Hello Princeton! Can you start off with introducing yourself? What you do and why you do it?  

We are a student group at Princeton University that is working towards rainforest conservation. We are trying to protect the 30 Hills landscape in Sumatra to protect biodiversity, build sustainable economies, and fight climate change. Sumatra has a special place in our hearts because the Princeton mascot is the tiger. 

How did the Sunda Rainforest project come about, and what was your involvement in it? 

Sunda Rainforest Project started in the spring of 2018, with the goal of protecting the threatened lowland rainforests of Sumatra, which are home to endangered Sumatran elephants, tigers, and orangutans, as well as a plethora of reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and plant life. We wanted to not only to safeguard this landscape, but also to restore deforested areas in order to revive the biodiversity which it has long supported. With these lofty goals in mind, we were able to partner with WWF who supports a conservation concession in Bukit Tigapuluh, or the 30 Hills, where they are working with Frankfurt Zoological Society and The Orangutan Project to restore the landscape as well as reintroduce rehabilitated and rescued orangutans back into their natural habitat.  Together, we have been fundraising, coming up with new solutions to combat deforestation, and bringing awareness to the importance of the Sumatran rainforest.

You visited Indonesia last August (2019), can you describe to us what you saw firsthand? According to the program’s site, Sumatra has lost over 70% of its forest in the last 20 years, and land continues to be cleared at an alarming rate. 

To even get to the forest area, we had to drive through mile after mile of palm oil plantations on dusty roads--these areas cover a lot of land and have little value for biodiversity. Even within the forest, we found smaller areas that had been cleared for agriculture with fire, and much of the forest is degraded. It took a lot of hiking to get to the better quality forest--our car got stuck in the mud on the way! Once you get to the good parts, the forest is majestic and rings with a chorus of bird, mammal, and insect life. 

How have the paper and palm oil industries contributed to the current situation in Sumatra? 

Deforestation as a result of the growth of industrial land uses, including paper and palm oil, has caused significant losses in habitat for much of Sumatra’s flora and fauna.  Not only does the destruction of the old growth forest create major losses for ecosystems, but the plantations that replace them are poor habitat for most species. Additionally, the habitual slash-and-burn techniques which are used to clear land can result in runaway fires, which lowers air quality and destroys habitat.

What is your take on RSPO certified palm oil, and supporting the farmers that depend on the palm oil industries for their livelihood? 

Certification schemes like the RSPO do offer some hope for the future. The challenge is making these sustainable choices more widespread (socially and geographically) and more mainstream. If you can, buy sustainable; consumers can exert a lot of pressure! 

Can you elaborate on the development of “innovative, science-based strategies” that this program is using to efficiently restore these areas?  

A couple methods already being employed are the use of drones and satellite imagery to detect fires.  This detection helps to recognize burning fires so crews can be sent out as early as possible to contain it. Something under development is the use of GIS to detect deforestation, which can help inform both reforestation efforts and illegal logging prevention. 

Can you detail how the reforestation process occurs, and why this is so vital to the restoration of the ecosystem there?

As part of a collaborative effort with Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Orangutan Project, rescued and rehabilitated orangutans were reintroduced to the wild in the 30 Hills landscape. Orangutans are major dispersers of seeds from all the fruits they eat. Thus, protecting animals also restores their habitat! And the same is true for elephants! In addition, 30 Hills is planting trees of many species on degraded areas to jumpstart the process. Currently, they have a tree nursery with over 100 types of trees and 3,000 seedlings which they are in the process of planting. 

What animals, beside the Sumatran tiger, depend on these rainforests and how can the restoration of these lands aid the locals? How many endangered species would be impacted by your efforts? 

Sumatran orangutans and elephants also live in 30 Hills, and there used to be rhinos. There are also tapirs, sun bears, hornbills, monkeys, and an absurd number of insects. Sumatra is one of the few places on earth where tigers, elephants, orangutans, and tapirs live together, and it is without exaggeration one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Without the lowland tropical rainforest these species cannot survive. Restoring the ecosystem will also save several indigenous communities that rely on the rainforest for their entire way of life, from food to religion. If they lose the rainforest they risk losing their identities and cultures. Restoration can also help other local communities by providing ecosystem services like preventing soil erosion as well as economic opportunities. Finally, since Sumatra has so many endemic species that have yet to be described, we actually don't know how many species we would be saving along with the tigers, orangutans, and elephants. 

Sustainable livelihoods – I think it’s fantastic that you’re focusing on collaborating with locals to decrease their dependency on exploiting natural resources. How do agroforestry and ethnobotany come into play here? What other economic opportunities have you provided to locals thus far?

Essentially, successful agroforestry provides for the needs of people while also facilitating an environment in which native species can flourish. A prime example of this is honey harvesting, which has already been practiced by local communities for generations.  Honey harvesting, which provides an alternative livelihood to direct exploitation of the forest, allows for communities to make a sustainable income while also implicitly conserving the forest.  It works like this - honey is only harvested from certain trees known as sialang trees, and the forest around these trees is protected under local law.  And the forest itself provides the nectar for honey, so in order for honey to be maintained, the forest must be conserved as well.

When can the documentary be expected? 

The documentary can be expected in the coming month! Follow us on instagram at @sundarainforestproject for updates and the announcement of the official release date!

How are we to resolve human/ecosystem tensions? Could your solutions be implemented elsewhere?

That's a tough question! Since the problems are complex, the solutions have to be multifaceted, and what works in one place won't necessarily work elsewhere though there are some common principles. Education goes a long way, and economic and food security through access to sustainable jobs and markets are crucial. There also has to be some mechanism in place so that the local people aren't in serious danger either economically or physically when they come into contact with animals, and the animals need to be able to survive without hurting people. As for logging and other extractive industries, providing sustainable alternatives can ease pressure on families just trying to get by. When local communities have ways to protect the ecosystem, for example through sustainable agroforestry or tourism, they become its biggest champions.  

Want to help? Check out their Instagram and website and please donate here! You can adopt a plot of land here. Their venmo is @Sunda-RainforestProject