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by Friends of
the National Parks Foundation (FNPF)
NUSA PENIDA BIRD SANCTUARY
In May, our Nusa Penida project will turn 1 year old. In this first year, FNPF have made significant progress towards our dream of creating an island-wide sanctuary for threatened and endemic Indonesian birds especially parrot species.
Infrastructure is now approaching
completion. We have built a quarantine facility which will
hold two hundred yellow-crested cockatoos and will include a clinic, laboratorium and isolation facilities as well as an information centre. The 1.3 hectare Release Station, located
at the edge of our planned release site at Tembeling forest, is also considerably advanced; so far we
have built a socialisation cage 200m2 by 10m high,
guard and observation posts
plus water and sanitation facilties. Here, birds
rescued from the illegal wildlife trade will have the opportunity to (re)learn
and practice natural behaviours such as foraging, group formation and flying,
in preparation for release. Where they
cannot relearn wild behaviour they will remain in the sanctuary as a tourist
attraction for the island.
A key plank of the Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary is the
close cooperation between the religious and traditional community and the
Police Forces to ensure the security of the rare and endangered birds that will
be released at the Sanctuary. In our
first year, FNPF has successfully obtained the support
of the Governor
of Bali, the Regent of Kelungkung, the Bali Supreme Council for
Traditional and Customary Law and the Natural Resources Conservation Centre
(KSDA).
To date, we have persuaded 22 traditional village
communities to implement a bird protection clause in the traditional “awig
awig” laws, laying strong social sanctions against anyone capturing, removing,
killing and or illegally trading in protected birdlife.
In
April, we obtained vital
support from the
In keeping with FNPF’s holistic mission, the project
will include a significant community development and education component. So
far, we have obtained the cooperation of the Forestry Department to provide
seedlings and information on seedling cultivation methods for various tree
species important for yellow-crested cockatoos, including Bunut (Ficus sp), Beringin (Ficus benjamima) and Asam (Tamarindus Indica).
FNPF have also started to prepare a nursery
with the aim of eventual reforestation work and are exploring a partnership
with the Yayasan Spirituel Dharma Santi to involve the local community in
planting production teak forest at Nusa Penida.
We have also worked with the Bali
Conservation Cadets Communication Forum (FKKKI) since last year to run eleven
conservation education sessions for schools in Denpasar, Singaraja and Nusa
Penida. We have made a five-year
commitment to building a Conservation Cadets movement on Nusa Penida itself; so
far, 57 pupils have joined the newly-formed Nature Lovers’ club and it is now
recognised as a school extra-curricular activity. Our staff have also given
computer training to officials in two villages, Desa Batumadeg and Desa
Sekartaji, on the use of MS Word and Excel.
FNPF believe strongly in the importance of
the performing arts. In
Although a lot has been achieved, there is still much
that needs to be done. In particular, we
invite interested parties to undertake research into the ecology of Nusa
Penida. Your help is urgently needed to
help us better understand and restore the island’s environment.
We thank Dr Willie Smits and the Gibbon Foundation for helping us turn
the dream of
the Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary into reality
Recently, the Park Authorities asked FNPF to help
survey a farm in response to complaints of crop raiding by orangutans. We were surprised to find the farm boldly
located inside the Park itself. Although
the owner was not present, FNPF interviewed a local villager together with a
team from Trans-TV; his comments showed just how much work still needs to be
done to build awareness :
“Sir, you are aware this area is now a National Park?”
... “Yes, the land belongs to the government. The coconut trees though are ours
... The old folks said if we abandon the farm, we’ll be driven out … the
(forestry) department wouldn’t object,
we’re not cutting down trees, we’re just farming…”
“If you meet the orangutan (destroying your crop),
what would you do?” … “Definitely, we would kill it ... No, we can’t capture
it, we don’t have the equipment .. . we would beat it up”
For wild orangutans caught
near human settlements, a partial solution is to translocate them to protected
areas where they have a better chance of survival. But in Tanjung Puting, there are still
pockets of human settlements within the Park itself. The Park also has an estimated population of
up to 6000 wild orangutans, and much of its habitat is degraded. Although translocation can help, what is
urgently needed is good land-use policy firmly and fairly implemented and
better habitat protection and conservation.
