MediaCoverage : The Indonesian conservationists saving endangered gibbons

 a recent media coverage about our field work in Central Java Indonesia, featuring our field team Adin, Aoliya, Sidiq and Iis. thanks to Euronews culture who taking our field story. 

The Role Coffee Plays In Javan Gibbon Conservation

 Written by: Benehad Gabriel Yosep Ruritan | Email : ben.ruritan@gmail.com 

Who is SwaraOwa?

Back in August 2020, I enrolled myself in an internship program with SwaraOwa. A non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on the conservation work for Indonesian primates, especially Gibbon, the small apes. Swaraowa means a gibbon voice in Javanese.

The history of SwaraOwa led by Arif Setiawan originally started  in 2008, when he runs the project in Mt. Slamet Central Java, for Endangered Primate Conservation Project, this project supported by Rufford Foundation. Then -a supported project named "Coffee and Primate Conservation" in 2012 with the objective of Javanese gibbon's habitat preservation in Petungkriyono District located in the western part of Dieng Mountain.

The coffee part of the name came from the approach that was taken by the team in creating a compromise between the residents' needs and the conservation objective of the project.  Coffee naturally grows beneath the cover of the rainforest in which the Javanese gibbon resides. And thus. Coffee cultivation and production work to redirect the local's of Sokokembang from forest damaging economic activities and into the preservation of the forest via sustainable economic development. And as of now, some amount of coffee from Petungkriyono is managed and distributed by OwaCoffee, a subsidiary of SwaraOwa.

OwaCoffee For SwaraOwa

I was assigned to the OwaCoffee activity during the internship program. This coffee program of SwaraOwa has become quite a success story. Over the years, it has fostered relationships with several zoos worldwide, such as the Singapore Zoo, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo and  Zoo Ostrava.  Through this coffee program, SwaraOwa enables itself to be self-sustainable and empowers the residents of the Sokokembang Village, seen from the growth of farming groups and infrastructure improvement the area has received over the years.

I met Dr. Muhammad Ali Imron from the Gadjah Mada University Forestry Faculty, which explained that most Indonesian NGOs inherits the problem of self-sustainability due to how they were founded.  Specifically, most NGOs grew from a time and funding limited project into an ongoing program. This condition hampers the transition process and induces financial problems in the future. SwaraOwa’s ability to be self-sustainable through its OwaCoffee program has been quite the inspiration to many other NGOs in Indonesia.

Predicaments Faced By OwaCoffee

However, the operation of OwaCoffee is not as smooth as it may seem. As lined out by Saladin Akbar from the BlackJava roastery located in Yogyakarta, the problem faced by this organization can be divided into three major categories, which are: farming, production, and distribution. 

 In farming, they face the need to educate local farmers of Petungkriyono in increasing their quality of coffee cherries, which in itself is no easy task knowing the deep level of intricacies revolving around coffee plantation such as managing the ground condition, understanding the need of the plants, knowing what and when to harvest. 

"the jungle beans" gibbon friendly coffee -  OwaCoffee

 While production includes everything post-harvest, this includes grading, hulling, storage, roasting, and many others, which greatly plays into the quality of the finished product. Lastly is the distribution, which talks about public intake of the product. Currently, single-origin coffee only makes a small percentage of Indonesian coffee consumption. 

 Akrom, the owner of Mari-ngopi a  coffee shop in Yogyakarta, informed me that the lack of specialty coffee absorption is due to the condition that Indonesians do not need specialty coffee. The masses are satisfied with the commercialized and easy to drink coffee mixers, which does not require high-grade coffee to be enjoyed.  This condition caused SwaraOwa to look for new ways for their coffee, the ex-situ distribution efforts, such as creating a bond with the Singaporean Zoo to market their products.

