We collaborate with the projects of the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF), which since 1999 has been working to protect the globally important forests in Borneo, Indonesia and safeguard its fauna, environment and indigenous culture through community conservation initiatives.

The peat forest is a very fragile ecosystem, every day its swampy areas are being drained and cleared for large-scale oil palm plantation. Protecting the habitat of orangutans and gibbons will undoubtedly mean a benefit for many other speciesand false gharial (Tomistoma), emblematic species for us.

The forest of Sabangau is fragmented by multiple artificial canals that were built to harvest wood from illegal logging in the 80s. Currently they are not used for this activity, much better controlled than then, but They are still used by poachers to enter and exit the otherwise impenetrable peat forest. The greatest damage that these canals cause in the forest is the drying out of the subsoil layers due to runoff, which leaves the peat bog defenseless against forest fires – which are more serious every year – as the deepest layer of the forest floor catches fire. . 

The project carries out specific activities aimed to alleviate these desiccation effects, looking for the restoration of the water balance of the ecosystem and protection of orangutan populations. This is carried out through the following actions:

• Construction of dams that prevent water from escaping through the channels and allow the annual natural flooding of the area. The dikes are built with the forest floor itself, on which native plant species are planted that will regenerate the forest while preventing soil drainage. The plant species used for these repopulations are grown in specialized nurseries built and managed by local communities.
• Enabling water tanks with extendable hoses to reach every point in the forest and suffocate the fires that devastate the peat bog every year.
• Monitoring orangutan and gibbon populations, thanks to the collaboration of a team of volunteers from all over the world and local residents.

Ultimately,  We participate with local communities and their leaders to promote sustainable development, teaching them to protect the natural resources of the area and their continuity in the future.