Wild Sumatra Project
With rainforest continuing to be cleared and degraded, Rainforest Rescue has partnered with Save Indonesian Endangered Species to protect and restore essential rainforest habitat. Focusing on the Way Kambas National Park in southern Sumatra we are tackling the problems of encroachment of the national park boundaries for farming, as well as poaching, burning and other illegal activity.
Project Information
Rainforest Rescue is working with Save Indonesian Endangered Species in the Way Kambas National Park on the following projects.
Revegetation: We are currently establishing a rainforest plant nursery on the border of the national park that will grow endemic tree species and provide employment for local people in plant propagation and reforestation. The trees once grown in the nursery will be used to revegetate a 300 hectare site in the national park and the green jobs created through the project will provide an economic alternative to illegal activities.
Patrols: In the Way Kambas National Park we are funding patrols to establish a presence that will deter illegal activities. A particular focus will be regular patrols of the nesting sites of the endangered White-winged Wood Duck.
Closing wells: Save Indonesian Endangered Species is also working to close down abandoned wells and cesspits that were left in the National Park after around 4,500 households were relocated to outside the borders. With some pits as deep as six metres, they are a fatal trap for animals such as tigers, deers, rhinos and elephants. Thousands of these wells have now been permanently closed down by the conservation team of local people employed on this project – and a tree is planted where the deadly trap once was.
