Taim blong Malalo na Pulim Win

• Horticulture (trees for all occasions). • The Tree Improvement lectures had elements of seed source improvement and development, conservation of exotic and indigenous species. • The need for land use and land care were also infused in these lectures.

Projects established over the period in collaboration with ACIAR included: • Further extension of Balsa research as a follow up to recommendations made by the ITTO project. • The UNRE participation in the Teak Improvement program. This collaborative ACIAR program involved the PNGFA, FRI, as well as NGOs such as OISCA and others, effectively inject new life into the Teak tree breeding program started by Mr. A. Cameron (1962). It followed and complimented the recommendations in a teak genetic resource survey report by Howcroft (2005).

Apart from the academic and practical and developmental nature of Howcroft’s work:

• Staff in the National Forestry Department and University received training and were given development opportunities. • Students at the university level, were given a broader academic and practical view and the scope to include, from an agro -forester and conservationist’s perspective, the subjects of land use and land care, tree species selection, and the need for conservation so sorely needed across New Guinea. My team of technical officers’ staff qualifications included tropical agricultural graduates at diploma and bachelor’s degree level, a forestry degree graduate from Lae and a Nursery Technical Officer, who had graduated in a forestry-oriented course conducted by the University of Tasmania in 2017.

Taim blong Malalo na Pulim Win

In 2017 I had reached retirement age. I reluctantly but voluntarily retired. My position was taken by a newly employed replacement, an experienced English Forester who had worked in South America (Brazil?). I, on request from the Vice Chancellor, extended my term to assist the new man to take up this post. I terminated my term when it was obvious my replacement could carry on without further assistance.

The Department that I was asked to establish has finally received its recognition among the agriculture and fisheries and goodness only knows what other things at Vudal. So, now I felt I could exit.

Photo credit Neville Howcroft July 2022

I have an inherent interest in Botany and other biological sciences. I have had an orchid, a shrub, and a new insect (a potential Pine pest) named after me. I have personally described several new species of orchids and published many forestry and botanical papers.

Concurrently I have also provided and published a wide range of scientific illustrations in overseas journals.

A selection of Neville’s scientific illustrations.

Source Neville Howcroft.