Latest Adventures - January 2010

Jim’s bit
Well first of all our sincere apologies for taking so long in writing an update. However, as you will soon realise, we have been through a lot-more so than ever before.

Our last update was in June last year just after the successful opening of our training centre and the release of the second live Tenkile that we’ve had in captivity.

Continuation of the mapping of the Conservation Area took place with some villages in conjunction with us working closely with WWF. We now felt it essential that we train more of our officers to use a GPS and so organised to purchase more GPS units and conduct another GPS course.

Communication was now at an optimal level with the VSat system operating well and us being able to email and surf the net. The most beneficial aspect of the VSat system is by far using Skype. Now our parents, and Tadji’s grandparents, can see and speak to us regularly. Skype has taken some of the guilt away from us being away from our family for so long.

We found out, via email, that we had been invited to join the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) expo in San Francisco to conduct a twenty-minute power point presentation. This news was very exciting because we have always been trying to get our story out in the United States.

Zoos Victoria offered to pay for our flights and accommodation and Jean’s mum Sue said she’d come over for a holiday and look after Tadji.

At the end of September we came back to Australia to get ready for our American adventure. Our trip was for twelve days and we planned to visit and talk to some of the zoos in California.

Jean’s bit
It wa a very exciting time to be going to America and what to do with Tadji was a difficult decision. After much debate I couldn’t dump him in Australia and take off for 12 days so thought if Tadji didn’t go than I don’t go. So fortunately my mum was able to get time off work and babysit. As it turned out it was great for all involved and another couple from Africa had their two children with them as well.

The flight was great; Tadji slept most of the way and watched the film “Ice Age” on his own personal TV screen when he was awake. We were greeted by friendly WCN volunteers and made comfortable in our hotel room when we arrived.

Jim’s bit
We arrived in San Francisco via Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne. About a twenty-two hour-long trip including waits in between flights. We were greeted by Sandy, a WCN volunteer, who took us to the hotel in Mountain View, which is about thirty minutes from San Francisco.

The purpose of the WCN expo was to do our presentation as well meet and greet donors who could potentially help fund our program. We spent three days hearing from various people about different aspects of conservation and learning tactics in regards to approaching donors. We found most of these workshops very helpful and felt we were in a better position to talk to people from the northern hemisphere.

I guess one of the biggest hurdles for us was that a lot of people didn’t know what a tree kangaroo was.

Jean’s bit
I found the workshop most useful and being in the company of other conservationists working in the field was an honour and an inspiration. We had a most positive experience and felt fulfilled every step of the way. I developed a new appreciation for American culture in that they were really cheering us on, unlike the Tall Poppy Syndrome we seem to caress in Australia.

Jim’s bit
After our three days of getting ready we had three events: a dinner party to meet the donors for WCN, the expo itself where we to give our presentation and meet members of the public and a garden party where we would talk to donors again.
Initially all this was all a bit daunting but we soon got the hang of it. My suit had never been used so much before.

The Friday night was a get together with the donors to meet them and discuss the conservation programs. There were sixteen different conservation groups from all round the world. We were proud to be chosen, as there were no other group from the Australasian region. Dr. Jane Goodall was also there doing a book signing of her latest book. This was a real privilege and the talk she gave on the night was a real inspiration. I was standing next to her personnel assistance, Mary Lewis, and from talking to her about our work was asked if I would like to meet Jane. I answered in the affirmative.

I got to chat with Dr. Jane Goodall and this gave me a real boost to keep on battling with TCA in PNG. So much of what Jane said in her talk and to me personally I could connect with. For instance Jane had had people try and stop her from doing her work on chimpanzees and she had been ridiculed on her discoveries on the chimps. This struck a chord with me because a lot people had tried to stop me doing conservation previously. One of Janes’ mottos is to never give up. I have been thinking and saying this for a long time. It is so refreshing to meet a conservationist at such a high level who is on so many of the pages that we are on. This was the boost I needed.

The day of the expo was very exciting. We had our own table and had been assigned a couple of WCN volunteers to help us. We spoke to many people about TCA. We saw how other groups go about raising funds to help save endangered animals. It was a great networking experience.

All sixteen of the conservation groups gave presentations in two big lecture theatres. Our presentation was one of the two last talks for the day. I hadn’t spoken at such a large venue before so I was a bit nervous. I was getting ready behind the barrier when Steve (a WCN volunteer who organised the projectors and gadgets) calmly said “Oh Jane Goodall just walked in!”

A lot of words came to mind, the most polite of which was “Oh my goodness!”
Well with the lights shining in my eyes and Jane Goodall in the audience I some how overcame my nerves and delivered a pretty good talk. At the end Jean came up and answered questions.

Mary Lewis came up and asked me to come and see Jane Goodall. We had a good chat exchanged business cards, took some photos and I got a cuddle. This was an absolute career highlight.

What a boost and jolt into further achieving for conservation.

Jean’s bit
I absolutely adored Dr. Jane Goodall’s talk during the day of the expo. She truly is an amazing woman. Before her talk there was a slide show with lovely intimate photos of her with the chimps. When she walked in the slide show was turned off and her small size filled the room and the audience stood in applause to give her a most deserved standing ovation. She began her talk with a chimp call to others not able to be inside the auditorium. My eyes filled with tears not just because of the atmosphere but knowing that so many people did actually care for someone who loves nature. It was nice to know that people do care.

Her talk reminded me of a conservation biology lecture – stories of endangered species being brought back from the brink of extinction which was inspiring in itself but as Jane pointed out it came down to those individuals leading the projects and not giving up, despite what others had said to them. As Jim said it is just like us – we will never give up.

