Longhouse Community Forest Management

LOCATION: BORNEO, MALAYSIA

TARGET SPECIES: BORNEAN ORANGUTAN

STATUS: IN PROGRESS

Borneo, Malaysia is a biodiversity hotspot, treasured by people all around the world for its abundance of wildlife, including orangutans. For four years, the Smithsonian Institution, student fellow Olivia Cosby, and Sarawak Forestry Corporation have been working on wildlife surveys in Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Borneo.

Local men from the longhouse communities have been participating in Olivia’s research as hired wildlife monitors, doing much of the camera trapping.

Community Conservation is partnering with Olivia and the Smithsonian on this work, overseeing community conservation activities and facilitating workshops for Iban farmers and protected area staff. First, we will be conducting camera trap training sessions geared towards the women so that the camera trapping will be an economic opportunity for them as well as the men.