The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation remains committed to orangutan conservation efforts by involving local communities. Recently, our Community Development Team and Communications Team embarked on a long journey to reach several partner villages surrounding the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest, Murung Raya Regency, Central Kalimantan. Their mission was to deliver important messages about forest and orangutan conservation to the young generations as the future stakeholders of our planet.
This environmental education program was conducted in five schools across three different villages, requiring two days of travel from the Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Centre to the first village, a sub-unit of Tumbang Naan Village. In this small settlement known locally as Camp B, there is one elementary school with 20 active students.
The second village is Tumbang Naan. Located around 31 km from Camp B, this village has one elementary school and one junior high school, with about 40 active students. Last, the third village is Tumbang Tohan. This larger village is about 31 km further from Tumbang Naan, and home to more residents. It also hosts one elementary school and one junior high school with approximately 50 active students.
Fortunately, both the students, teachers, and village officials welcomed this initiative positively. They feel that this activity also has a positive impact on them and also for the students.
One of the main challenges of environmental education is to simplify complex conservation messages into content that children can understand. To overcome this, the BOS team engaged students with fun activities like singing and playing games before introducing them to their forest “neighbours” or orangutans.
Different approaches were tailored to each education level. For younger students, the focus was on understanding orangutans and their role in the forest. For junior high students, the lessons emphasized how to live sustainably and coexist with forests.
Through the involvement of students, teachers, and local communities, we aim to nurture awareness that conservation is not only about protecting wildlife but also about securing a sustainable future for all of us.
This initiative would not have been possible without the generous support of our international partners, BOS Germany. We extend our heartfelt thanks for their commitment and contributions to orangutan and habitat conservation.
Together with our partners and local communities, the BOS Foundation strives to build a stronger foundation where orangutans and people can live harmoniously side by side.
Text by: Communication Team, BOS Foundation Headquarters, Bogor, West Java
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