FNPF will do what we can to build awareness, and we hope that all people
will work together for the planet’s health.
This period, we had to
separate two of our orangutans Butet and Daniel, as Butet has an old wound in
his arm which was reopened as a result of friendly fights / bites by
Daniel. They share a quarantine cage as
both have Hep C and TBC, and are fast friends.
Initially, Daniel was quite stressed to be parted from Butet, whom we
had to move to an indoor quarantine cage. While we were transferring Butet,
Daniel managed to escape and went in search of Butet. He waited for his friend outside the cage,
and then we saw them playing, one inside & one outside the bars. Unfortunately, we have to keep them separated
while Butet’s wound heals, so we returned Daniel to his outdoor cage. We hope our orangutans will get better soon,
and be able to live a free and full forest life.
Julius, the new 6 month old
orangutan baby we received, is still undergoing quarantine. In line with the recommendations of the
Indonesian Veterinary Committee for Orangutans, Julius will not be caged during
quarantine as he is still too young. Given how important it is for young
orangutans to evolve in an arboreal environment, we have built him a playground
in the trees and pleasingly, he seems to be taking well to life above ground.
The anemia we detected when Julius first came has been
overcome; his haemoglobin count is now normal; even so his Leucocyt count is
high and we will be taking further samples to test his heart function. Early in the month, Julius had breathing
problems, sneezes and colds, aggravated by the inclement weather. Sadly, orphaned baby orangutans like Julius
are very susceptible to illness as they lack the natural immunity they would
have received through their mother’s milk.
We hope and pray that Julius will grow strong and healthy.
FNPF will continue to seek permission to carry out
research on the prevalence of disease in orangutans at Tanjung Puting. We
believe such information can help us develop better management strategies to
conserve the wild population. In this,
we have been supported and encouraged by Dr C.A. Nidom, one
of We thank Dr C. A. Nidom, MS PhD and the Tropical Disease Centre, In this period, we continue to see logging activity,
with Forest Police stopping a boat with a cargo of lanang wood as it headed out
of the The leader told us he had had 5 men working for 2
weeks; even so they only managed to get 6 cubits of wood, and lanang although
valuable is not on par with meranti or ulin. Any profit would be negligable, it
makes it doubly sad that trees should be chopped down for so little reason. The
case will be taken up by the local Police. We invite any person or group who may wish to provide
financial support to the Tanjung Puting Forest Police to please contact
us. Your support is greatly needed, and
every little bit will help. REFORESTATION PROGRAM
- FERTILE & FLOURISHING ! (okay, okay, we’re
playing with alliteration here J) This period, the good results from our Reforestation
Program continue. The proof of our new
methods is now coming in; at our original 13 hectare Pesalat site, of 1046
additional seedlings planted using our revised methods late last year, 981
seedlings or 94% have survived and are growing well. At that time, we did a control planting of
934 seedlings using the old methods; of these only 443 or 47% have survived, and a proportion appear
stunted. We are therefore confident our
revised methods represent an important step in the right direction. For the upcoming rainy season, we will reforest an
additional 30 hectares; so far we have prepared 6 hectares. Each 1-ha plot is planted with a single
endemic pioneer tree species, so we can evaluate the relative performances of
these “fast grow” plants. Species
planted include Kopi Layu (from seed and wildlings <20cm, planted straight
into the ground); Gerunggang (1 mtr high wildlings, planted directly) and
Keruing (wildlings <10cm, planted directly). We are also experimenting with various rainforest
seeds planted directly in-ground, such
as Sedawak, Kerantungan, Luwing, Idur and Dipterocarpus
sp. Other experiments include
using pulses, bamboo and kara to control illalang weed. An interesting
success has been quartering rare Ironweed seeds and getting each quarter to
sprout successfully. We hope these experiments, in addition to being a
