volunteers with Australian Volunteers International (AVI). AVI has placed 1351 volunteers in Papua New Guinea since 1964.
The Tenkile, or Scott’s Tree Kangaroo, was discovered by Professor Tim Flannery in the Torricelli Mountain Range in 1989. The rarity of the species led to the establishment of the Tenkile Conservation Alliance.
Professor Tim Flannery refereed Jean for the Future for Nature Award.
Jean studied her first year of Science at La Trobe University and completed her degree along with a Diploma of Education at the University of Melbourne.
The rainforests in the Torricelli Mountain range are home to three species of Tree Kangaroo:- the Tenkile, Weimang or Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo and Grizzled Tree Kangaroo. There is no other mountain range in the world that has three species of tree kangaroos co-existing.
The TCA’s goal, to protect biodiversity within the Torricelli Mountain Range, is now widely recognised locally, nationally, and internationally and has been described by Professor Tim Flannery as “the best conservation - based NGO in Papua New Guinea.”
When Jean is not living in Papua New Guinea, she returns with Jim and son Tadji to the tranquility of their bush block in the Upper Yarra Valley.
The Tenkile Conservation Alliance is proudly sponsored by Zoos Victoria and AVI.
Various project funding has been granted through Zoos Victoria, AVI, Rufford Small Grants for Conservation (RSG), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program (RWSSP – European Union), the Sustainable Development Program (SDP), the Whitley Award, New Zealand Aid, Canada Aid, Seacology, Dreamworld, Mohamad Bin Zayed Conservation Fund, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) and Perth Zoo.

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Jean Thomas Wins Top Conservation Award