ACQUISITION

Increase forest cover and support biodiversity enrichment by creating new protected natural areas

Method

Buy forest concession to ensure long-term protection.

Buy partially or fully logged concession to restore them.

Raise awareness and inform local populations through meetings set up in the neighbouring villages.

We set our priority on acquiring 2 zones that we named HL64-Ext and HL345-Ext

  • HL64-Ext

    Acquire forest concessions located on the fringes on the reserve in order to create “buffer” zones guaranteeing a better protection for the reserve. They span over about 143 hectares.

  • HL345-Ext

    Acquire concessions converted to agricultural (some of them abandoned) located on both sides of the road south-east of HL345 area. We intend to reforest them in the future to reconnect via a natural forest corridor the protected area of Muaro Duo with the reste of the reserve. They represent a surface of about 18 hectares.

Map 3. Acquisition project of HL64-EXT and HL345-Ext zones (in yellow).

Map 4. Location of the plot of forest acquired.

Rimba just acquired a first concession of 1,3Ha in the HL345-Ext zone. From a strategic point of view, this concession is of prime importance since it will allow us to create a forest corridor to connect Muaro Duo reserve to the rest of the protected area thus reducing the fragmentation of the entire reserve.

Budget

Concessions’ sales price in the region are about 42’000’000Rp/hectare (about 2420 if converted to the current exchange rate). Notary fees amounting to 10% of the purchasing price have to be added (so about 242 euros).

Our initial goal is to acquire 50 hectares by 2023 for an estimated costs of 133.100 euros.

Help Rimba to buy plots of forest

REFORESTATION

Improve wild animals’ habitat and reduce forest fragmentation through reforestation

Method

Tree seedlings will be bought from communal tree nursery set up by Rimba in Sungai Pinang village.

The goal is to create an alternative source of income for villagers by purchasing from them tree seedlings from their collection. This will also help to raise villagers’ awareness on the necessity to preserve the natural habitats surrounding them.

Reforestation starts by planting pioneer local fast-growing tree species, the leaves and dead branches of which will enrich the soil. To improve the survival rate of this seedlings, maintenance work such as weeding or competing vines cutting will need to be carried out.

The plot is then enriched with post-pioneer species that are known to provide food appreciated by wild animals. Birds come back to colonize these plots and bring new seeds, thus improving the natural diversity of this “new forest”.

After 5 years, the pioneer species offer a vegetal cover high and dense enough for the wild animals to roam in security. While passing by, those animals will bring new tree seeds that will benefit at this point from optimal conditions (shade, humus …) to naturally reconstitute the forest.

The corridor, located on both sides of the road that separates Muaro Duo forest from the rest of the reserve, will be enhanced by setting up rope bridges to enable the arboreal animals to cross over.

Budget

The budget for a tree once factoring in all costs (seedling purchase, planting, maintenance, monitoring…) is 10€ per tree. With a thousand trees planted per hecatre, the total costs is estimated at 10’000€ per hectare.

Plant a tree

PROTECTION

Conserve biodiversity pools by implementing physical protection of the existing nature reserves and new acquisitions

Method

Create 4 positions of forest rangers split in 2 teams : one team covering the forest and one team covering the ocean to monitor access to the reserve by the coast.

Materialize the protected area boundaries with official information boards that would indicate the status of the zone and the ban of all activities within it.

Budget

  • Fabrication / Replacement of the information boards : 500€/year

  • Forest rangers’ salaries : 7000€/year

  • Purchase of the necessary equipment for the forest ranger duties (uniforms, binoculars, GPS, camera, talkie-walkie, backpack…) : 5000€ then 300€/year for gear renewal and repair.

  • Gas for boat patrols : 3600€/year

TOTAL for the first year : 16’100€ then 10’400€/year

Help Rimba protect the reserve