Tiger Conservation December 2004 WWF Riau s camera trap survey in progress Ten sets of DeerCams were donated to WWF s Tiger Project in Riau last December to be used in Bukit Tigapuluh-Tesso Nilo Landscape. They will be used to identify tiger presence and estimate population. The Tiger Patrol Unit/TPU in the area have surveyed target areas to deploy the cameras through community interviews, and documenting the coordinates of tiger tracks. The TPU personnel assigned to conduct camera trap surveys will install a camera for every grid of 3x3 km2 (assuming high density of tiger presence). This will be great challenge they s will need to pass through parts of the landscape s dense jungles. The tiger photos obtained will enhance the accuracy of tiger data, and will also improve the quality of campaign materials to promote the protection of the tiger. Sets of camera traps received from Donor :Photo: doc WWF In preparation for the camera trap survey, all members of the tiger patrol unit and tiger surveyors were provided with training on how to install camera traps. The training included an explanation about camera features, the operation manual, and a brief history of camera trapping for the study of wildlife in Indonesia. Facilitated by the instructor who is also a Biologist (Sunarto), all trainees discussed the planed placement of cameras across the landscape. both personnel and equipment. It is the rainy season and we need to test the suitability of camera traps under these conditions and considered the logistical problems involved such as rivers to be crossed, vehicles, accessibility, safety of
The team included the GIS staff who will enter the data into the survey forms and associate those data with their proper geographic locations. The other benefit form this activity will be the monitoring of illegal logging and encroachment in the Tesso Nilo National Park buffer areas by companies or people. According to the tiger sign surveyors, it is not possible for the team to cover an area in the eastern part of the park due to social unrest. Therefore, they are avoiding visiting the area. ( For further information, contact Nur Anam: aragati@yahoo.com )
Park Management TESSO NILO NATIONAL PARK CO MANAGEMENT DEVELOMENT WORKSHOP The discussion with Tesso Nilo related stakeholders conducted in May 2004 resulted in an agreement to have a Tesso Nilo National Park Collaborative Management. In order to follow up this agreement, WWF in collaboration with Riau Forestry Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service conducted a workshop for Tesso Nilo National Park Collaborative Management in Dyan Graha Hotel, Pekanbaru on December 23-24, 2004. 63 participants from national, provincial and district government institutions, Companies, universities, NGOs, and the Tesso Nilo Community Forum attended the workshop. This workshop aimed to formulate a collaborative program plan, and collaborative management institution for Tesso Nilo National Park. The collaborative management is expected to contribute to the protection of Tesso Nilo National Park natural resources and the ecosystem and support efforts to enhance community welfare and the Tesso Nilo ecosystem sustainability. This workshop was opened by the head of Riau Forestry Service who represented the Governor of Riau. Some presenters from different instittutions presented their paper before the audience among others from WWF, Conservation Area Director of Directorat General Forest Protection and Conservation, Tesso Nilo National Park Management Plan Consultant, the Tesso Nilo Community Forum and etc. This 2 day workshop resulted in: 1. An agreement to have Tesso Nilo National Park collaborative management based on collaborative
understanding and agreement principles. 2. Collaborative management plan program 3. Functions and roles of each stakeholders in the Co Management have been identified. As the follow up, meetings with key stakeholders will be conducted to discuss the institution of the Co Management and the legalization process of the institution. ( For further information, contact Sri Mariati; Sri Mariati@wwf.or.id )
Communication Wild Life Exhibition In order to raise awareness of school students toward environment, WWF and Pekanbaru Philatelist group conducted a Wild Life Exhibition on December 27-28, 2004 in Pekanbaru. The philately community recognizes a theme related to environment and wild life which is known as Ecological Philately/ ECHOPHILIA. For quite a time stamps have exposed wild life series which can indirectly raise people s awareness especially the collectors to concern about wild life and ecology. This event gained support from the head of Riau province Education Service who recommended all schools in Pekanbaru to take part in the program and welcomed WWF program for environment activities. He also hopes that this kind of program may be conducted regularly. WWF Corner :Photo: doc WWF This two day event consisted of a Flora and Fauna Stamp Arrangement Competition for Junior and Senior High School Students, Flora and Fauna Drawing Competition for Elementary School Students, Photo Exhibition, Environmental Theme Dialog, and Environmental Documentary Film shows. In the Stamp Arrangement Competition, students had to write a few paragraphs to describe about their flora and fauna collection. In general, the students nicely demonstrated their knowledge about their flora and fauna stamp collection. School children are absorbed in drawing Photo: doc WWF Some of them told the reasons why we should preserve the kinds of flora and fauna, and some others told the history of the flora and the fauna, etc. Many school teachers and related institutions attended the opening ceremony which was officially opened by the head of Provincial Education Service who was represented by his deputy. After the opening, the invitees then continued to explore the Wild life Stamps displays, WWF Photo and Poster Exhibition. In the dialog section, students were enthusiastic to know more about WWF activities and some even wanted WWF to hold regular environment education programs in their schools.
