By Martha Louise – EMTV News, Madang
A non-profit organization, New Guinea Research Centre based in Madang has officially announced the opening of PNG’s Research Canopy Crane today.
The organization has built a major research facility – a canopy crane to study forest ecology.
The crane was funded by the European Research Council and built by the Binatang Research Centre.
The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre is a non-profit organization located in Baitabag in the North Ambenob LLG of Madang province. Its focus is on biological research of PNG’s biodiversity.
The new exciting tool for forest ecology, making PNG the 8thcountry in the world, and the 5th tropical country to have a canopy crane.
The Canopy crane is a tower crane built in the middle of the undisturbed forest that gives scientist access to tree crowns for research observations and experiments.
The crane is 45 metres tall with a 50-meter long jib that gives access to almost 1 hectare of the rain-forest for studies by local and overseas scientists of the forest canopy.
The crane will support and enhance biological research in PNG.
It will provide access to the tree canopies for studies on rainforest ecology, including experimental manipulation studies, targeting canopy plants and animals.
It will also be used as a platform for studies investigating the changes in climate and will also be a tool for student training.
The official launching of the new facility was witnessed by representatives from universities, conservationists, government departments and other dignitaries.
PNG’s Department of Forestry has also pledged to commit K100,000 annually towards Binatang Research Centre work.
