Filip Damen

Filip Damen is the leader of the Wanang conservation project. When approached by loggers with an offer for his village forests to become a part of a 100,000 ha Ramu Block 1 logging concession, he and his village declined and instead declared their 10,000 ha of forest as the village-based Wanang Conservation Area.

The conservation area remains intact while the logging has already started in the surrounding 90,000 ha of the logging concession. In recognition of his conservation leadership, Filip Damen was awarded the international Seacology Prize in San Francisco in 2009.

Filip Damen

Filip Damen: In his house in the Wanang Village (left), in front of the PNG Parliament on his way to collect the Seacology Prize in San Francisco (center), and his photo shown during the opening ceremony for the Swire Station in the nation’s capital Port Moresby (right).

Video from the Seacology Conservation Award to Filip Damen in 2009