Nigel Sizer, Rare VP, Asia and Pacific, describes his trek to southern Aceh Province. He was accompanied by Ni Putu Sarilani Wirawan, Rare assistant course manager in Indonesia.
Two plane rides, seven hours by car, and a couple of hours in canoes, and we’re heading deep into the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in southern Aceh Province, located in the northwest Sumatra. It’s spectacular scenery—with high tropical forest in the distance and a vast network of rivers, swamps, and tidal floodplains all around us. This 250,000-acre reserve and the surrounding communities are the site for Fransisca Araintiningsih’s Rare Pride campaign.
[photopress:Aceh_Singkil_reserve.jpg,full,centered]
Into the reserve.
Sari and I are here to help finalize the campaign plan. A few days ago a local lady was consumed by a huge saltwater crocodile as she tried to gather mussels. It’s hard to stay focused on the work plan with such verdant, wild nature assailing all our senses. Sumatran tigers, gibbons, orangutan, and elephants are all regularly seen here. And we’re also looking out for the leeches.
Village leaders from Kuala Baru, a community right on the edge of the reserve, are guiding us, with their proud panglima heuten, the traditional “forest guardian,” at the fore. In his sixties, his is an honorary and entirely voluntary role. He tells me he has simply loved being in the forest since he was a boy. Trouble is no boys (or girls) nowadays seem keen to continue the tradition. But Fransisca is determined to change that. Her campaign will feature the orangutan as its mascot, and include social marketing activities, such as puppet shows, posters, competitions, songs and music that will enhance the prestige of the panglima and promote community-led conservation efforts.
Related posts:
- Into the Forest Nigel Sizer’s second report on his trip to learn about...