In spring of 2022, I had the opportunity to visit Indonesia with two friends and filmmakers, Flo & Davey, to meet Willie Smits and get to see his important work in animal and environmental preservation.
Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil globally, which has a huge impact on their natural ecosystems and comes with many problems. Huge areas of rainforest are destroyed to make room for more plantations leading to animals losing their habitat and the loss of biodiversity. Local communities are losing their homes and being displaced. There is an intense environmental pollution due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improper waste management leading to water pollution and contaminated rivers. The list of problems goes on and on but to keep it short and comprehensive I only want to name a few.
Who is Willie Smits?
Willie has dedicated his life to protecting and preserving orangutans, who are one of the main sufferers of the problems mentioned. He has been working on orangutan conservation for more than 30 years and has gained worldwide recognition for his actions. In 1991, he founded the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), which has emerged as the largest foundation worldwide, committed to the conservation and welfare of orangutans.
Willie showed us around several of the environmental and animal rescue projects he has spearheaded. His work involves not only saving individual orangutans but also rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, including reforestation efforts, sustainable land use practices, and alternative livelihood programs for local communities.
Meeting Willie Smits in Indonesia was an amazing experience. He is an inspiration for individuals and societies worldwide and I am absolutely stunned by his work and above all, his dedication for what he's doing.
Our mission:
We are aware that we cannot really stop what is happening in Indonesia. But what we can do, is to give our best by showing what is really happening, making people aware of the whole situation, making it more tangible and understandable and accessible for a larger audience.
If you are asking yourself what you can do to make a small impact, try to be aware of what you are consuming. Have you checked if your food contains palm oil? You will be shocked about how many products do.
These projects live from donations and sponsors.
So if you really want to help, check out these links for more information and ways to donate:
Or contact me if you want any other image from the project!
100% of the profit from print sales will be donated.
In the final days of our journey, we went to the island of Sulawesi, where Willie and his team run the 'Masarang Foundation'. Masarang consists of different projects working with the aim to care for animals, replant forests, and run a sugar palm factory offering an alternative to the devastating palm oil. Find out more details about the projects here.
One of the projects is Masarang Mountain - Temboan Project:
Much of Indonesia tropical forest has been destroyed, not only in Borneo's heart of Kalimantan but also in Sulawesi. Masarang works on reforestation projects in both Kalimantan & Sulawesi. Masarang Mountain is a huge forest replanting area in Sulawesi with the aim to raise both animal and plant biodiversity again while offering carbon storage to mitigate climate change etc.
These women are working in base camp of Masarang mountain, caring for the seedlings that will soon be planted in the replanting area to regrow a lush rainforest. The men below are working in the huge replanting area, planting many of the seedlings every day.
Another project of Masarang is Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Center:
Tasikoki aims to combat illegal animal trade and cares for confiscated animals while also providing education to local population about nature conservation and wildlife.
Temboan Beach:
Masarang has been able to acquire more than 800 hectares of land along the coast of Temboan beach, where they will bring back a natural rainforest.
The projects that Willie and his teams are working on live from donations and sponsors.
So if you want to help, you can find lots of information and the possibility to send donations here:
Or contact me if you want any other image from the project!
100% of the profit from print sales will be donated.
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