During my internship, I found SwaraOwa to be particularly ingenious.  Their ability to utilize Petungkriyono’s coffee as a medium to converse the Javanese primates, utilizing local empowerment through coffee plantations, was a breakthrough by itself. Through this kind of collaboration, sustainability was provided for the conservation activity that many have never recognized. SwaraOwa has ensured the continuity of the program via a separate entity, namely OwaCoffee that has a high interest in the market.

From this experience, I found out that conservation activities can be strengthened through public participation by various means, including market-based methods. The Indonesian gibbons at Petungkriyono District in Central Java are one of the benefactors of this mechanism.

 

Mengenal Herpetofauna di Pulau Siberut

Oleh : Hastin Ambar Asti (hastin.ambar.asti@gmail.com)

Herpetofauna merupakan kelompok hewan yang terdiri atas taksa Amphibia dan Reptilia. Termasuk di dalamnya adalah katak, kodok, sesilia, salamander, ular, kadal, kura-kura, labi-labi, penyu, dan buaya. Kecuali salamander, anggota amfibi dan reptil lainnya dapat dijumpai di Indonesia. Katak, kodok, kadal, dan bahkan ular dapat dengan mudah dijumpai di sekitar permukiman. Sedangkan untuk kura-kura, labi-labi, penyu dan buaya, diperlukan sedikit usaha dan keberuntungan. Ini dikarenakan jenis-jenis reptil tersebut hidup di dalam hutan, di sungai, di pesisir, dan bahkan di lautan.

Menelisik keberadaan Herpetofauna di Pulau Siberut ternyata cukup mudah. Di Uma Malinggai setidaknya terdapat tiga ukiran biawak dan kura-kura yang menghiasi dinding dan pilar kayu uma. Dengan melihat ukiran satwa yang ada di uma, kita dapat mengetahui berbagai jenis satwa yang hidup di Pulau Siberut. Ukiran tersebut ternyata menjadi sarana untuk memperkenalkan tentang satwa kepada anak-anak Suku Mentawai.

 

Ukiran kura-kura dan biawak di pilar dan dinding uma

Ukiran kura-kura dan biawak menceritakan kisah kura-kura dan biawak yang sedang mencari makan di hutan. Setelah jauh berjalan memasuki hutan, kura-kura dan biawak akhirnya menemukan pohon yang berbuah. Biawak dapat dengan mudah memanjat pohon dan memakan buah yang ada. Namun tidak demikian halnya dengan kura-kura. Melihat kura-kura yang tidak dapat memanjat, biawak menawarkan diri untuk membantu kura-kura. Namun, ternyata biawak punya pikiran yang licik karena dia ingin memakan sendiri buah-buah yang ada.

Biawak berkata, “Kura-kura, gigitlah ekorku dan aku akan membawamu ke atas pohon. Tapi dengan syarat ketika nanti sampai di tengah pohon, kamu harus bersorak sebagai tanda hampir sampai ke puncak pohon”. Kura-kura pun setuju dan segera menggigit ekor biawak. Biawak kemudian memanjat pohon dan membawa kura-kura bersamanya. Sampai di tengah pohon, biawak menyuruh kura-kura untuk bersorak. Kura-kura membuka mulutnya untuk bersorak, namun seketika itu kura-kura jatuh terlentang di tanah. Kura-kura menangis sedih, dia kecewa karena ternyata biawak mempermainkannya.

Selain mengenal kura-kura dan biawak, masyarakat Mentawai juga mengenal berbagai jenis katak untuk dikonsumsi dan penyu yang digunakan dalam ritual upacara adat. Masyarakat Mentawai sebenarnya memiliki pengetahuan dalam membedakan jenis atau spesies Herpetofauna berdasar ukuran dan corak warnanya. Walaupun identifikasi tersebut masih umum dan kadang rancu, namun bisa cukup membantu untuk memperkirakan jenis-jenis Herpetofauna yang ada di Pulau Siberut.

