BNF Boardwalk Repairs

OC is excited to relay the news that the boardwalk project has officially been completed despite many difficult and unforeseen delays. The new boardwalk will stand to serve the transportation needs of important personnel such as students, field teams, community patrols, volunteers, and even wildlife!

Status

Completed

Year

2020

Funded ammount

Country

Indonesia

Partners

Borneo Nature Foundation

Donate for this project

In the summer of 2019, the Orangutan Conservancy awarded a grant to the Borneo Nature Foundation to repair parts of the critical research infrastructure in Sabangau National Forest.

Unfortunately, a boardwalk in the southwest area of BNF’s campus was beyond repair. The proposal by BNF detailed a plan to build a newer, stronger boardwalk that would allow staff and visitors to safely traverse the peat-swamp area.

Broken boardwalk prior to the April 2020 repairs. Credit: BNF

A peat-swamp forest occurs when constant flooding and soil saturation prevent organic material from decomposing completely. These giant sponge-like entities retain water, sometimes up to 13 times their own weight. These types of forests can take thousands of years to form.

Traversing this type of forest can be extremely difficult without the proper type of infrastructure. It becomes especially laborious when flooding occurs during the wet seasons. To ensure the safety of their research teams BNF has built three different boardwalks since 2009 totaling 2.8 km in length.

New boardwalk is being built (Credit: BNF)

We are so excited to relay the news that the boardwalk project has officially been completed despite many difficult and unforeseen delays. The new boardwalk will stand to serve the transportation needs of important personnel such as students, field teams, community patrols, volunteers, and even wildlife!

“The new boardwalk will greatly assist all personnel and visitors in the Sebangau peat swamp. Strong, fully-functional, and safe infrastructure is essential for conservation organizations to reach their full potential. Thus, the network of boardwalks will ensure the ongoing success of orangutan research and conservation efforts in the Sebangau Forest.”

Finished boardwalk (Credit: BNF)

The project was officially started back in April of this year and it took a full two weeks from start to finish. In accordance with their mission, all materials used were sourced from sustainable operations. 

The boardwalk construction was a coordinated effort by the Borneo Nature Foundation, the Centre for International Co-Operation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatland (CIMPTROP) at the University of Palangka Raya. 

Related posts

The Orangutan Conservancy is excited to announce our new Kids' Orangutan Adoption package just in time for the giving season! This brand new adoption package is geared towards the younger generation of conservationists that want to help support and protect wild orangutans in Indonesia.
Last year, The Orangutan Conservancy provided funding for Sintang Orangutan Center (SOC) to purchase an X-ray machine for their clinic and rehabilitation center in West Kalimantan.
Happy Ape-ril, aka Ape Awareness Month! Wild ape species face a multitude of dangers and destruction, including habitat loss, hunting, and poaching.
Back in 2020, The Orangutan Conservancy funded Borneo Nature Foundation's (BNF) 1,000-meter boardwalk. This boardwalk is 20cm wide, made of Banaus wood, and allows for access for seedling mobilization, planting, and monitoring by the BNF team.

Other Projects

The Gibbon Conservation Center is a unique conservation, research, and educational establishment. Residing just south of the Angeles National Forest sits a 10-acre property that over 40 gibbons call home. The center is the only institution in the entire globe to house and breed all four genera of gibbon.
OC is excited to relay the news that the boardwalk project has officially been completed despite many difficult and unforeseen delays. The new boardwalk will stand to serve the transportation needs of important personnel such as students, field teams, community patrols, volunteers, and even wildlife!
Previous
Next