Jim’s bit
While we were in the USA we thought we’d make the most of the opportunity and so gave a presentation of our work at the San Francisco zoo and San Diego Zoo. In San Diego and visited Sea World, San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We saw a lot of species, which we had never seen before. The highlight for me was seeing Killer Whales and Indian Rhinoceros.

We’d spent 12 days in the U.S and loved it. What an experience! We met a lot of conservationists, made many contacts and I think we made quite an impact as well.

Jean’s bit
When we came back to Australia we told everyone we knew about our experience especially meeting Jane Goodall. We have started to look into starting a Roots and Shoots program in PNG – a first for the country, which will be linked in with the Jane Goodall Institute. We weren’t back long and Jim returned to PNG with Michelle Cooper from Zoos Victoria who was working with TCA for six weeks.

Jim’s bit
Back in PNG all was well. There were a few things I had to sort out but nothing too serious. Michelle was in awe of the place. Once we got into Lumi she said that our base was awesome. Michelle was here to further our work on rabbit farming and to make an overall assessment of that program. She was to work with our rabbit trainers Vincent and Sebi.
Michelle wrote of her experiences and these can be found on the Zoos Victoira website www.zoo.org.au.

Time had flown and it was now time for me to make my way back to Australia via Port Moresby. We were driving via Powat Junction to drop Michelle and Vincent off with rabbits for the Weimang villages. Michelle and Vincent were going to stay with a number of villages to deliver rabbits and to talk to and access each villages’ rabbit program.

At Powat junction there had been a disagreement over cargo security. In late August we had delivered a load of food and supplies that were transported by carriers from Powat junction to Sibilanga. At the junction some food had been stolen and so I did not feel it appropriate to pay the landowners for looking after the cargo since they did not do their job. Why should we pay for security of TCA’s supplies when some was stolen?

I had been given a letter of demand for K1,000 and when I met the fellow, who wrote the letter, on the way out from Sibilanga he was very angry and totally irrational about the situation.

When we reached the junction I quickly found out the so-called landowner was still upset over the unpaid demand. Michelle, Vincent and the carrier soon moved away from the junction and out of sight. It was at this time that the “landowner” made himself heard. With a very sharp axe he demanded his ransom. He and one of his relatives started to punch Patrick who was standing at the passenger seat door to TCA’s car. I yelled and then they came at me the “landowner” wielding his axe.

We had many people on the back of our utility. A mother with a young child was so scared she offered to pay the ransom. I had the money and paid the ransom to save my life and hopefully diffuse the situation. I have been in positions previously where I’ve had no choice but to pay a ransom. In the past when ransoms have been paid the problem is over and everyone smiles. Not this time!
Patrick continued to receive abuse, both physical and verbal. I was told in no uncertain terms that I could not use this road ever again and to “look out”. This guy was crazy and showed behaviour of pure madness. I have never experienced such a display.

We drove out of sight but stayed on our mobile phones until we knew that Michelle, Vincent and their carriers were off the land of this village and were safe on their patrol to Sibilanga and the surrounding villages. I was shaking, Patrick was bruised and everyone was extremely scared. This had never happened to any of us before.

Upon reaching Wewak Patrick and I booked into the Airport Lodge, as I was to catch the early flight from Wewak to Port Moresby. At 1am a member of the police constabulary in Vanimo called me, on my mobile. The police had been alerted of the situation and were wanting to act, however were telling me that they needed direction.

Here I am, a conservationist, in PNG to help save the Tenkile and Weimang, the environment and to help the people and all of a sudden thrown into what seems like the underworld.

Upon reaching Port Moresby I was still shaken and was staying with a friend for a week before flying back to Melbourne. The following morning Patrick called to tell me that he had smashed the car on the way back to Lumi near the town Maprik. Patrick had driven off a cliff and fallen 60 metres before the car hit a large tree. Nobody was hurt, which was the main thing, but the car had to be pulled out by an excavator. Could things get any worse? Yes they could!

The following few days I spoke to a number of my officers and a Local Level Government President who told me that a group of people in Vanimo, who want to do Carbon Trading, are going around telling lies about me. They had been telling all and sundry that I had been publicly criticising a member of parliament and the PNG government. They were also trying to have me deported from the country. I immediately wrote an email to all concerned telling them the truth and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Carbon Trading is a hot issue in PNG at the moment and with all the confusion we have been giving education on climate change and carbon trading to our 39 villages and some surrounding ones. TCA has done this so people in the area know what it is all about in case carbon trading becomes a reality.

In the past year I have received three letters from a group of people in Vanimo threatening us and saying we can’t do carbon trading because they are. This has been taken at face value and we have sought support from the PNG government and got it. So in light of the above this situation is a drop in the ocean.

Nevertheless, I took the next flight out of Port Moresby. It is often said that bad things come in threes…. well this was the case for me, three bad events within six days.

Jean’s bit
It could have also been worse if I was there because I am certain I would not have been the calm diplomat that Jim would have been in all those situations. I would certainly have made the situation worse by becoming very “meri bilong cross” and out of control. But I wish I could have been there to support Jim in what must have been a terribly frightening experience. I have been victim to three events since living in PNG and they all take a long time to get over. I was so glad to meet Jim at the airport in Melbourne and to have spent so much wonderful time together with our friends and families over the Christmas period. However it is now time to get back into it and start doing what we love best. As I keep telling Jim let’s not let one person get in the way of our dream – never give up!

Jim’s bit
I was very shaken and even now I’m still affected from what has happened. We’re taking a long break in Australia now.
On a positive ending Dr. Jane Goodall had put us on her website promoting her new book. www.janegoodall.org

Jean’s bit
And there is more good news to come so stay tuned!