Thanks to Supporter WWF-Indonesia who have fearlessly accepted our challenges for the second time to take part in an adventure to the Heart of Borneo! The previous adventure was participated by four newly Supporter WWF-Indonesia in July 2008 to explore West Kalimantan, Betung Kerihun and Danau Sentarum National Park. The second time is more special as three of our Honorary Supporter WWF, Nadine (former Puteri Indonesia 2005), Nugie and Katon Bagaskara (two brother of popular musician), visit the veranda of Heart of Borneo in East Kalimantan, precisely in Malinau Conservation District in early November 2008. A unique thing from Malinau is 60% of its area embraces Kayan Mentarang National Park, the richest zone of its biodiversity in Kalimantan. 
The flight to Tarakan from Jakarta was very early in the morning and took around 2.5 hour. In Tarakan, this group moves to a small plane bringing them to Malinau, for about a half hour flight. The green carpet of Malinau hailed them who come to Malinau to help WWF-Indonesia Kayan Mentarang Program in the Irau Festival event and The Ninth Anniversary of Malinau District, whre Competition of Ambassador of Environment and Ambassador of Conservation took place.   
Irau or somewhere else is known as Erau is an event held once every two years; communities from different Dayak ethnics in Malinau are coming to get together. The beauty and uniqueness of Dayak culture, the people from Borneo are performed and exhibited through handicrafts and many other tribal symbols in more than 120 booths in the center area of Malinau District.. 
As conservation district which most of the area is included into Kayan Mentarang National Park, Malinau have mission to strengthen the identity of Malinau community who are consistent in safeguarding their nature and environment. One of the efforts is to appoint youth representatives, young man and woman, as Ambassador of Environment and Ambassador of Conservation. They will be the government partners to campaign the love for nature in youth communities. The competition of Ambassador of Environment and Ambassador of Conservation was organized by the Government of Malinau and WWF-Indonesia.  Through three rounds, finally the two ambassadors were chosen, Surianti Bella from Malinau Kota as Ambassador of Environment and Tarzi from Malinau Barat subdistrict as Ambassador of Conservation. 
Katon and Nadine met Martin Billa, the head of Malinau District, the founder of Malinau as conservation district. Met in his office, Martin Billa expressed his gladness as these two Honorary Supporters stated their willingness to spread the message of conservation from Malinau to their circle of profession and to public.  
In the event Competition of Ambassador of Environment and Ambassador of Conservation, Katon and Nugie performed and delivered message of conservation through beautiful and some spontaneous songs. Nadine herself as she is familiar with similar competitions became one jury for the competition. A day and some hours prior to the event, both Katon and Nadine have met the competition participants in class sessions about environment and building self-confident.

Sunday in the Veranda of Heart of Borneo
On sunny Sunday, Nugie and Nadine decided to travel with WWF team to buffer zone of Kayan Mentarang along the Malinau River and then to the downstream of Mentarang River. Water travel with long boat and through the rapids was so exciting! Both of them also participated in the community meeting in Mentarang Baru Village discussing about Kayan Mentarang National Park. The people of Mentarang Baru looked enthusiastic in expressing their opinion and discussing with all speakers about facing environment challenge in their circumstances. 
During Nugie speech, he happened to express his love to our country by singing a national song called Tanah Air (home country) and wished to take his family to someday visit Kayan Mentarang. While Nadine said that of all the pride of having the great importance and fascinating Kayan Mentarang to Borneo, there are more on-the-ground actions needed to keep the nature and forest as it is, for instance to throw the garbage into trash bin instead of carelessly throwing it to the river, as some of practices were present along the river journey.
In the dialog between Nadine and little children during the community meeting, some statements from several children clearly shown their wrong understanding about trash dumping when they were asked, “Where you should put your garbage?” some of their answers are ‘river’.
Conservation Messages from Three Honorary Supporters of WWF-Indonesia
Katon and Nugie in “Jika Bumi Bicara” (If the Earth Talks)
…
If the earth can talk, I know she will ask
Till when you will only take
Without ever give back
It is time to act
Love the earth wholeheartedly
Land, water, air will rejoice and thank us
…
Jika Bumi Bicara will be launched as Ring Back Tone (RBT), where some of the money raised from it will be donated to WWF-Indonesia to help spreading environmental message to public in Indonesia.. 
Meanwhile, Nadine met the candidates of Malinau’s Ambassador of Environment and Ambassador of Conservation and motivated them to protect environment. She expressed, “If we care for the nature, the nature will protect us. If we love the nature, the nature will love us back.” (NA)
For more information:
Nancy Ariaini,
Heart of Borneo Communications Officer,
nariaini@wwf.or.id

Nazla Mariza,
Marketing Communications Officer, WWF-Indonesia Membership Division,
nmariza@wwf.or.id