Mahonia Na Dari – Guardian of the Sea
| Understanding and conserving the Natural Environment of Kimbe Bay & P
apua New Guinea for the benefit of present and future generations
Who We AreMahonia 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 started in 1997, through co-operative effort between The Nature Conservancy, the European Union Islands Regional Environmental Program and Walindi Plantation Resort. Mahonia Na Dari operates from the Walindi Nature Centre (Walindi NC). The organization was registered as an independent non-government organization in November 1998, with its own Board of Directors. It was formed to provide Marine Environment Education Program (MEEP) to the local population in West New Britain Province and the New Guinea Islands region. 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 has been and continues to be achieved by supporting local resource management initiatives now and during the last 10 years. Since the inception of the organization in 1998, MND has reached out to more than 150,000 students and teachers, local communities and other organizations who are interested in marine education. In the national arena, MND is a leading advocate for marine conservation with strengths in marine education and awareness. It facilitates marine research and an increased understanding of the marine environment. These programs have promoted the protection of PNG’s abundant biodiversity by promoting sustainable use of marine resources by the community.
Where We AreMahonia Na Dari operates from the Walindi Nature Centre, on the shores of Kimbe Bay, about twenty minutes drive from Kimbe on the Talasea Highway of West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Nature Centre land is made available under a token lease arrangement with Max and Cecilie Benjamin, owners of the neighbouring Walindi Plantation Resort.
What We DoMahonia believes that one of the best hopes for preserving Papua New Guinea’s marine biodiversity is to build a grassroots constituency for conservation. Mahonia supports community-based conservationand resource management in Kimbe Bay and the Islands Region of PNG. Our highly successful marine education program has already proven to be a powerful tool in building this support by increasing environmental awareness and inspiring local action to protect coral reefs.
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