Health In Harmony and ASRI in the New York Times

The Bornean rainforest contains about 6% of the world’s biodiversity. Yet, due to land use policies, commodity plantations by large companies, and timber extraction by communities with limited livelihood alternatives, only 50% of forests remain. Reforestation by the local communities HIH works alongside, however,  is showing promising success in bringing the plants and animals back. 

The findings were recently published in Tropical Natural History, and now in As the The New York Times recently reported, researchers from Gunung Palung National Park (GPNP) and Health In Harmony’s Indonesian affiliate Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) caught 47 wildlife species on camera traps across 13 locations from December 2020 to August 2022.

Citing the findings originally published in Tropical Natural History, The New York Timeswrote: “The findings are a bright spot amid rapid and large-scale destruction of the world’s forests.” Of the 47 wildlife species caught on camera, 18 are considered Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

This includes the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), and crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis). 

“We are encouraged by this study, as it shows that meaningful collaboration between communities, authorities, and non-governmental organizations is a step toward reversing the Sixth Mass Extinction and creating spaces where people and wildlife can both thrive,” explains Health In Harmony’s Research Manager, Nina Finley.  

The researchers recommend that all reforestation programs be co-designed with local communities to ensure justice in decision-making, protection against further forest degradation, and to improve the health of the forest and its inhabitants.

Read the full article on The New York Times.