Forest-owning communities are under pressure to convert their forests for agriculture, or sell the logging rights. If the forests are to thrive and regenerate, it is critical to work with local people to develop forest-based livelihoods that respect their traditions and protect their biodiversity.

BirdLife in the Pacific has developed an award-winning approach to community livelihood-based forest conservation in Fiji. The Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation funded Saving Paradise project aims to establish a network of similar demonstration sites covering 58,475 hectares of forest habitat across five Pacific countries.

Although this model is easily transferable to other parts of the world, it is highly 'Pacific' in its approach, which makes it widely applicable across the region. Hence, BirdLife Partners in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Palau, the Cook Islands and elsewhere in Fiji have asked for support to develop community-based forest conservation projects which will help people to achieve their own objectives for the environment in the places where they live.