Edi Rahman

Field Director

Edi has been with GPOCP/YP almost since the start and has seen all the changes and successes throughout the years. Edi has a degree in Political Science from Tanjungpura University in Pontianak. Edi also serves as the Customary Forest Manager. Through this program highbiodiversity value forests are identified and legally protected for local communities to manage and use responsibly. This model is a relatively new national conservation strategy but through follow up monitoring and capacity building is proven more than successful. Our Customary Forest Management groups (local villagers who take the responsibility to care for the forest and its inhabitants) received regular capacity building within everything from biodiversity surveying and report making, to agro-forestry and packaging products for sale for a sustainable livelihood. Edi loves to watch films and his favorite animals are birds.

Natalie Robinson

Program & Development Coordinator

Natalie first began her involvement with the project in 2016, conducting research in the Knott Lab at Boston University as an undergraduate student. From 2018-2019, she spent a year in Borneo, working as a Research Assistant at Cabang Panti Research Station. Now, based in Boston, she works as GPOCP’s Program Coordinator, overseeing both the Conservation and Research teams working on the ground in Indonesia. Over the past 6 years, Natalie has developed a deep passion for understanding and conserving the wild orangutans of Gunung Palung National Park. 

Elizabeth Barrow

Applied Conservation Research Director

Beth holds a Bachelor’s degree from Anglia Ruskin University, UK, and has over 9 years of experience in Indonesia at various research and conservation projects. She has worked for the project since 2019 and oversees applied conservation research, implements research protocols, and assures data quality across conservation programs. In 2021, she started working towards a Masters by Research in Primatology and Conservation where she is focusing on an assessment of the use of drones to monitor orangutan populations.

Desi Kurniawati

Human Relations Manager & Customary Forest Legal Coordinator

Desi is another GPOCP/YP veteran and leads the way for complex legal processes that is the Customary Forest application and maintenance procedures, as well as for animal protection and persecution follow up. She has a BA in Law. Desi also leads our Conservation Awareness radio shows and loves working with communities for their sustainable development and empowerment.

Ranti Naruri

Sustainable Livelihoods Manager

Ranti, who has a degree in Education, first joined GPOCP/YP as an Environmental Education Field Officer and has delivered over 1,000 puppet shows to school children. She later served as our Field Coordinator, focusing on logistics and implementation of field activities for wildlife conservation. In 2020, Ranti became the Sustainable Livelihoods Manager. She has enjoyed learning about so many different aspects of the organization.

Abdul Samad

Sustainable Livelihoods Field Officer

Samad works primarily with our Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) artisan groups to help develop their skills in product making as well as business management and networking. He also monitors and reports on all product production, value and range across all the groups including the aquaculture and organic farming groups.

Asbandi

Sustainable Livelihoods Field Officer

Asbandi works closely with the organic farming groups, recruiting primarily illegal loggers or miners into the groups to help provide alternative and sustainable livelihoods for their families. Asbandi specializes in making organic compost and leads our organic farming demonstration plots in Bentangor, producing seedlings for reforestation efforts and farmer groups to initiate their own plots. In his free time he likes traveling to the mountains.

Salmah Sos

Sustainable Livelihoods Field Assistant

Salmah has an undergradute degree in Sociology and Social Development from Tanjungpura University. She did her thesis work with our Sustainable Livelihoods community groups which is how she first became involved with GPOCP/YP. She was so well liked by the communities and staff that we asked her to work full time to help expand our program. Salmah’s favorite hobby is boxing and she’s won 3 championships representing Kayong Utara Regency.

Sulidra Frederik Kurniawan (Erik)

Animal Protection Manager

Erik applies his mapping and surveying skills across all the programs; refining land management issues and identifying conflict areas. Erik also manages the database of our wildlife crime investigations and is one of our GIS specialists. Erik is also highly creative – often creating videos, T-shirt designs and stickers for the Education team!

Hendri Gunawan

Habitat Protection Coordinator

Hendri is one of our Bornean Orangutan Caring Scholarship alumni, having graduated with a B.A. in law. He works closely with the Customary Forest communities to educate, socialize and disseminate information for full informed participation and advice. Hendri is more than enthusiastic and great at winning over even the most skeptic of villagers with well explained legal facts.

Petrus Kanisius

Environmental Education Communication & Media Officer

Petrus is vital for our conservation outreach; reporting and publishing all our activities and achievements in local and national newspapers, online news platforms as well as in social media. Petrus has a Bachelor’s degree in Scientific Communication and works closely with the Environmental Education team on field activities and events. Petrus is also a citizen reporter and has been invited to co-author a book with other journalists on environmental topics in Indonesia, aiming to publish in 2020.