Our Story & Conservation Mission
To safeguard our ancestral birthright and ensure the fair, transparent distribution of all conservation benefits for the Tavolo community.
Tavolo Community Conservation Association Inc.
The Tavolo Community Conservation Association Inc. (TCCA) was established for the purpose of providing stewardship in safeguarding, protecting, and upholding the inherited traditional customary birthright to the land and natural resources owned by the clans at Tavolo in Lote society; and to receive all benefits derived from conservation initiatives, either in cash or materials, and to use and distribute these benefits in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner.
Our Conservation Goals
- Protect biodiversity hotspots from commercial logging and resource extraction
- Preserve traditional Indigenous lands and cultural practices of the Lote communities
- Generate sustainable income for local communities through conservation-linked tourism
- Build capacity for community-based forest management and monitoring
- Support climate change mitigation through forest protection
TCCA Management Area
The Tavolo Community Conservation Association Inc. represents one of Papua New Guinea's most successful community-managed conservation areas. Operating under PNG's Wildlife Management Area framework, it combines traditional Indigenous governance with modern conservation science to protect multiple ecosystem types - from lowland rainforest to riverine zones and coastal areas.
Why this map matters: It shows how Tavolo links protected rainforest, water systems, and community land into one coordinated management area guided by customary ownership and conservation planning.
Conservation Outcomes:
- 21,902 hectares of forest under active protection and management
- Zero commercial logging on community-controlled lands since WMA establishment
- Recovery of wildlife populations within protected zones
- Development of sustainable tourism infrastructure that generates community revenue
- Strengthened Indigenous rights and land tenure security
The TCCA's model demonstrates that communities can be effective stewards of their natural resources while improving livelihoods through responsible tourism.
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Partnership with Forest PNG & Conservation Partners
Tavolo TCCA works in close partnership with Forest PNG and international conservation organizations to support best-practice forest management and expand conservation impact across East New Britain Province.
Forest PNG Partnership Focus:
- Monitoring & Evaluation: Joint wildlife monitoring programs track ecosystem health and conservation effectiveness
- Capacity Building: Training local rangers and community monitors in conservation techniques and wildlife research
- Market Linkages: Supporting sustainable tourism enterprises and artisan markets managed by local communities
- Policy Advocacy: Working with provincial government to strengthen legal protections for community lands
- Climate Action: Contributing to PNG's climate commitments through verified forest protection
This collaborative approach ensures conservation work reaches far beyond Tavolo's borders, creating a landscape-scale conservation network across PNG.
Community Benefits & Sustainable Livelihoods
Conservation can only succeed when local communities benefit directly from forest protection. Tavolo TCCA ensures that tourism and conservation generate meaningful income for residents while respecting cultural values and land rights.
How Communities Benefit:
- Employment as guides, hospitality staff, and tourism operators
- Revenue sharing from visitor fees and accommodation services
- Improved access to healthcare, education, and infrastructure
- Preservation of traditional languages, hunting grounds, and cultural practices
- Increased bargaining power against logging companies and extractive industries
When forest protection generates sustainable income, communities become the strongest advocates for conservation. This is the foundation of our long-term success.
The Conservation Challenge
Papua New Guinea's rainforests face intense pressure from logging, mining, and agricultural expansion. In East New Britain, community forests have historically been targeted by commercial logging operations offering short-term payments that result in long-term ecological and cultural loss.
Tavolo TCCA's conservation model addresses this challenge by demonstrating that forests are worth more alive than cleared. Through community-controlled tourism and forest management, local people earn sustainable income while protecting the biodiversity and carbon that benefit all humanity.