Environmental Education and Advocacy

This team works principally on issues connected with environmental and biodiversity issues, climate change and land use. The plan for Quarters 1-2 of 2015 included:

• Design and planting of grounds around new Resource Centre, including productive garden beds (food security)
• set up and manage community rice mill (food security - see below) 
• identify and catalogue environment-related resources from shipping container
• organise awareness activities for World Environment Day and invite Hako schools
• develop and conduct environmental awareness programs, digital and media activities for Hako schools.

Rice fields in Hako, 2011

Rice has become a staple food in PNG but has not traditionally been grown locally. HWC is fostering dry field rice growing as a supplementary crop requiring only small blocks of garden plots. In this climate, up to 3 crops a year can be achieved.

Marilyn Havini receives the rice mill on behalf of HWC, 2012

The Rice Mill venture was established by HWC in 2012 as part of the strategy to improve food security in the face of climate change and the increasing population. HWC entered an agreement in 2013 to start running the rice mill, donated from New Zealand, in what is now the new Resource Centre.