60,000 TREES FOR CRITICAL SUMATRAN TIGER’S HABITAT
10 August 2010
Jakarta, Indonesia – A three-month old initiative by WWF in Indonesia and Germany has led to almost 60,000 new trees to be planted as part of efforts to reforest critical tiger habitat on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Known as “Forest Friends”, the initiative is targeted at 18-25-year-old youths using social networking tools. Under the initiative, three youths each from Indonesia and Germany were selected after over a month of selection process, to compete for fans and raise support for forest conservation through blogging. Through Forest Friends, which is also accessible on Facebook, the youths communicate and share their views via articles, video and photo uploads.
“WWF sees social networking media as an opportunity to extend its conservation messages to younger audiences,” said Dr. Efransjah, WWF Indonesia’s Chief Executive. “Internet and social networking sites enable real-time, fast and fun communication around the world, and offer a very efficient and effective way to share WWF’s message. The online initiative also allows our youths to communicate and engage in dialogues across national borders.”
Working in pairs – one youth from each of the two countries – the six youths have, since May, been sharing their views and practical tips on forest and biodiversity conservation, and asking fellow youths to show real commitment and contribution to save the Earth. For each fan they receive, WWF and partner will pledge to plant 10 trees in Tesso Nilo National Park, a critical Sumatran tiger habitat in Riau Province.
“The competition has enabled the six finalists to form friendship and bond through sharing information on forest conservation, environmentally-friendly lifestyle and other conservation- related activities,” said Desmarita Murni, Forest, Species and Fresh Water Program’s Communication Coordinator at WWF-Indonesia. “Only a month after the initiative started, each team had raised more than 10,000 trees through attracting a wide fan base. The number is increasing daily.”
The winning team will be determined in September by the number of fans it attracts and its actual contribution towards forest rehabilitation. Winners get to visit the Tesso Nilo National Park and Germany’s Schaalsee Nature Park.
“We are pleased with the enthusiastic support the Forest Friends initiative is receiving,” said Desmarita. “We believe that Forest Friends is an innovative platform to engage with today’s internet-savvy youths who care about what is happening to the natural world, and want to be heard and contribute.”
Forest Friends is an integral part of WWF’s Tiger Campaign 2010 aimed at doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. The Sumatran tiger is the only tiger sub-species left in Indonesia and one of the world’s six remaining tiger sub-species. It is threatened by habitat destruction, illegal poaching and trading, as well as insufficient prey. One of the most important Sumatran tiger habitats is Tesso Nilo National Park. Camera and video traps installed by WWF-Indonesia’s Tiger Research Team have shown the existence of the wild tiger population here.
Despite harbouring several endangered species – the tiger, elephant, orang utan and rhino – and diverse forest types including carbon-rich peatlands, Sumatra has one of the world’s highest rate of natural forest loss, due to transmigration, large-scale pulp and paper and palm oil production, and other development. Between 1985 and 2007, the island lost 12 million hectares of natural forest, a 48 percent loss in 22 years. By 2007, the island had only 30 percent forest cover or around 13 million hectares.
WWF-Indonesia will also send two youths to the Youth Tiger Summit, where delegates from all 13 tiger range countries and countries supporting tiger conservation will gather. The summit will be held concurrently with the Heads of Government Tiger Summit in Russia later this year.
For more information, please contact:
- Desmarita Murni, WWF-Indonesia’s Communications Coordinator, m +62 811793458, dmurni@wwf.or.id
- Annisa Ruzuar, Communications Officer (lead project Sahabat Hutan) m + 081320044343, asruzuar@wwf.or.id
Notes for Editor:
- For more on the Forest Friends initiative, visit www.wwf-jugend.de/durchstarten/forest-friends or www.savesumatra.org.
Click here for the Forest Friends page on Facebook (keyword search: Forest Friends Application) - Information on the six finalists can be found at Team Blog: http://www.wwf-jugend.de/durchstarten/forest-friends
- Following are profiles of the three Indonesian Forest Friends:
- Rima Putri Agustina
Rima Putri Agustina, 24, is passionate about environmental issues. Her passion grew from when she joined Bumi Satu, an environmental student organization in her high school. Rima lives in the outskirts of Bandung, where the natural environment is still relatively intact. She studied at the Bandung Institute of Technology, majoring in Biology. There she joined KMPA Ganesha, another environmental organization. After her studies, she became a regular contributor to the “Greeners Magazine”, and was research assistant in Siberut Island (Sumatra). She currently works in YPBB, a NGO focusing on environmentally friendly lifestyle for urbanites. Though she is not directly working in the field like she was in Siberut, she believes her current work is just as important. “Urban consumption and lifestyle will have a direct impact on forest conversion, because more clearing will have to be made to meet more demand for forest products,” said Rima. Rima pairs up with Lena Gottschalk Follow them at: http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=1 - Mia Amelinda
For Mia Amelinda, 20, environmental awareness started after she took an environmental crime class in Criminology major in the Indonesian University. The subject opened her mind to the importance of natural resources such as clean water for humans. She believes that nature is created for people and therefore we have to protect it in return. The Forest Friends competition is her way for meeting fellow environmentalists. With team partner Gerrit Koechling, she shares ideas on environmental protection with all their supporters. Mia is a member of her university’s softball team and a WWF-Indonesia volunteer. Share ideas on environmental protection with Mia and Gerrit at:http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=2 - Yangki Imade Suara
Yangki Imade Suara, 21, grew up with nature as his father is a farmer in Lima Puluh Kota district, West Sumatra. His bond with nature motivated him to enrol in an Environmental Economy major course at Padjajaran University. This active student was a member of the Indonesian delegation to the Harvard National Model United Nations in Boston, Bliss Point in Delhi, and the International Youth Climate Movement in Copenhagen.
Climate change is a special subject for Yangki, because its impact is devastating for farmers like his father. This also motivates him to join the Forest Friends competition where he and team partner Hanna Stanke, exchange thoughts and information on how to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and forest destruction. Join Yangki and Hanna’s discussion on environmental issues at: http://www.wwf-jugend.de/community/channel.php?channel_id=3