E y e s   o n  t h e   F o r e s t 
A   M o n t h l y   B u l l e t i n   f r o m   B o r n e o   -   S e p t e m b e r   2 0 1 4 

eyes in the forest

 

Dr.Birute Mary Galdikas and Bill Clinton walk through the forest towards the feeding platform at Camp Leakey.


Former American President Bill Clinton spent two days visiting Orangutan Foundation International's facilities in Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia.

 

Traveling with a delegation representing the Clinton Foundation's Climate Initiative, Clinton was given a private tour of OFI's Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) facility and accompanied on a special visit to Camp Leakey by OFI founder and president, Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas.

 

A juvenile orangutan reaches down from the rafters of the playground to touch Presdent Clinton's hand, with Dr Galdikas and staff nearby. 
President Clinton holds an orphaned infant orangutan, with senior staff from OFI's Care Center: (left to right) Ibu Waliyati, Senior Administrator, Clinton, Dr Popo and Dr Prima, veterinarians.
President Clinton and Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas engrossed in conversation.
 

  

The OCCQ is a non-public rehabilitation center where orphaned and injured ex-captive orangutans are cared for until they are ready to be released into the wild. The facility currently cares for over 300 orphaned orangutans. President Clinton and members of the delegation had the opportunity to witness first-hand several different stages of the rehabilitation process while the adolescent orangutans were taken into the nearby forest to practice their foraging skills, the juveniles perfected their climbing skills at a playground, and the infants explored the forest with their caregivers. 

 

The following day President Clinton, Dr. Galdikas, and the delegation travelled by motorboat up the Sekonyer River and deep into Tanjung Puting National Park to visit Camp Leakey. Camp Leakey is Dr. Galdikas' historic research site established in 1971 and is still active today as a base for all of OFI's research and conservation efforts in Tanjung Puting National Park.
 

Orangutans wait on the dock at Camp Leakey, curious to see the visitors.

 

Clinton paid the visit to meet working partners of the Clinton Foundation in Kalimantan, including the Rimba Raya Conservation (RRC) Seruyan (one of OFI's current partners) and Rimba Makmur Utama (RMU) Katingan. 

 

  • In this Issue
     
Feature Story:
Former American President Bill Clinton visits the Care Center & Camp Leakey!

Orangutan of the Month:
Maggie

News from the Field: 
"On the Orangutan Front Lines - a construction volunteer's account"

Conservation Partners:
A thank you to the 2014 Summer Construction Teams

Upcoming Events
 

New Volunteer positions announced

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Orangutan of the Month
Mischievous Maggie!
 
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Volunteer Positions

 

Want to spend the next year or more in the jungle? Like to get your hands (and feet, and everything else) dirty? Maybe it's you we're looking for! 

Are you an Angeleno? Don't mind a few paper-cuts or want to represent OFI at fundraising or outreach events?

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Donate button

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On the Orangutan Front Lines - a construction volunteer's account


 

"... A small bird watches from a nearby branch, curious about the unusual activity in her environment. In the distance a woodpecker stutters his beak against a tree in search of termites whilst cicadas whistle and purr. Their buzz is so constant that it becomes part of the background noise. There is also a different sound like a gentle hum. It is monotonous and almost indistinguishable from the other background sounds. It is the drone of machinery. It is barely audible, yet a worryingly constant. We are told it is the noise of an excavator clearing the forest to make way for a new palm oil plantation...." 


 

Click here to read the whole story!

Thank You to the 2014 Summer Construction Teams!


 

OFI sends our heartfelt gratitude to all the Short Term construction volunteers who made the voyage to Indonesia to work with us this year! The dedication, positive attitude, and spirit of the people who come to the field to help OFI never fails to impress us. And this year was no exception! Although this year's teams were smaller than usual, that didn't limit their accomplishments. In fact, the flexibility of the smaller groups enabled OFI to reach further and do more!

 
Orangutans need you!

Thank you very much for  following "Eyes on the Forest - Bulletin from Borneo". 

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