The Forest
The Babatana forest is habitat for 19 of the 21 frog species found in the Solomon Islands, with 11 identified in a rapid biodiversity survey in the project site.

The forest is home to many bird species including: Midget flowerpeckers (Dicaeum aeneum aneum), Golden whistlers (Pachycephalus pectoralis), Song parrots (Geoffroyus h. heteroclitus), Crested cuckoo doves (Reinwardtoena crassirostris), black and white monarchs (Monarcha b. barbatus), White–billed crows (Corvus woodfordi woodfordi), Blyth’s hornbills (Aceros plicatus mendanae), Eclectus parrots, fruit doves, and lorikeets. Also present are Mackinlays cuckoo dove (Macropygia mackinlayi arossi), Willy wag-tails, and kingfishers.

Choiseul has the highest number of native mammals including native giant rats, the Giant horseshoe bat (Hipposideros dinops). 14 species of reptile were recorded at the site including green bellied skink (Emoia cyanogaster), brown tailed copper striped skink (Emoia cyanura), and Pacific black skink (Emoia nigra). The mildly venomous Solomon red krait (Salomonelaps par) was also present. The saltwater crocodile is also abundant in the rivers closer to the sea.
The People
This project is on the lands owned by indigenous tribes belonging to the Babatana language group. The first Babatana sub-project is owned by the Sirebe tribal group who mostly reside in Sassamungga village. These indigenous landowners have voluntarily given up rights to logging in exchange for the opportunity to create and sell rainforest carbon offsets from their lowland coastal rainforests. The Sirebe tribal group have established a community-based organization (CBO) called Elbar CBO. This CBO has established a community learning centre and visitor accommodation with two-way radio and solar panels. The desire to conserve the forest was initiated by the CBO and agreed to by the community.  Their land provides their main source, and sometimes only source of food, income, medicine, building materials, water, and firewood.
The Location
Technical Stuff
The Babatana project is a 'grouped project' that commences with the Sirebe inception project, but allows for other tribal groups to add their land to the project in subsequent years.  Through the project Sirebe land became Solomon Islands first area to be registered under the Protected Areas Act. It protects 836 ha of tropical lowland rainforest in south Choiseul, Solomon Islands. 

Project development began in 2012 and a Project Idea Note for registration with the Plan Vivo Standard was submitted. It has since been undergoing project development in preparation for the completion of the Project Description. 

The project applies an "avoided forest degradation" carbon accounting methodology - otherwise termed "improved forest management" where land use is changed from logging to long term forest protection. A forest inventory was undertaken during 2015 as part of the carbon accounting for the project.

The Sirebe inception project is projected to generate approximately 12,000 carbon credits annually with first issuance expected in 2020. Further projects will be added to the 'project group' in subsequent years, including Siporae and Padezaka. This will increase annual CO2 emissions reductions to >40,000 tonnes. The project will be audited by approved Plan Vivo auditors. Its carbon credits will be issued by Markit Environmental Registry in London (the world's leading environmental registry).

The project will be certified to the Plan Vivo Standard. 
Download Technical Reports
The Nakau Methodology Framework is a general methodology required for any project operating in the Nakau Programme - a Pacific Island rainforest conservation financing programme. The Nakau Programme (and its methodologies and protocols) was developed jointly by Ekos and Live & Learn International. The Nakau Methodology Framework covers project governance, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), financial discipline, benefit sharing, biodiversity and social impacts. The Nakau Methodology Framework was validated to the Plan Vivo Standard in 2015.
All projects in the Nakau Programme are required to apply a Technical Specifications Module covering  measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon benefit impacts delivered by a project. The TS Module applied in the Drawa Project is a carbon accounting methodology applicable to projects that avoid forest degradation: Improved Forest Management - Logged to Protected Forest (IFM-LtPF). This Technical Specifications Module was validated to the Plan Vivo Standard in 2015.
The first step in project development is the preparation of a Project Idea Note (PIN) for project registration with the Plan Vivo Standard. The Sasaboe Project PIN can be downloaded by clicking on the document above. The next document to be released is the Project Description (PD) - a detailed proposal quantifying the benefits to be produced by the project once implemented. The PD is split into two parts. Part A General Description involves the application of the Nakau Methodology Framework to the project site.
Photo (below): Sasaboe Rainforest Conservation Project Governing Board
The Money
We believe that trust is built on transparency. This is why we open our books to the communities, carbon standards, wholesale buyers and sellers alike. All project partners need to cover their costs, and rainforest conservation costs money. The main costs are:
  1. Timber opportunity costs and conservation management costs for rainforest owners
  2. Measurement, reporting and verification costs of an internationally certified project
  3. Wholesale sales & marketing costs needed to monetize carbon offset units.

Buyers/resellers can contact us to inquire about pricing.
Project Partners
This project was developed by the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF) and the Nakau Programme Pty Ltd. Technical support was provided by Carbon Partnership and Ekos with funding from the European Union. The project will be certified to the Plan Vivo Standard.