Masyarakat Mentawai menyebut semua jenis katak dengan taratad. Kemudian penyebutan taratad diikuti dengan ciri lain, misalnya taratad sikad kad untuk menyebut katak berukuran kecil seperti Hylarana parvacola dan taratad paili untuk menyebut katak berukuran besar seperti Limnonectes blythii. Beberapa kata ganti untuk menyebut amfibi dan reptil dalam Bahasa Mentawai:

·         Taratad = katak

·         Teilek = kodok

·         Pikkot = kadal

·         Ular = ulou

·         Kura-kura = lokkipad dan toulu

Duttaphrynus melanostictus atau Teilek Padang

Ada sebuah cerita menarik mengenai keberadaan “Teilek Padang” atau Duttaphrynus melanostictus. Menurut masyarakat Mentawai, “Teilek Padang” bukan merupakan spesies asli di Pulau Siberut. Kodok tersebut diduga berasal dari Padang yang kemudian terbawa oleh kapal-kapal yang singgah di Pulau Siberut. Sehingga masyarakat Mentawai kemudian menyebutnya dengan “Teilek Padang” yang berarti kodok yang berasal dari Padang.

 

Beberapa jenis Herpetofauna yang dijumpai di Desa Tololago

Jenis-jenis Herpetofauna lainnya yang dijumpai di Pulau Siberut antara lain Trimeresurus popeorum (ulou bopai pai), Cyclemys dentata (lokkipad), Hylarana parvacola dan Amnirana nicobariensis (taratad sikad kad), serta Eutropis multifasciata (pikkot). Beberapa diantaranya dijumpai di permukiman dan kebun. Beberapa lainnya dijumpai di sungai kecil yang letaknya cukup jauh dari permukiman. Anggota Uma Malinggai yang ikut dalam praktek pengamatan Herpetofauna ini berjalan sangat cepat, sehingga seringkali melewatkan beberapa jenis Herpetofauna yang berukuran kecil. Namun tak jarang mereka justru menemukan jenis-jenis unik yang berukuran besar.

Dua anak pemberani yang turut serta dalam sesi praktek pengamatan Herpetofauna

Mentawai Primates: Sharing Conservation Message through Photography Training and Wildlife Watching

by : Eka Cahya Ningrum (ec.cahyaningrum@gmail.com)

Mentawai primate skulls

Due to habitat loss and hunting, forests and wildlife -primates in particular- are beginning to face severe threats in Mentawai Island. Increasing alternative economic opportunities leading to migration from remote areas is also influencing the community by distancing them from their cultural value systems that was once closely intertwined with nature. We want to use their strong existing relationships with nature and beliefs and practices about nature to share conservation messages.

Malinggai Uma and its mentawai hospitality

Through SWARAOWA and working with MALINGGAI UMA  Mentawai , we wants to achieve this objective by introducing the community with the unique and exotic biodiversity surrounding their area. In January we invited two experts to train   Uma Malinggai members (cultural community in Siberut) about wildlife photography and identification of Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), Damselflies and Dragonflies. We believe this method will serve as tools to increase awareness regarding the change of their environment and biodiversity. The methods of photography can also served as a biodiversity monitoring method, we could find the species list and see if the species will survive time after time. With support of Fortwayne Children’s Zoo we able to donate two cameras for Uma Malinggai so they can be the agent of change and pursue their interest with photography.

introducing dragonfly to Uma members

We hold the training for three days, the first day is the presentation about how two identify different species of herpetofauna, damselfly and dragonfly and where to find them. The second and third day is practical session where we went to the forest in Tololago village to do survey and hunt for photographs of the species. This methods of introducing photography is proven very effective to engage the local people in Mentawai about the conservation issues of forest lost and biodiversity lost. This activity can also help the locals to promote ecotourism and produce a field guide that will increase their local revenue.

will heads to Tololago village

Other than the training, we also did some primates monitoring in Mailepet and Tololago village. Sadly, on one of the forest in Mailepet village, we could no longer find primates as easy as before. This could be a good thing, because if they are harder to find, than hopefully the hunter will have a hard time finding them. But this could also mean that all the primates population are gone from that forest patch.  Forest fire was happened in this forest fragment during dry season in 2019, causing maybe primates move away from this forest.

