By: Albertus Tjiu dan Masayu Yulien Vinanda
Pontianak (11/02)-As an effort to carry out Muller-Schwaner Project Phase II in the mid 2011, WWF-Indonesia dan WWF-Finland conducted a consolidation meeting and field trip to Danau Sentarum National Park, West Kalimantan for five days, since Monday (07/02) to Friday (11/02).
The project which takes place in Gunung Muller – Schwaner forest landscape situated in Central and West Kalimantan in Indonesia is a joint initiative of WWF-Indonesia and WWF Finland, and a part of WWF’s major programs. The project focusing in the Heart of Borneo area aims at protecting biodiversity, livelihood, and ecological functions through integrated forest conservation and sustainable land use management.
Previously, in the middle of  December 2010, WWF-Indonesia had conducted an internal meeting discussing the project preparation and revising the work plan. The revised document then was presented to WWF-Finland at the consolidation meeting which took place in Santika Hotel, Pontianak.

Some of the meeting participants were WWF-Finland Program Coordinator for Sustainable Consumption and Production Sampsa Kiianmaa, Heart of Borneo (HoB) National Coordinator Wisnu Rusmantoro, Projcet Leader for WWF West Kalimantan Program Hermayani Putera, Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN) National Coordinator Aditya Bayunanda, WWF-Indonesia Forest Convertion Program (FCP)National Coordinator Wiwin Effendy, and Site Coordinator for WWF Sintang-Melawi Project Rudi Zapariza.
The forum was also a consolidation between two WWF’s national office in order to come up with new agreement, build commitment and shared roles among project actors. It also produced the final workplan including activities, timeline and budgeting.
Meanwhile the other team of WWF-Finland, Jari Pekka Kaleva (Conservation DirectorWWF Finlandia), Alice Anneli (Business Director), and Tanja Sonatta (Conservation officer) visited Danau Sentarum National Park and the orangutan corridor and observed WWF’s activities in the area. The field trip started on Tuesday (08/02)from Pontianak to Sintang by car. The journey continued in the next day from Sintang to Betang (Dayak traditional house) house in Meliau, Melemba village.

As the entourage arrived, the local people of Dayak Iban tribe warmly welcomed them with a traditional ceremony. While they were interacting with community, WWF West Kalimantan team presented number of its community empowerment activities which had been conducting since the last four years in Meliau, Melemba village.

One of them was developing alternative income for the local community through rubber plantation in Meliau. This March, there will be 16,000 rubber trees which will be planting in the community plantation. The rubber development activities comprise mapping, training on making organic fertilizer, and planting technique such as practicing the right plant spacing.
The ecoutourism development program was also being showcased. The activities include “guiding” training, designing the homestay service scheme, organization development, and preparing the building of research station in Meliau which is expected to be able to support th ecotorusim program.
Not only having a discussion with the communities, the entourage also had a chance to visit the peatland forest as the orangutan habitat which located in the back of the long house.

Other destination is the forest honey (Apis dorsata) development in Semangit. Taking a speedboat, the entourage continued their journey to the upstream of Leboyan/Labian river to to see “tikung,” an artificial branch made of dead Tembesu (a large evergreen tree native to South-east Asia) which had been used by the community to provide more space for the bees to build bigger nest.
The discussion with members of The Forest Honey Bee Collectors’ Asociation in Lake Sentarum (APDS) ended their exploration. The representative of APDS presented their work plan 2011-2013. There are 17 activities for three-year period which are expected to gain support from many parties. It is also expected that the HoB initiative will facilitate both the business development and working investment which will be undertaken in February-March 2011, in a collaboration with a local NGO, KABAN (Kami Anak Bangsa/literally meaning We Are the Children of Nation).