Research Areas

Get involved

  • We support biodiversity surveys, camera trapping, species documentation, and long-term monitoring to strengthen understanding and protection of Papua’s wildlife and ecosystems.

  • Our work contributes to research and conservation planning for rare, endemic, and threatened species, including Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna in the Cyclops Mountains.

  • We connect tree nurseries, reforestation, mangrove restoration, erosion control, and watershed protection with practical monitoring and ecological learning.

  • We support research that respects customary authority, protects sensitive knowledge, and recognises Indigenous communities as partners and knowledge holders.

  • Our programmes explore how agroforestry, Nature-based Solutions, sustainable livelihoods, and community stewardship can strengthen resilience to environmental change.

  • We help Papuan students, researchers, field practitioners, educators, and community members develop skills in field methods, data management, research ethics, scientific communication, and conservation leadership.

Cyclops Landscape Research Programme

A living laboratory from reef to ridge to lake

The Cyclops landscape spans the Cyclops Mountains, Lake Sentani, Tanahmerah Bay and Youtefa Bay, creating an extraordinary transition from coral reefs and mangroves to lowland and montane rainforest within a compact geographic area. The landscape supports globally significant biodiversity, Indigenous communities, protected areas and some of YAPPENDA’s most active long-term research and conservation programmes.

Why the Cyclops?

~5,400 km²
Landscape and seascape

0–1,970 m
Elevation gradient

3 Key Biodiversity Areas
Cyclops Mountains, Lake Sentani and Nimbotong Djaram

2 protected areas
Cyclops Mountains Nature Reserve and Youtefa Bay

28+ Indigenous communities
Surrounding the Cyclops Mountains

~650,000 people
Dependent on ecosystem services within the broader landscape

A Landscape Built for Long-Term Research

Camera-Trap Network
Existing survey transects extend from near sea level to almost 2,000 m across different habitats and disturbance levels.

Long-Term Monitoring
Multiple permanent forest plots and expanding monitoring stations provide a foundation for longitudinal ecological research.

Restoration Sites
YAPPENDA maintains rainforest and mangrove restoration sites that can support research into restoration ecology and ecosystem recovery.

Research Infrastructure
Accommodation, vehicles, field equipment, reliable internet, workspace and logistical support are available through YAPPENDA’s Sentani facilities.

Aerial view of a river with small houses and buildings along the shoreline, surrounded by green hills and mountains during sunset
Close-up of soil, green leaves, and fern in a natural outdoor setting.
The image shows a forest scene with a ground covered in leaves and plants. There are numerous tree trunks and lush green foliage in the background. In the foreground, part of a black animal, possibly a bear, is visible.
A foggy landscape of lush green hills and a calm sea with small rocky islands.

Collecting Data in the Forest

In this video, Jeff Wonda explains how YAPPENDA’s field team retrieves and records camera-trap data to monitor wildlife and strengthen biodiversity research in the forests of Papua.

Enjoy some photos from all across our research sites!

People standing in water near small plants with a stilted village and boats in the background.
Mountain landscape with lush green trees and vegetation, view of distant mountains under a cloudy sky.
Man with backpack hiking in a lush green valley with a mountain and cloud-covered volcano in the background.
Three women are engaging in a water activity near a waterfront with tropical trees and houses in the background. Two women are in the water holding a stick, and one woman, standing on a platform, is holding a stick or pole, possibly involved in a traditional activity or fishing. The women are dressed in casual clothing and head wraps, with one wearing a striped top.
Mountain landscape with rugged peaks partially covered in clouds, dense green forest at the base, and a body of water in the foreground.