Mentawai Durian another unique taste experience

Thankfully we could still find Bilou (Hylobates klossi) and most critically endangered primates Simakobu (Simias concolor) and heard some mentawai langur’s (Presbytis potenziani) call in Tololago village. At times, hunting photograph of animals sometimes can be tiring and frustrating, that’s why we didn’t forget to have our share of fun. During the forest walk we find so many durian trees with lots of fruits! So as a reward, we ate the durian to our heart content to restore our energy and spirit!!

Mentawai Primates : Strengthen cultural Identity and Grassroots Conservation

written by : Arif Setiawan

Kloss's Gibbon Photograped by Ismael, a day before departure to Yogyakarta

Biggest meeting of  Indonesian Primate  enthusiast have been done this week in Yogyakarta, 18-20 September 2019. Nearly 300 people gathered together, participants, invited guest, and officials, Indonesian primate enthusiast coming with their recent presentation talk and posters. Here I notice my personal insight towards Mentawai primates and it’s conservation effort on during the conference.

 

First, about opening ceremony, it has been long discussion with organizing committee, to perform something entertain but related to Indonesian primates. Than come up with two option i.e  : hanuman classic dance or Mentawai Primate traditional dance, than the committee select Mentawai primate dance that will be perform during opening ceremony. 

dance training before the real stage, it was in Uma

Seprianus perform as an eagle flying, training in Uma

Honestly it was not easy to make it, fortunately we have been working with a Mentawaian community since several years ago, with the Uma Malinggai Traditional Mentawai, so I talk to the team in Uma about this plan and to do  perform traditional dance from Mentawai, introducing mentawai culture and nature to the special guest of Indonesian primate congress and symposium. . So  the team prepare all the things in less than one month, 6 students from southern siberut  was selected by UMA elders to come and perform in the opening ceremony of the 5^th congress of Indonesian Primatological Association and symposium on  Indonesian primates. 

Every week I got update from Siberut, this is will be the first experience of these mentawaian going out far away from their home. While the dance team always send me update during practice, and dance have decided will perform about Mentawai gibbon dance and bird of prey dance.  

Long way trip, from Siberut to Yogyakarta, have made some Uma members are exhausted,  6 hours by ferry, a night stop at Padang than fly to Jogjakarta, 14 September leaving for Yogyakarta, and arrived on 16 September. One day arrived in Yogya this Mentawai team have opportunity to do dance exercise in the venue and prepare all the things with conference  organizer team.

On the day, opening ceremony everybody are nervous, when the host calling and introduction all dancers are so gorgeous and amazing, they did so confidence and attract audience. Watch here for their performance :

This dance  are perform usually for traditional ceremony in Mentawai, there are 3 gibbons who live  happily in the forest and looking for water to drinks.

Mentawai primate talks, compare to number of Mentawai primates species,  there are still lack of research and conservation works in Mentawai, I noticed some talks presentation about Mentawai primates, and meet people who work and interested on Mentawai Primate conservation fieldwork. There are 3 presentation talk about Mentawai primates, first is on the Biomedical and Biomolekular Symposium, Rizka Hasanah from Bogor Agricultural University, present her research entitled with “ Analisis Keragaman Genetik berdasarkan marka D-loop mtDNA dan gen TSPY pada Siamang Kerdil (Hylobates klossii) Kepulauan Mentawai” from her presentation the conclusion is there is four haplotype based on mtDNA of Kloss gibbon in Mentawai, however need more sample for to get more information on the genetic.

