‘My motivation to be a part of the patrol team is to protect the proboscis monkeys in my village.’

Mangrove and peat swamp forests make up over half of the area of the West Bornean coastal village Mengkalang Jambu. This adds up to less than 3,000 ha, yet community-led SMART patrols record the majority of the proboscis monkey encounters across Kubu Raya district here. Over the past five years, four SMART patrol teams in the district travelled a total of 5,118 km, the equivalent of the distance between Dublin and New York. In the past, these monkeys were seen as pests in certain areas, but with numbers plummeting every year, they became a symbol of pride and diversity in the region.

Aurore MaxeyNovember 14, 2025Proboscis monkeys, bekantan, Wildlife protection, mangrove ecosystem, endangered species, Community-based conservation, women-led, women in conservation, Local Leadership, local stewardship, inclusive governance, community governance, Village-level regulation, Sustainable livelihoods, forest and fisheries management, sustainable livelihoodsComment

Redefining Conservation in Karimata: A Model for Community-Led Marine Governance

On a quiet shoreline in the Karimata Islands, turtle tracks crisscross the sand, some real, others carefully crafted by the hands of local monitors. These hand-drawn decoys, made to mislead poachers, reveal something deeper than surface-level conservation. They tell a story of a community that no longer watches from the sidelines but instead leads the effort to protect its land and sea.

Aurore MaxeyApril 17, 2025Karimata, West Kalimantan, marine conservation, conservation, Community-Led Initiatives, turtle, rights and access, participatory management, inclusive governance, regenerative livelihoods, community-based management, restorationComment

Blog

Info

Action