Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) Geographic Information Systems Volunteer Program

I recently participated in Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) Geographic Information Systems Volunteer Program. This opportunity allowed me to travel to Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesia on the island of Borneo. The purpose of the GIS Volunteer Program is to support the development and improvement of the Orangutan Foundation’s Geographic Information System (GIS) through the collection of field data. The objectives of the project were to map selected features of the park and surrounding areas including trails, rivers, orangutan survey locations, nests, and locations corresponding to selected pixels on satellite imagery, using Global Positioning System (GPS) and hardcopy mapping techniques. The ultimate goals of the project are to identify and map vegetation and orangutan habitat in Tanjung Puting National Park and surrounding areas; identify optimum locations for new river blockades based on spatial assessments of illegal logging; and provide the basis for storing, mapping, and analyzing other conservation data for the park. This year’s Volunteer Program concentrated on collecting data in areas surrounding the park to create a landscape conservation plan. In particular, the data will be used to determine optimum locations for future "protected areas" and two orangutan migration corridors.

The wild Orangutan is a critically endangered species. Illegal logging and Palm Oil plantations are obliterating the habitat of the "Forest Man". OrangUtan literally means "Forest Man" of "Man of the Forest". Part of our mission was to determine the extent of the habitat destruction. In most places, but not all, the destruction was worse than originally feared.

Last year PBS did a documentary special named "From Orphan to King" about Kusasi and Princess. Both of which I have several photos below. I understand PBS reruns this every so often. If you have a chance, it is worth watching and is available on PBS.org.

To find out more about Orangutans, or learn what you can do to help, please visit http://www.orangutan.org/

My Girls ! ! !
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Seoul, Korea - Peasants sounding drum. Peasants could sound off on the drum and the government would send someone out to listen to the grievances
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Seoul, Korea - Peasants sounding drum.
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Seoul
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Seoul
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Seoul, Korea - Presidential Guest House in the background
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Totems and Statues from around Korea, some are thousands of years old.
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Seoul, Korea - Presidential Grounds
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Detail of ceilings in the Korean presidential grounds

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The tour group
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The President's Bedroom
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Presidential Throne
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Seoul, Korea - On the Presidential grounds, more than a 1000 years old and downtown in the background
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Seoul, Korea - Changing of the Guard
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Leaving Jakarta for Borneo, with a couple of plane changes along the way
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Jakarta Neighborhood

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Villages on Java. Everything you see that is not trees, is rice patties
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Rice Patties and fish farms along the shores of the island of Java
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Arriving in Samarang. Last time to change planes
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Samarang children watching planes take off. They built a special platform just for the kids to watch the planes.
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Samarang Children
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Samarang Children
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Little cafe in Samarang
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Tanjung Puting National Park
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Borneo form the air... I think that's the town of Kumai.
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Arrived in Borneo...Finally! After 13 time zones and 7 plane changes...
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Arriving at Pangkalan Bun, Indonesian Borneo
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Pangkalan Bun
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Rain in Pangkalan Bun
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Bamboo scaffold
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center's Operating Room
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center's Medical Lab
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center

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OFI's Orangutan Care Center - Originally built to house 30 - 40 Orangutans, currently holds 240

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Quarantine area at the end of the path.
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center - No other choice.
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center - It's a sad state of affairs thet sooo many orangutans are in need of such a place.
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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OFI's Orangutan Care Center
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Little Boy
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Indonesian boy
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Mama and Baby
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Kumai waterfront
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Kumai street
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Mosque in Kumai and waterfront
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Speed Boat heading to Camp Leakey
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