Mentawai wildlife watching trip, have been launch during  Indonesian Gibbon Symposium 

Second talk is from Damianus Tateburuk, replace his colleague Ismael Saumanuk for a talk entitle with “ Gibbon Watching : Promosi Konservasi Primata Mentawai”, a collaborative work between Uma Malinggai and my team at swaraowa to promote conservation of Mentawai primates. Dami was said that we have been prepare sites for primate watching and launch a trip for primate watching in Mentawai,with a wildlife tour based in Yogyakarta (Loontour). Pocket guide of Mentawai also have been finished and ready to use for educational purposes among mentawaian and field guide reference. And my talk it self is about distribution status of kloss gibbon in Mentawai, based on 2011-2012 survey and 2017 fieldwork. I met two other students have been doing study in Mentawai for Siberut langur ( Presbytis poteziani) and Kloss's gibbon ( Hylobates klossii) however they do not give any presentation. Simakobu  (Simias concolor) and Mentawai macaques (Macaca siberu and Macaca pagensis)  haven't any update from participants. 

Pocket Guide of Mentawai Primates : a field guide reference for primate watching in Mentawai Island. official introduction conducted at NGOPI (Ngobrol Primata Indonesia), collaborative authors for this pocket guide book are : Kasih Putri Handayani, Ika Yuni Agustin, who did field work in Northen Siberut in 2011, and three members of Uma , i.e Mateus Sakaliau, Ismael Saumanuk, And Damianus Tateburuk. This book available for sell and can be purchased at Swaraowa’s booth during the conference, if you want to buy online please do through this link.

Pocket guide of Mentawai Primates

It was a great opportunity to introduce Mentawai primates and it’s cultural value among primatologist, with hope will gain more attention to support conservation fieldwork in Mentawai. The most important is to bring new experience and motivation for the Mentawaian who involved directly in this meeting, I am sure they will back to their native habitat with good memories that their primates and culture value received highest appreciation.

Camera trap : mengungkap hidupan liar hutan Sokokembang

camera trap dan alat perekam suara 

Baru baru ini kegiatan konservasi di hutan Sokokembang, sedang menguji coba peralatan  untuk  monitoring keanekaragaman hayati, dan hal ini merupakan bagian dari program pengenalan hidupan liar dan hutan pada umumnya, bahwa hutan adalah tempat hidup hidupan liar sebagai bagian dari kampanye penyadar tahuan untuk mengajak mengenal hutan dan melestarikan habitat asli yang tersisa di Jawa bagian Tengah.

Pemasangan camera trap

Camera trap, adalah alat untuk menangkap gambar foto atau video dari hidupan liar, alat ini berfungsi secara otomatis dengan sensor gerak atau inframerah. Keuntungan camera trap ini dapat bekerja mengumpulkan foto-foto di tempat-tempat yang susah di jangkau, dalam periode waktu tertentu dan dapat digunakan untuk mengenali perilaku hidupan liar, yang sangat sensitif dengan kehadiran manusia. Penelitian-peneltian menggunakan alat ini dapat mengetahui perilaku, populasi,mangsa- predator dan juga ancaman hidupan liar, misalnya untuk investigasi perburuan dan ancaman lainnya.

musang luwak (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)

Lutung ( Trachypithecu auratus)

Rekrekan (Presbytis comata)

Salah satu hasil camera trap yang di pasang selama kurang lebih 2 bulan, mendapatkan foto jenis-jenis primata pemakan daun yang ada di Sokokembang di dapati sedang mencari makan di atas tanah. Ada pengalaman juga ketika memasang camera trap ini lupa menyeting waktu dan tanggal, ketika sesudah mengganti battery, seperti terlihat pada foto di bawah ini, yang bertahun 2008.
Foto camera trap ini juga mencatat keberadaan satwa dilindungi seperti Kijang, Rekrekan, Lutung dan  Binturong.

belum teridentifikasi ekor siapa ini?

