The Regrow Borneo Project
The Danau Girang Field Centre is based on the bank of the Kingabatangan river in Sabah, Borneo. Over 75% of the Kinabatangan floodplain has been converted for human uses, largely dominated by industrial palm oil plantations. Despite extensive forest fragmentation and degradation, this area supports a staggeringly high amount of biodiversity. It is home to endangered species such as Bornean orangutans and elephants, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, and the elusive Sunda clouded leopard.
The project aims to restore 7,500 hectares of forest that will then be protected by the Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Wildlife Department, work with local communities, paying local people a living wage to plant and care for native tree species as an alternative source of income to working within oil palm agriculture, and work with oil palm companies to identify areas for further protection that would support their goals of becoming RSPO certified.
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We are looking to host a minimum of 4 events between August 2022 and May 2023. These events will aim to raise £20,000 that will be used to plant ~10,000 trees in the Kinabatangan region, beginning the restoration process of ~12.5 acres of critically endangered rainforest.
We interviewed Dr T.C. Hales (founder and trustee of Regrow Borneo) and Amaziasizamoria Jeana (research officer at DGFC) to find out what makes Regrow Borneo so special!