A Long-Awaited Return to Indonesia for My Dissertation Research

By Laura Brubaker-Wittman, Boston University PhD Candidate This is Laura Brubaker-Wittman and I am so happy to have finally made it to Indonesia! Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian government halted the issuance of research visas for the past couple of years. Finally, in June 2022, I was one of the first researchers to […]



Celebrating Earth Day 2023

By Petrus Kanisius, Environmental Education Officer & Communications Coordinator To commemorate Earth Day this year, Yayasan Palung/GPOCP carried out a series of activities throughout Ketapang and Kayong Utara regencies in the time leading up to the holiday, which occurred on April 22. This year was a little bit different, because Earth Day coincided with the […]



Following Orangutans in a Secondary Forest Area

By Sabta Pelari, Rangkong Research Coordinator My name is Sabta and I now work as the Rangkong Research Coordinator for the Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program (Yayasan Palung). Before I started in this role in January, I served as a Field Research Assistant for seven years. Now, I stay at the new Rangkong camp throughout […]



SMART Patrols & Wild Orangutans in Nipah Kuning Village Forest

By Edi Rahman, Conservation Field Director The Sungai Paduan Protected Peat Forest (Hutan Lindung Gambut, or HLG) makes up an area of approximately 6,788 hectares, most of which is peat swamp rainforest. This is a great habitat for many types of animals, including the critically endangered orangutan. In 2017, GPOCP/Yayasan Palung helped get this area […]



A Botanist’s View of the Rainforest

By Gunawan Wibisono, Surveyor and Botanist My name is Gunawan Wibisono and I am the newest staff member of Yayasan Palung/GPOCP. I originally come from a village called Pak Utan, in Toho District, Mempawah Regency in Kalimantan (Borneo). In 2015 I began studying Biology, in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Tanjungpura University […]



Technical Verification of Matan Jaya & Lubuk Batu Village Forest Proposals

By Hendri Gunawan, Hutan Desa Coordinator One form of Indonesia’s Social Forestry Initiative is the Hutan Desa (Village Forest). The government grants approval to village institutions to manage and utilize these Hutan Desa, with the aim of improving the welfare of village communities and environmental sustainability. In July 2021, Yayasan Palung/GPOCP, the community in Lubuk Batu Village […]