LOCATION: HUON PENINSULA, MOROBE PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
TARGET SPECIES: MATSCHIE’S TREE KANGAROO
CURRENT STATUS: SELF-SUSTAINING

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) was started in 1996 by Dr. Lisa Dabek as part of her graduate research project on Matschies’s Tree Kangaroo. Dr. Rob Horwich met Dr. Lisa Dabek at a conference in 2001 and began a three-year partnership (2001-2004). Dr. Horwich and Community Conservation researched legal mechanisms for conservation and interviewed other organizations about their conservation approaches. The underlying goal was to empower landowners to make informed decisions about the type of conservation practices and areas they wish to establish. This allowed TKCP to support local communities in the conservation of tree kangaroo habitat and develop initiatives focused on community health, livelihood, and education.

TKCP is still very active and continues to collaborate with local communities to protect the forests of the Huon Peninsula for the benefit of the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo and local communities.