"Stay focused, continue to be patient and try. Because caring is not enough to express compassion for fellow living beings."

These words have become Ari Meididit's life principle in his efforts to preserve nature, especially orangutans.

Ari is one of the few people who chooses to spend his time living in Orangutan habitat in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan.

Ari's daily life is filled with monitoring transect plots in the Punggualas forest, Katingan Regency, ensuring that peatland restoration goes well, so that the habitat of the Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is maintained.

He also provided signage along the river entrance to the Punggualas Ecotourism Station. The signs inform visitors about the Orangutans and the trekking trails available.

"I want visitors to be able to get to know Orangutans and their habitat, see them and even jump in directly to help us conduct research."

His great concern for the condition and sustainability of orangutans has led Ari to pursue research specifically on this large primate species. Starting from behavior, habitat, to the census of Orangutan distribution, he has been working on it until now.

"Orangutans are endemic animals that are only found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In addition, the habitat and population of Orangutans had reached the endangered level. We must take a role to save this species," he concluded.

Ari has been a consultant focusing on Orangutan conservation. Starting in 2004 and 2005, he conducted Orangutan research in Tuanan hamlet, Mentangai sub-district, Kuala Kapuas, Central Kalimantan, to complete the requirements to become a bachelor at the National University Jakarta.

A few years later, he returned to conduct research on Orangutans in Tuanan hamlet to complete his postgraduate studies. With her master's degree in hand, she traveled to Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan to help conduct Orangutan research there.

In 2016, she finally decided to join WWF-Indonesia in the Sebangau-Katingan landscape and made Punggualas her workplace until now.

Populations and habitats of Orangutans are increasingly being squeezed by land use change that often leads to conflicts and sacrifices Orangutans. According to Ari, one of the ways to conserve them is by developing ecotourism potential in Orangutan habitat areas, such as in Punggualas. He is very challenged by the idea of making sustainable tourism activities a way to protect nature, as well as a source of community economy.

Ari hopes that there will be involvement from other parties in Orangutan conservation, including local communities, civil society organizations, and even the local government in protecting the habitat and population of Orangutans in Punggualas, and even in Indonesia. According to Ari, if all parties are involved and responsible in maintaining the ecosystem and the sustainability of Orangutans, then it is not impossible that we can create a bright future for Indonesia's nature.