‘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

When Communities Lead, Forests Breathe Easier

Across Indonesia, fire has long been part of how people clear land. But today it also carries another meaning: loss. Loss of forests, loss of wildlife, loss of health, loss of history. Fires blacken skies, threaten livelihoods, and push fragile ecosystems closer to collapse. For years, the solutions came from outside: stricter rules, impractical technologies, or one-off projects decided far from the people most affected. What we’ve seen is different. The long-lasting solutions start in the communities that live and breathe with the forest.

Aurore MaxeySeptember 29, 2025Community-Led Initiatives, forest governance, fire prevention, biodiversity, community patrols, sustainable livelihoods, women-led cooperatives, mandai nature, trafigura foundation Comment

Blog

Info

Action