The Sisi Initiative, local group working to conserve the Natewa Tunuloa Important Bird Area in Fiji has won the prestigious Equator Prize for 2012. According to Eileen de Ravin, manager of the Equator Initiative - “The Sisi Initiative stood out among more than 800 entries as a remarkable demonstration of local development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities”.

Establishment of the community-based Sisi Initiative was supported by the BirdLife Fiji Programme in 2006 in response to illegal logging, forest fires, overgrazing, agricultural encroachment and invasive alien species around the Natewa Tunuloa Important Bird Area. Important Bird Areas are sites that are of critical importance for the survival of wild birds and nature in Fiji and around the globe. Natewa Tunuloa covers large tracts of old-growth rainforest which support globally threatened birds such as Shy Ground-dove and Silktail.

In a short space of time the Sisi Initiative have made a big difference, by the establishment of over 6,000 hectares of community protected forest. The voluntary group has also worked to develop income-generating activities that are compatible with nature conservation. A model farm and a tree nursery have reduced the pressure on forest clearance. Furthermore, through projects such as handicraft and jewellery making communities have learnt to use raw materials from the environment to create products which generate income. This has added to the value of natural resources, and reinforced people’s motivation to conserve it for future generations.