The Research & Monitoring Coordinator of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Dillian Nason led a week-long training on the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) at the YUS Conservation Area.
The conservation area derives its name from the Yopno, Uruwa, and Som rivers that traverse the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province.
An area that serves as a vital habitat for one of Papua New Guinea’s endangered tree kangaroo, the Huon or Matchie’s, a central focus in the Lukautim Graun Program.
The program aims to enhance conservation efforts through a combination of specialized software, training, and patrolling standards.
SMART plays a pivotal role in monitoring wildlife, identifying threats, and optimizing patrol operations.
The software primarily focuses on tracking, analyzing, and reporting spatial data, providing critical insights for informed decision-making regarding specific locations.
This event is an integral part of the adaptive management process for SMART, facilitating effective communication between rangers and technical officers to address challenges faced during patrols or with SMART models.
Furthermore, the training period allowed technical officers to address any software-related issues and introduce tailored patrol plans for each zone team.
Rangers were also provided with the opportunity to review their previous data collection, identify areas for improvement, and move forward with enhanced strategies.
This training session marked the second installment, building on the success of the initial program held last year.
The training session was attended by Conservation Liaison Officers or COs and Rangers from the Nambis and Uruwa zones in the YUS conservation area in Kabwum District of Morobe Province.
A lower Uruwa Ranger, Robson Soseng expressed gratitude for the current addition and introduction of SMART Patrol Plans
“I went away and practiced and now with the debrief it helps even more to correct my mistakes and become better,” he said
The workshop proved instrumental in assisting Conservation Liaison Officers and Rangers in organizing files, seamlessly transferring patrol data from phones to laptops, and ensuring the proper installation and configuration of the SMART application on smartphones.
Additionally, conservation liaison officers were trained in editing SMART models on laptops and sending them to Rangers’ phones.
The YUS Conservation Area stands as a pioneering model for national policy and management programs, boasting an extensive data and monitoring system that underpins effective conservation practices.
