E y e s   o n   t h e   F o r e s t 
D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 5 

eyes in the forest

Feature Story


by Ruth Linsky
 

Mr. Tumin Luther is the manager of OFI's Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) but he is so much more than that. Mr. Tumin's dedication and spirit are the cornerstone of much of Orangutan Foundation International's fieldwork in Indonesia. His influence and decision making are critical in all rescue and release operations. He is a small and humble man with boundless energy and a sharp wit. However, it is Mr. Tumin's outstanding experience and his good-natured ways that have earned him the respect of OFI's staff and management team members.

Most impressively, Mr. Tumin has been working for Dr. Galdikas and OFI in some capacity for almost his entire adult life. His incredible career in orangutan conservation started in 1979 as a research assistant at Dr. Galdikas' Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting National Park. He was then only 19 years old and had not yet completed high school but his obvious forest skills and quick understanding of orangutan and human behavior made it clear to Dr. Galdikas that he was a person with a bright future ahead of him. Having taken young Mr. Tumin informally as an "adopted" son, Dr. Galdikas then convinced the local school system to allow Mr. Tumin to finish his schooling and earn his high school diploma.

After completing his schooling, Mr. Tumin returned to work with the research team at Camp Leakey following and observing wild orangutans. His affinity for the orphan orangutans undergoing rehabilitation at Camp Leakey as well as his obvious leadership skills then led him to one of OFI's more remote rehabilitation sites.


During this time period in the 1980s, Orangutan Foundation International was officially established. With increased support, the Foundation's role in protecting Tanjung Puting National Park was able to expand to larger areas in the park. Patrol posts were built and regular patrolling increased, often with Dr. Galdikas in the lead as it had been since her early days in the park. Mr. Tumin also participated in these rolling patrols which took him to every corner of the national park and put him in touch with the most remote locations and national park staff. Walking daily through the forest, Mr. Tumin and patrol teams would often sleep out under the trees in hammocks or on tarps on the ground. They would often use small dugout canoes to quietly navigate small waterways. The patrols searched for illegal loggers and poachers, helping keep poaching, logging, and squatting to a minimum....


In this Issue

Feature Story
Employee Spotlight:
Mr. Tumin Luther 

Orangutan of the Month
Majestic Morrison
 
News from the Field
Announcing Dates for 2016 Construction Teams

Breaking News
New Membership Program - Coming Soon!

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Orangutan of the Month

"The trees rustle and sway as juvenile orangutan Morrison swings gracefully through the trees in the Orangutan Foundation International's Nursery Forest in Central Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Here she loves to spend her days climbing and foraging in the forest.

...The graceful Morrison instantly charges off into the undergrowth when taken into the forest. She doesn't hang around on the ground very long and wants to make the most of her time swinging in the trees."




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News from the Field 


We are excited to announce the dates for the 2016 Construction Teams!

Team 1: July 10th-31st

Team 2: August 7th-28th

The field construction program was developed because concerned individuals asked to participate directly in our work. We believe that together we can ensure that wild orangutans do not become extinct. 

Join us in Borneo, the world's oldest jungle, and help OFI build a much needed structure! You may build a bridge, an enclosure, an infant orangutan jungle gym, or help rebuild boardwalks or other structures to help OFI continue our work to save orangutans in the rainforest.

For more information on how to join the 2016 construction teams click here.




Further Reading
 

Want to know more about OFI's work in Borneo? Does the Newsletter give you just enough to pique your curiosity but not enough to satisfy it? You're in luck! 

 
2014 Annual Report
 
You can meet every orangutan who arrived at the Care Center and learn the stories of every orangutan who was returned to the wild in 2014. Take a peek at a map of the Orangutan Legacy Forest and see photographs of the new guard posts that OFI has been tirelessly building to protect it. Not to mention other highlights including the new Guide Training Program for the National Park, the new forested enclosure for Sun Bears, and more!

Download the pdf


   2013 Annual Report 
  
And for a blast from the past, dive into the 2013 report.   
It was a big year for OFI! OFI's first major land campaign, the creation of the Rawa Kuno Legacy Forest, was a staggering success. Release Camp Seluang Mas had just been opened and 21 ex-captive orangutans found their forest home nearby. 


We invite you to download both reports and settle in for a nice long read.  (There's plenty of exciting pictures, we promise! Plus, start now and you'll be all caught up before the 2015 Annual Report is completed.)
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Breaking News
 
New Membership Program - Coming Soon

OFI's new and improved Membership Program is on its way. Get ready for new "Welcome Kits" exclusively for members and special thank you gifts for each level of membership. This new program is our way of saying thank you to our donors, our newsletter readers, our foster parents, and the whole big family of supporters who enable us to keep up our field work.

We're so excited to share it with you that we can barely wait! Keep your eyes open. It's coming soon!    

 
Orangutans need you!

Thank you very much for being a reader of OFI's Eyes on the Forest!

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