learning tool, will act to spark the creativity and initiative of field
staff. The bulk of our rainforest seedlings will be planted
simultaneously come the rainy season, after the pioneers have been
established and the seedlings are sufficiently strong. So far, we have 13,220
seedlings in our nursery and acclimatisation facilities representing 37
varieties of rainforest trees; these are growing well and on target to attain
sizes of around 40cm prior to planting. At the Pesalat site, we have set aside a nursery
especially to provide seedlings for conservation education purposes, for
school gardening and conservation clubs, and for government bodies such as
the Forestry Department who wish to provide seedlings to the public in an
effort to promote important local tree species. The Park Authorities have already
approached us to supply seedlings of charismatic local trees such as ulin (Eusideroxylon zwageri) and gaharu (Aquilaria sp.) to promote World
Environment Day in Kotawaringin Regency come 5th June. We have also set aside a special 1-ha plot
for visitors and tourists who wish to plant a tree at our reforestation site. For the peat swamp site, all 10 hectares have now
been planted. The site is subject to
flood in the rainy season and to drought in the dry season; the dominant
vegetation is lembiding, a twining climber, and sempiring grass, both which
grow very fast and suppress other vegetation. To overcome these obstacles, we
are planting relatively large wildlings >1 meter of appropriate species
such as Bintuka (Lophopetalum sp.),
Galam (Melaleuca sp.), Pulai (Alstonia sp.) Shorea Balangeran, papung and ubar. We are also planting in strips (albeit with
seedlings randomly spaced) which need to be maintained intensively. The work is hard but appears to be bearing fruit;
survival rates are high and we are following up with regular intensive
maintenance and in-ground monitoring.
We have high hopes the good results will continue. We wish to thank the THANK YOU, FRED, BAS & TEAM! Meanwhile, our cooperation with the
Livestock Department continues. Drh
Marthady vaccinated over 80 baby chicks and disseminated poultry medication
provided by the Department at 2 local villages during this period. We hope that
with regular encouragement from our vet, villagers will be more motivated to
provide healthier conditions for livestock while building their knowledge of
animal husbandry. Our cooperation with the Local
Health authorities continues to run smoothly.
This period, the Kumai Health Authority ran another Posyandu (health
check for children and babies) at Danau Rasau, with the costs of vaccines and
medicine being borne by the authorities. FNPF provided transport, food
supplements for children and brought in two experienced Mother’s Cadets from a
neighbouring village to provide ongoing training for the newly-formed Mother’s
Cadre. In addition to treating and
immunising more than 20 children for Polio, DPT, Hepatitis and smallpox, the
attending midwife also ran a general health check for elderly residents. In
this way, we hope to build an understanding of the dangers associated with
mining and mercury amongst local
villagers, while helping provide much-needed medical services. This period, we are very
pleased to announce that Sekonyer has finally got a resident health
professional. The new nurse, Ibu Ria, is
a graduate from In April, FNPF was invited
to take part in the 2005 Village Strategic Planning Forum of Sekonyer
Village. We had lobbied for this planning
session, as part of our aim of foster a more pro-active climate with higher
levels of villager involvement. Nearly 30 people attended; some who were
uninvited attended nevertheless. We discussed problems ranging from the
concentration of land in the hands of a few villagers, disputed boundaries,
education, water pollution, to potential problems with the planned building of
a palm-oil plantation road running through communal land. Overall, it was a very informative session,
and represented a win for transparency and good governance. We are very pleased that our partnership with
the Village Secretary, Pak Taufik, is developing well and we hope to continue
to work closely with the community on planning and land use issues. We thank DEH CONSERVATION and EDUCATION
PROGRAM Following on from the overnight camps and the initial
conservation activities undertaken by three schools last period, we are pleased
