Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program - Indonesia
Q1 Progress Update: The Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program (GPOCP) has engaged the local community in conservation efforts with over 15 educational programs that reached a total of 1,274 people, as well as facilitated 40 media opportunities, that aimed to improve the local community’s understanding of alternative ways of living that support rather than harm the orangutan population and habitat in the Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) area. To further engage the community, the GPOCP expanded a youth artisan group that sells handicrafts in support of the organization, and also created an organic farming cooperative called, “Meteor Garden.” Looking forward, the GPOCP seeks to provide a growing number of educational experiences to new communities and launch the first edition of their Mias newsletter.
"The Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program is honored to receive the support of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund to protect orangutans and their rainforest habitat in West Kalimantan. We share similar visions of conserving natural resources while creating opportunities for the socioeconomic stability of local communities.This project targets the root of habitat destruction by educating local communities and working with them to provide sustainable livelihood options, such as organic farming, and selling handicrafts made from non-timber forest products. We look forward to this collaboration and the positive impact this project will have throughout this biodiverse landscape.” - Dr. Cheryl Knott, Director
About Grantee: GPOCP’s mission is to conserve orangutan populations and forest habitat in and around Gunung Palung National Park. Recognizing that most threats to orangutan survival are human-induced, we take a multi-faceted community-based approach to orangutan conservation. We have developed a variety of initiatives that enable us to respond to both immediate threats to orangutan habitat (e.g., illegal land clearance) as well as longer-term ones (e.g., attitudes of villagers towards the forest). Central to each of our initiatives is our commitment to partnering with all of Gunung Palung’s stakeholders, including local communities, NGOs, and National Park and other government offices.
Project Summary: This project protects the unique natural and cultural resources of adventure travel destinations by working to conserve orangutans and one of their last primary rainforest refuges, through environmental education and providing sustainable livelihood options to local communities as a method to deter or change livelihoods from participating in environmentally destructive activities
Project Nominated by ATCF Member: ExOfficio
Project Name: Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program
Grant Amount: $30,000
Grantee Name: Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program
Location: Indonesia
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