BORNEO
Sabah, Malaysia and East Kalimantan, Indonesia
March 2009


Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade Program

viewing some huge FSC-certified Dipterocarp logs that had recently been auctioned,
Daramakot Forest Estate, Sabah

the log yard

tree nursery, for planting fast-growing economic species
as part of the forest rehabilitation program

planting seeds

driving out into some over-harvested, degraded areas

these backhoes were doing some site preparation, mulching before planting

this standing giant gives a sense for what this forest once must have looked like

a logging camp, where they were sawing these smaller bits of 'waste' wood

a rock hit our windshield, and sprayed glass in my lap

over Indonesian Borneo, landing in Balikpapan

Balikpapan airport

oil palm plantation development--one of the main drivers of deforestation on Borneo--mostly going into food and cosmetics products, and increasingly biodiesel

nice forest outside of Berau

a coal mine, on our descent to Berau, East Kalimantan

driving out to the timber concession

past an ornate village gate

about four hours into the forest

some sawn timber, waiting to be collected

'how did that happen?!' wonders Steve

entering the Sumalindo concession

entering one of the 5 Dayak villages located inside the concession, church on the left

lots of newly-constructed wood homes

an orangutan conservation poster (with USAID logo)

a testy pet monkey

this goat kept butting Jim as we walked through the village

nice pink house!

ladder used by these nimble Dayak

beautiful front yard/putting green

rattan backback

lots of wood available for construction

another ladder down to the river

biking to school

Dayak community meeting hall

stilt house

beautiful rivers there

gearing up for an election

fire tower

looking out over an area of the concession protected for its conservation value

logging camp

a government-required harvest map, showing location of all trees above a certain diameter

a more practical Reduced-Impact Logging map, showing trees to be harvested, and laying out the skid trails to avoid creeks and minimize damage

visiting an area logged last year

looking down at the reduced-impact logging skid trail, where they would have dragged the logs out to the road

within in a couple years, this will be full of vegetation again

some serious erosion at one of the many log bridges

but the water still runs clear

monster rattan!!--this one is for Jeff and Rick...

leech check--there were MANY!

Jamie and Ben on the flight back to Balikpapan

more oil palm development

sign at the airport

beautiful Borneo rivers, and oxbow lakes

fish cages on the descent to Jakarta

some more fish traps

Jakarta from my hotel window, some mountains (volcano?) in the distance