Babi hutan

Meskipun masih bersifat ujicoba, teknik pemasangan dan target hidupan liar, dari hasil camera trap ini diantaranya menghasilkan foto-foto dan video yang sangat jarang di temui ketika pengamatan secara langsung. Dalam uji coba ini pemasangan camera trap juga ada yang di letakkan di atas permukaan tanah dan di atas pohon. Analisis terhadap foto-foto hasil camera trap sangat penting, karena merupakan informasi penting terkait waktu,sebaran,  pola pergerakan  perilaku dan banyak kemungkinan lainnya. Tergantung tujuan pemasangan camera trap,dan sepertinya akan terus kita membuka  komunikasikan dan kemungkinan kerjasama dengan pihak terkait ataupun peneliti-peneliti yang tetarik untuk mendalami kegiatan camera traping ini. 

Rekrekan (Presbytis comata) terangkap sedang memakan buah Nangka

Arung ombak Mentawai: Burung Laut Pulau Siberut

ditulis oleh : 

Imam Taufiqurrahman,

email : orny_man@yahoo.com

Melaju di atas Mentawai fast

Sekira dua jam lepas pelabuhan Padang, seekor burung laut yang tengah asyik mengapung tiba-tiba terbang menghindar dari kapal cepat yang saya tumpangi. Ukurannya tak seberapa besar dan tampak hanya hitam. Sejenis petrel-badai kah, atau penggunting laut?

Ah, sayang terlewatkan. Mengetahui itu, Kang Wawan lantas mengajak ke buritan. Saya tak menolak.

Cuaca terasa bersahabat. Langit cerah biru berawan tipis, matahari pun masih hangat. Air laut tampak begitu tenang tak beriak. Di dek belakang ini, beberapa penumpang mancanegara asyik berbincang. Lainnya sekadar duduk melamun menatap laut atau tertidur. Sebagian besar mereka ini datang untuk mencandai ombak Mentawai.

“Iku ki papan surfing kabeh, Mam,” (Itu papan surfing semua, Mam) jelas Kang Wawan saat melihat saya bersandar pada setumpukan barang yang rapat tertutup terpal. Tak mengherankan memang. Seperti Nias, sisi barat Kepulauan Mentawai menghadap Samudera Hindia. Di musim yang tepat seperti saat ini, terbentuk gulungan-gulungan ombak yang menarik minat para penunggang ombak.

Buntut-sate putih ras lepturus

Tiba-tiba seekor burung putih melintas dari arah depan kapal. Ekornya berpita panjang menjuntai. Tak salah lagi, buntut-sate putih Phaethon lepturus. Senang sekali melihatnya. Biasanya hanya bisa menjumpainya dari tepian tebing di Gunung Kidul. Baru ini saya menjumpainya di laut lepas. Kang Wawan menunjuk seekor lagi yang tengah mengapung-apung di lautan. Laju Mentawai Fast mengagetkan si burung yang lantas terbang menjauh.

Buntut-sate putih ras fulvus

Berbeda dari buntut-sate putih sebelumnya yang berwarna kekuningan, burung kedua itu terlihat putih bersih. Tak salah lagi, mereka dua anak jenis berbeda; yang berwarna kekuningan adalah fulvus, dikenal juga sebagai Golden Tropicbird, sementara yang putih bersih dari anak-jenis lepturus. Beberapa ekor dara-laut batu Onychoprion anaethetus dan seekor yang kembali tak teridentifikasi menemani perjalanan. Pukul 11 kapal sandar di pelabuhan pertama, Pelabuhan Laut Pokai, Muara Sikabaluan. Dua jam lagi hingga Pelabuhan Mailepet di Muara Siberut yang jadi tujuan.

    

Let it Bee : when the pollinators become mainstream

Stingless bee visiting flower of crop

Buzzzz…zzzzz  no we can’t hear the bee flying, this is tiny bee, size as flies, no sting, role as pollinators and producing honey too, Stingless bee!!. We have done shared our knowledge and gain new experience on meliponiculture in the habitat of critically endangered primates. Located in Kemuning village, Temanggung regency, Central Java, this site is recognized as habitat of Javan slow loris, first time we discover in this area in 2013 (read here for the report). After we found the javan slow loris existed, students continue to do research in this area. And now a conservation organization (Javan Wildlife Institute) initiated by Wildlife Lab of  Forestry Faculty, Gadjah Mada University continue the fieldwork, not only academic research but also assist people of Kemuning to protect and generate alternative income.

