The Solomon Islands are a chain of hundreds of forested islands located east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific. On the islands of Teanu and Tinakula, rainforests provide habitat for a number of endemic and endangered species. Tinakula, an active volcano, is home to the Santa Cruz Ground Dove (Endangered), the Temotu Flying Fox (Endangered), Palm Lorikeet, Rosewood, spotless crake, Pacific emerald dove, uniform swiftlet and long-tailed cuckoo. Teanu is home to an endemic bat called the Vanikoro Flying Fox (Endangered), the Pacific Kauri Pine (Endangered), and other endemic species including the Red-bellied fruit dove, Pied goshawk, Palm lorikeet, Rusty-winged starling and Polynesian starling.

Solomon Ground Dove

On neighboring islands, native rainforest habitat is being harvested for lumber and degraded by bauxite mining. The Rainforest Trust is working with local partners to establish biodiversity reserves on Teanu (5,443 acres) and Tinakula (1,960 acres) that encompass the entirety of each island and protect habitat for the species found here. The reserves will be staffed by trained forest rangers.

FIF’s 2017 grant to the Rainforest Trust will fund the protection of 685 acres of land on Teanu and Tinakula. This funding also helps the Rainforest Trust secure a matching gift, which in total will result in the protection of 1,346 acres on Teanu and Tinakula.