How do rainforest loggers target local people?
The rainforest loggers keep coming back. Our partners keep saying no.
Picture this: dust kicked up by passing trucks, people walking miles under the scorching sun just to reach a health centre or school. This is the main highway that connects our partner communities to the outside world.
And the rainforest loggers? They know this road well.
Empty promises and thick envelopes of cash
Rainforest loggers set up bases right beside rainforest communities. They watch and they wait. They see people walking, tired and vulnerable, and they see opportunity.
Their strategy is calculated. They don’t arrive at villages alone; they hire local people to act as messengers. They target leaders and ward councillors first, knowing that if they convince one respected figure, others might follow.
The loggers arrive with smiles and promises that sound like a politician’s pitch: better roads, schools, health centres, roofing irons and water tanks. They sweet-talk communities, saying things like “you can keep your land and other resources, we just want your timber” or “you’ll receive royalties to help your families and keep your children in school.”
Sometimes they bring people from nearby villages who’ve already fallen victim, making the offer seem safer, more familiar and less of a risk.
It’s a tactic. And it’s relentless.
Our partner communities stand firm
Our partner communities in the Papua New Guinea rainforest say no on the first visit. And the second. And the third.
They keep saying no because they’ve seen what happens to communities that say yes. They’ve watched forests disappear, animals vanish and rivers run dry. They know what’s at stake.
But here’s the thing: the loggers never really go away. They visit the next community and try again. On average, each community is approached twice a month or more. New faces, new promises, same strategy.
Loggers know how hard life is in the rainforest. They know how far people travel to sell garden produce, how expensive it is to send children to school and how far cash could go. They rely on that vulnerability.
The truth about the cash
When a logger puts a thick envelope of money on the table, it can look like a lifeline. A father can think: my family can finally buy what we’ve always wanted. Even if it’s just for a few weeks, life would feel easier.
People in these communities don’t see thick envelopes of money every day. We understand why these thoughts cross their minds.
But if they say yes and take the money, it won’t last. And neither will their rainforest.
Trees will be gone. Animals will disappear. Soil that was once rich and soft will become dry and compacted. Rivers will turn brown or dry up entirely. Fish will die. Gardens won’t produce healthy food anymore.
Not only will the forest be gone, but everything within it: food, medicine and shelter. And when it’s gone, so much disappears with it, including culture, safety and community identity.
Why our partners can say no
Our partner communities continue to resist rainforest loggers. They work together, involving the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority and police when needed, to stop rainforest loggers from entering their land.
For some communities, saying no when money could feed your family isn’t easy. But our partner communities know what’s at stake because we work together to educate and prepare them. They understand the long-term effects of deforestation.
Their rainforest is their future. Keeping it standing is the bravest choice they can make.
And together we’re standing right there with them, every single time they say no.
You can help communities say no to loggers
Throughout December, every donation you make is doubled, helping us provide even more support to the communities who stand on the frontlines of rainforest conservation.
Right now, the Papua New Guinea rainforest is under threat. Five villages have reached out to us for support, determined to say no to loggers and keep their rainforest standing. And with your help this December, we can back them up.