Shadegrown coffee habitat of Javan slow loris

Javan Slow loris

As we know wildlife hunting is the main threats for the biodiversity in Kemuning forest, we try to develop solution to increase their knowledge and capacity to maintain sustainable forest product. We have been working since last year to manage stingless bee honey from the Javan gibbon habitat, and now we try to introduce this scheme in the kukang habitat. Mainstreaming conservation of pollinators and introducing management of the stingless bee honey production.

Stingless bee honey 

On Saturday and Sunday (21/22 January 2017) organized by JAWI we conduct training for villagers in Kemuning, and there are 10 participants from the Kemuning village to join in the two days training. Our team give an introduction and share experience on stingless bee, honeys and their relationship with crops and forest habitat. Introductory about native bees and it’s role in our environment were emphasized in the discussion with the participants. Moreover, this bee is producing honey that very healthy and economically viable.

knowledge sharing about stingless bee

This training is intended to bring some long-term solution to conserve forest as habitat of endangered animals but also give real example for sustainable forest product who provide sustainable income. Next activities is we will active to encourage participants to manage bees colonies and give direct assistant on marketing strategy for the  stingless bee honey.

field practice, how to manage stingless bee colony

Owa Jawa : Sinden Gunung Negeri Atas Awan (bagian 2)

di tulis oleh : Salmah Widyastuti

e-mail: salmah.w@mail.ugm.ac.id

 Ds.Tlogohendro

Pagi itu, 4 Juni 2016, pagi-pagi sekali kami ditemani salah satu warga habitat Owa,  berangkat menuju Desa Tlogohendro, Petungkriyono, untuk kembali melakukan survei populasi owa jawa di hutan Tlogohendro.  Survei lanjutan kali ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui jumlah rata-rata individu  owa jawa dalam satu kelompok atau group size, yang menghuni hutan negri di atas awan ini. Sebelum langsung terjun ke hutan, terlebih dahulu kami konfirmasi lokasi keberadaan kelompok-kelompok owa jawa lewat arah terdengarnya suara nyanyiannya. Namun hingga pukul 09.00 tak satu pun suara nyanyian sang sinden terdengar. Hal ini memang sering terjadi, karena nilai probabilitas owa bersuara yaitu di bawah satu, yaitu berkisar 0,85-1 (Brockleman and Ali, 1987). Artinya tidak setiap hari owa bersuara. Akhirnya kami langsung bergerak menuju hutan di sebelah utara Desa Tlogohendro berdasarkan data yang diperoleh pada survei beberapa bulan lalu. Melewati medan yang sulit, menaiki bukit, kemudian turun menyebrang sungai, dan kembali naik, berjalan perlahan menyusuri hutan dengan pepohonan menjulang kami berharap menjumpai kelompok owa jawa. Namun yang muncul hanya sepasang burung rangkong dari sarangnya di ketinggian pohon yang menjulang. Tak satu pun kelompok owa jawa yang menunjukan atraksinya pada kami di hari yang cerah itu.

Mencari kelompok Owa

Medan di hutan yang terletak di dataran tinggi ini memang berbeda dengan hutan lain yang berada di bawah 1000 mdpl yang terdapat di Petungkriyono. Kemungkinan butuh berhari-hari di dalam hutan Tlogohendro bila ingin menemukan kelompok owa jawa. Peluang untuk dapat berjumpa dengan kelompok owa jawa di hutan Tlogohendro ini kecil, karena besar populasi owa jawa di hutan dataran tinggi ini memang relatif rendah. Estimasi besar populasi owa jawa di hutan ini menggunakan metode vocal count yaitu 0,51 kelompok/km² (radius efektif pendengaran= 0,7 km). Rendahnya populasi owa jawa di hutan ini dapat disebabkan karena letak hutan yang memasuki ketinggian diatas 1000 mdpl, dimana vegetasinya sudah tidak sebagus vegetasi di dataran rendah, keanekaragaman jenis penyusun vegetasinya mulai berkurang dan potensi sumber pakan bagi owa jawa juga berkurang.