( For further information, contact Syamsidar: Syamsidar@wwf.or.id)
Info Solidarity Mission for Tsunami Victims in Aceh (The Northern Part of Sumatra Island) Every one was shocked by the earth quake and tsunami that swept away the coastal areas in some parts of Asia and left devastation. Based on geographical information, the source of the earthquake was in Meulaboh, a coastal area in Aceh province therefore this province suffered huge loss compared to North Sumatra province as well as other Asian countries that experienced the impact of the tsunami. WWF Tesso Nilo project staffs wanted to express the deepest condolences directly to the victims besides looking for information of the condition of one of our colleague s relatives who live in Aceh. On the evening of Dec 30, 2004 three of us (Sam, Sukri,and Herry) started our journey, all of us were brooding over the reality we would face and experience due to the massive calamity that we had seen on TV. Trouble colored our journey in the very beginning, when we approached the border of Riau province and North Sumatra province, we had to stop for 11 hours to wait for the line to get across a river due to the flood striking this area. Crossing the border of North Sumatra province and Aceh province we were checked by military personnel since they have to be protective to the outsiders that enter this area. The view that we could see in the eastern part of Aceh was quite, not many vehicles and people were around. In
Langsa, an area in East Aceh, we were informed by the community that we had to bring a lot of food and fuel stocks since the condition in the sites where the disaster struck was very bad. Along the road to Lhoksumawe, a town which was heavily damaged, we saw military cars heading to the town, and we could also see the sense of mourning in the faces of the people there. Possibly they were wondering about their relatives fate who live in the catastrophe areas. When we entered Lhoksumawe town we saw heavily damaged roads and houses. We did not go further to the coastal areas since we had to head to Banda Aceh, the capital of the province to find out information about our colleague s ( Sukri ) relatives. Giving the donation to the victims Photo: Samsuardi /doc WWF About two hours before entering Banda Aceh, in Meurdue sub district we saw many refuges in camps. Suddenly there was another earth quake, and we felt it powerful enough. The community was so worried since they were still traumatized by the previous earth quake that brought up the tsunami. But thank God, it did not bring any other disaster. Arriving late at night in Banda Aceh we saw a dead town, we could see almost no people, except the military. We were very tired so we decided to find volunteers posts where some volunteers from other NGOs gathered. On January 1, 2005 at 10 o clock in the morning we started exploring the town, what we could see were damages, and human corpse scattered all around, on the street, in the river, under the wreckages and some were hung on the heap of the ruins. We could see the traumatic faces of the survivors. They were so emotional and easily affected by irresponsible rumors. Some donations have arrived in Aceh but due to the lack of cars or other vehicles, the donation still could not be distributed effectively. The shortages in transportation also made the burial of the corpse run slowly. Our car was used also to help transported medicines from the airport to some refugee camps. In order to give the donation of the staffs that we brought from WWF office directly to the needy, we went around to find the area that is located far away from the main road where they still got less donation. In our exploration, Sukri found out that some of his relatives had become the victims of the disaster, what we could do was just to relinquish the fate to God. And finally we just prayed that Aceh people would be given the strength to start their new lives after the killer disaster. (For further information, contact Samsuardi :Sam_gajah@yahoo.com )