to report that enthusiasm continues unabated for the moment. At SMA Negeri 3
Pangkalan Bun, the headmaster organised for the whole school to stop lessons
for a day, and dedicated the time instead to planting and beautifying the
school grounds. Each student had to
bring something to plant, and FNPF were invited along to give planting tips, as
well as to observe the activities. We
were also invited to observe SMAN 2 students give a conservation talk to their
fellow-students and try to drum-up interest in a school conservation club. We will make every effort to support the
fledging clubs – watch this space! In this period, the Park Authorities formally approved
our primary school program and agreed to waive park entry fees for
participating schoolchildren. We plan to bring in eight primary schools this
year for conservation education activities, using a ‘learn & play’
format. The program will build on the
two pilot sessions we ran earlier, modified to include more challenging games
as well as a ‘hands on’ macaque behaviour observation session led by a local
research student, Ibu Emy. Meanwhile, our Secondary Schools program continues
strongly. This period we hosted the SPPN
Farming and Agrobusiness school who found their visit so useful, they requested
we host another group from their school which they would fund themselves. We also welcomed a group of concerned
citizens and farmers brought to our site by another NGO, Yayorin; the farmers
enjoyed the visit so much that they asked to come back, again fully
self-funded. We are very pleased that
our efforts appear to be bearing fruit, and hope the good results continue. SHARING OUR EXPERIENCES . . .
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION ! This period, we wish a very warm welcome to I Nyoman
Gede Antoni (“Komang Gembul”) who joins us for 1-2 months to help document
FNPF’s wildlife and forest rehabilitation experiences. Komang is on loan from our Such is our
newsletter for the period. Thank You
Everyone. Respectfully, FNPF staff and volunteers
This period, Adung and Butet
have spent 6 months in quarantine undergoing treatment for Hepatitis C and were
due to be re-tested.
ILLEGAL LOGGING CONTINUES; FOREST
POLICE STOP BOAT
VILLAGE SUPPORT PROGRAM
“Cow
Bank” commences in Sekonyer; Poultry Vaccines distributed
This period, we commenced
a “Cow Bank” at Sekonyer village. Our vet Drh Marthady selected and purchased a
bull and two cows, named Badung, Bella and Dinda respectively, and 3 villagers
have been entrusted as pioneers for this program. The village currently has no cows and
participants must contribute by building shelters for the cows and providing
appropriate feed and care in keeping with our vet’s instructions. If fruitful,
the first two calves from each cow will be returned to a community pool for
‘recycling’ while the participating farmer will keep the cow. More cows will be
added should the pilot prove successful.
Training
for Mother’s Cadre continues; 3rd Health Clinic run
New
Teacher and New Nurse for Sekonyer
At
the same time, the government has assigned a much-needed new teacher, Ibu
Sundari, to the primary school. Sundari comes from Sampit, and has only just
commenced her duties. We congratulate the government for its efforts to meet
the needs of local villages.
FNPF participates in Village Strategic
Planning Forum
School
Conservation Activities off to Good StartPrimary
School Program approved; Secondary
Schools continue strong
We wish to thank the
for sponsoring our conservation education program
DAN’S FUNDRAISING
FEET KNOCKS OUR SOCKS OFF (groan . . . J )
On 17th April, to the roar of
several hundred thousand spectators, our Webmaster, Daniel Hulsmann, completed
the Flora London marathon in a time of 4 hours and 31 minutes, finishing
roughly at the middle of all the 36,000 runners! Dan’s partner Marion, together with a group
of friends and fellow FNPF supporters, had earlier lined the streets wearing an
FNPF branded T-shirt and handing out little FNPF postcards with the FNPF web
address, to promote FNPF and raise awareness about our work. Dan’s fantastic
effort raised £ 896.77
for FNPF, and he has undertaken to make sure 100% of all donations are passed
through to us. Yes, the money will help
so much; more importantly though, we cannot express enough gratitude and
appreciation for the commitment and idealism that led Dan to do so much to help
us and the environment we all love.RAH RAH, DANNY BOY !