OUR FACILITIES

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The main station has four buildings with dormitory-style accommodation quarters for 30 people and three laboratories with 200 m2 of air-conditioned laboratory space.

The equipment includes 20 computers connected to both wired and wireless local area networks (LAN and WLAN) with broadband internet access from Digicel PNG, a network of four HF radios, satellite phones, a small library of mainly biological books, six stereomicroscopes with fibre-optic lights and macro photography including image montage software, two back-up electricity generation units, 14 insect cabinets, insect and plant drying ovens, freezers, shade-house for plant experiments and a room for insect rearing. An insect reference collection of more than 1,500 species is on-site. The Center has six 4WD vehicles (Toyota Landcruiser) and one truck (Mitsubishi Canter).

The Center is adjacent to the Madang Lagoon with exceptionally species-rich coral reefs and marine life. It has also easy access to primary and secondary lowland rain forests (0-400 m asl.), stretching from the coast to the slopes of the Adelbert Mts. Annual rainfall in the Madang area is 3558 mm, usually with a distinct dry season from July to September, while air temperature varies very little during the year, with a mean monthly temperature of 26.5°C.

Aerial view of the BRC Main Center at Nagada Harbor

KAKOBA Canopy Crane is a tower crane located in the middle of the undisturbed rainforest near the Baitabag Village along the north coast road in Madang Province. The crane is built right at the center of the Kau Wildlife Conservation Area. It is 45 meters tall and has a 50 meters counter jib that gives access to almost 1 hectare of the rainforest for studies by local and overseas scientists on the forest canopy.

Aerial view of the KAKOBA Canopy Crane and a panoramic view of the Bismarck Sea from the crane site.

Canopy Crane - Papua New Guinea

Charles Ulai (left) and Cronicle Nambahin (right) in the gondola of the KAKOBA Canopy Crane.

Canopy Crane - Panama

John Auga (middle) and Joachim Yalang (right) in the gondola of the canopy crane in Panama.

Canopy Crane - Japan

Roll Lilip in the gondola of the canopy crane in Japan collecting specimen on the tree canopy.

Canopy Crane - Papua New Guinea

Charles Ulai (left) and Cronicle Nambahin (right) in the gondola of the KAKOBA Canopy Crane.

Canopy Crane - Panama

John Auga (middle) and Joachim Yalang (right) in the gondola of the canopy crane in Panama.

Canopy Crane - Japan

Roll Lilip in the gondola of the canopy crane in Japan collecting specimen on the tree canopy.

Swire Research Station is located in the lowland rainforests near Wanang Village in the Usino Bundi District of Madang Province. The Station comprises of three buildings with accommodation and lab space, HF radio and solar electricity.

One of the three buildings at the Swire Research Station.

Stairs of death, leading to the station

Celebrating the opening of the station with its sponsor, Swire, at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby (Wanang village leader Filip Damen speaking, other Wanang landowners in the back)

Flying 30 tons of building materials into the forest

Construction site in the rainforest � erecting the first building

All dressed up for the opening of the station.

The station from the air � low impact construction in a pristine forest.

Sacrifice to the forest spirits during the construction of the station, making sure the station will meet with their approval.

Stairs of death, leading to the station

Celebrating the opening of the station with its sponsor, Swire, at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby (Wanang village leader Filip Damen speaking, other Wanang landowners in the back)

Flying 30 tons of building materials into the forest

Construction site in the rainforest � erecting the first building

All dressed up for the opening of the station.

The station from the air � low impact construction in a pristine forest.

Sacrifice to the forest spirits during the construction of the station, making sure the station will meet with their approval.

Mt Wilhelm is the complete rainforest altitudinal gradient, covering undisturbed rainforest ecosystems from 200 m asl to the timberline at 3700 m asl. BRC operates in collaboration with the landowners eight field stations, separated by 500 altitudinal m, along the transect, providing thus the base for biodiversity research along this important ecological gradient.

Village style accommodation for researchers at 200 m asl.
Tree ferns near the tree line at Mt. Wilhelm
Numba, the main camp at the Mt. Wilhelm transect
BRC cars on the way to Kegesugl Village
Tree ferns near the tree line at Mt. Wilhelm
Numba, the main camp at the Mt. Wilhelm transect
BRC cars on the way to Kegesugl Village

Ubii Field Research Camp in the montane rainforest near Kotet Village in the Kabum District of Morobe Province. The Camp provides accommodation and laboratory space with basic equipment for insect rearing and mounting, one stereomicroscope, one laptop computer, a solar insect dryer, solar power, and a greenhouse.

Ubii Field Research Camp