March 2026 marks a milestone for Babatana’s Siporae Tribe, with their forest conservation carbon project officially verified by international carbon standard Plan Vivo. The tribe now joins Sirebe Tribe as Babatana landowners receiving income for sustainably managing and protecting rainforest areas.
Atkin Vilaka, spokesperson for the Siporae Tribal Association, says this moment “is an achievement for Siporae, after many years of hard work and patience.” “My tribe is protecting some of the untouched forests in Choiseul. And by doing that, we contribute to the Kolombangara Corridor, one of the largest [protected areas or intact old growth forests] in the Pacific—that really motivates us. We are grateful also to be contributing to global climate resilience,” he says.
