My new job is on Texel, a Dutch island, smaller than Papua New Guinea, but still, comparable. I work for a National Park, to preserve nature, to preserve biodiversity and to educate visitors. So many comparisons with the trip to PNG. But so many differences.

I often think of our warm welcome to the Paradise Forests. Sep was obviously proud to receive us, as we were the first volunteers, building up the GFRS and starting the work.

The camp was fantastic, even though it was empty when we arrived. At the edge of Lake Murray, between huge; the nearest signs of modern life were hundreds of kilometres away. Here, people live with nature, in nature, by nature. Being one with nature. It seems so far away now, but the memory still feels so comfortable. Like this is how it was meant to be.

So often I would want to ask Saraga and Kendell to take me with them into the forest, to look for Crowned Pigeons, to eat nagam from the trees, to find unexpected natural treasures, to hear the Birds of Paradise, to hear Cassowaries kicking trees, to feel the soaking rain and drink the water from my face. So many times I want to sit with Sep, Murray and Ivara at the campfire and listen to their stories about their lives, their pasts, their hunting victories, their cultures and their customs. Sometimes I would almost give a limb to be able to take the canoe out with Flo, the ‘white papua’, and go spearfishing, although I know all too well I would need all my limbs intact.

Helping the Kuskus clan is one of my sweetest memories. The guys were at first barely interested, ran ahead of us through the forest, even lost track of us and we almost had to sleep in the forest. Next day we heard a radio broadcast featuring Sep explaining the whole project in simple words. It felt like then the clan members started to understand why we were there and we were treated like heroes ever since. The handmade arrows that they gave us as a farewell gift were the first thing to decorate my new home here on Texel. They represent my everlasting friendschap with Garex, Steven and the other Kuskus clan members.

Saying goodbye was hard. The guys, my friends, asked me when I would come back. I realised that this would not be easy. Without the facilities Greenpeace offered, things would be even tougher out in the jungle. Even more basic. The gear, the boat, the whole lot, it would take huge preparation (and budget!) to try and do this again by myself. On the other hand, in these few weeks I felt I really made some friends and I would really like to come back and have another brilliant encounter with nature at its best.

Reading other people’s weblogs and looking at my pictures brings back my memories and at the same time makes me feel good about the solutions work that Greenpeace is doing in PNG. I am proud to have contributed to it and hope it will really make a difference in this world.

Reading Sep’s goodbye message makes me sad too and makes me cry with him. It was good, it was interesting, it was hard work and it was fun. It was a very special time in my life and I owe a big thank you to all the clan members we worked with and also to all the people in Greenpeace who made this possible, for me and for PNG.

-- Klaas