Tetaplah terus bernyanyi menemani aktivitas warga Tlogohendro di pagi hari, dan mewarnai hutan negeri di atas awan .

Owa Jawa (Hylobates moloch)

Shade Grown Coffee and Biodiversity Study in Javan Gibbon Habitat

We have selected forest coffee land, belong to farmers in Sokokembang village, to study about shade grown coffee in the Javan gibbon habitat, as based line data for further management of shadegrown coffee in Sokokembang. This year we have initial agreement with four farmers which have  3 ha approximately of forest coffee, to learn about shade grown coffee and trying to develop sustainable way of coffee production. Biodiversity study on shade grown coffee also have been started based on selected taxa. We use camera trap for small mammals  study and butterfly diversity in the shade grown coffee habitat. Study on vegetation also more intense on shade trees that frequently used by the javan gibbon and othe primates as food resources

vegetation analysis in forest coffee habitat

camera trapping in the forest coffee habitat.

GIBBON SCHOOL DAYS, when the gibbon goes to school.

Series of meetings to rise conservation awareness and education were done toward youth people surrounding javan gibbon habitat, within Pekalongan regency. First meeting was done at August 2014 where we have invited school teachers from senior high school to visit Sokokembang village, as our basecamp for our “Coffee and Primate Conservation Project” which supported by Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Singapore Zoo, Ostrava Zoo. At least four teachers from four different senior high school were attended our invitation. We introduce our program and more discussion about endangered primates and high biodiversity value of forest in Petungkriono district.Then the meeting with school teachers was follow up by next meeting i.e nature photography workshop.

                       

Event photography training was done in 20-21 Sept 2014, in Kayupuring village, Petungkriono District, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java.This event as a part of Javan gibbon and habitat conservation programs in Petungkriono forest areas. The aim is to promote conservation of endangered primates and as well as  an efforts to increase the capacity of communities around the area of ​​their habitat, to increase knowledge, raise conservation awareness of our environment, and to build a network of  young conservationists in surounding javan gibbon habitat.

Totally 25 participants from Pekalongan regecency, represent their schools, government officer, youth nature community, and people from the village were joint in the event. Three trainers i.e. Dr. M.Ali Imron-wildlife researcher of Gadjah Mada University, Swis Winasis-WildlifePhotographer and Regina Safri  - Photojournalist, were guide participants not only in the room theory but also in the field, practicing photograph and direct discussion with the experts.

check these video and photos out for impression of participants during the event :

photography workshop (20-21 Sept 2014) Javangibbon conservation

Coffee and Primate Conservation : a cup of java for gibbon

The title above is  oral presentation title during International Primatological  Society XXV Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam 11-17 Agustus 2014. Abstract for this presentation can be read here. The presentation is about our field work "Coffee and Primate Conservation Project" activities in Central Java. Please contact the author personally for further information.

Its largest meeting  in the field of primatology, where we can share information about primate research and conservation, meet the expert, funding agency and develop professional network for primate study and conservation.

.

We also joined in to the post congress of IPS, in Bogor 18-22 August, here about the meeting information and we also give a talk about our project in Sokokembang forest. There are two other poster presentation from our project activities, presented by our project team member. Read here  http://www.sea-primate.org/pdf/ecology/Aryanti.Ecology.pdf

 and http://www.sea-primate.org/pdf/Annisa.Conservation.pdf for the abstracts.

We would like to thanks to Conservation International, Margoth Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, and IUCN Primate SSC for the travel grant to attend the IPS meeting in Vietnam.