Mahonia Na Dari: A Community-Driven Guardian of Kimbe Bay’s Marine Ecosystems

Mahonia Na Dari (MND) means "Guardian of the Sea" in the local Bakovi language of the Talasea Peninsula in West New Britain Province (WNBP), Papua New Guinea. 

Mahonia Na Dari was established in 1997 through a cooperative effort between The Nature Conservancy, the European Union Islands Regional Environmental Programme, and Walindi Plantation Resort. 

Its mission is to understand and conserve the natural environments of Kimbe Bay and Papua New Guinea (PNG) for the benefit of present and future generations. This is achieved by supporting local resource management initiatives. 

Empowering Local Conservation, Running Marine Education Programs and Advancing Marine research 

MND operates in three main areas. 

• Marine Conservation

Mahonia Na Dari focuses its conservation efforts along the coastal areas between Kimbe Town and Talasea through the implementation of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs). These are nearshore areas actively managed by local communities or resource-owning groups, with or without collaboration from local government or partner organisations. 

MND trains community marine educators through workshops and discussions and runs its own awareness programmes. These educators are responsible for continuously spreading knowledge about marine conservation within their communities and identifying issues related to the management and monitoring of LMMAs. 

• Marine Education and Awareness

This area includes: 

• The Marine Environmental Education Programme, consisting of one-day to multi-day workshops targeting students of various ages and their teachers. The programme is integrated into the provincial primary school curriculum through tailored teaching manuals. 

• Field Excursions, an ad-hoc programme offered upon request from nearby communities and schools, providing hands-on experience with coral reefs and their ecological relationships. 

• Outreach Activities, where trained marine educators visit schools and villages across West New Britain and beyond to raise awareness about marine conservation. 

• Marine Research

Environmental research and education go hand in hand. Mahonia Na Dari offers unique opportunities for marine scientists and other researchers to work on a wide range of projects that advance scientific knowledge while directly benefiting local communities.