Dr. Lisa Dabek received a grant from the Zoo Miami Conservation and Research Fund to help fund the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program that she directs through the Woodland Park Zoo.  This broad based program not only seeks to protect one of the rarest species in the world but takes a modern holistic approach to conservation through supporting cultural and local community needs in the area.  This program aims to create the first Conservation Area on the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea which would protect tree kangaroos and all of the other species that inhabit its borders. The program wants to establish and provide long-term financial support to a community based management organization that will oversee the Conservation Area and improve the lives of the local inhabitants.  But, this program doesn’t just focus on the animals in the area, it strives to support community needs in the areas of education and healthcare to create a sustainable model for other conservation programs around the world.  Staff from Zoo Miami has participated in this successful program over the last decade.