Sokokembang Rainforest Sound Recording

Sokokembang forest, provide source of inspiration and ideas. Here some result from our field work in the Javan gibbon habitat, Sokokembang forest, Petungkriyono,Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia.Gibbons, leaf monkeys, insect, birds,winds, and people activities are amazing,AWESOME!! all creating sounds,and offcourse they have their own ways to talk, talk with us ..(maybe).
Enjoy!!

Javan gibbon ecological study and Monitoring,in Sokokembang forest.

recording the gibbon calls

A longterm study about Javan gibbon and its ecology we called “Javan gibbon remote monitoring network” have been initiated in Sokokembang forest, Central Java, Indonesia. The Javan gibbon with their unique behavior have been studied, by its calling behavior for population monitoring. The specific aim is to provide scientific information on Javan gibbon acoustic behavior,  to know their population dynamic and we will use this result to raise conservation awareness,  broadcast the recorded calls  and other  rainforest  sound recording to world wide through the website.

Starting at March 2014 we have set a tree house for javan gibbon monitoring, and monitoring activities conducted monthly in four consecutive days. Set of directional microphone and smartphone have been used to record calling of the gibbon. Here for example of the result :

recording equipments

Participatory Biodiversity Mapping, at Javan gibbon’s village, Kayupuring, Central Java, Indonesia

One of the problems to raise awareness about forest and primate conservation in Javan gibbon’s habitat are very limited information even more there is no baseline species diversity, ecology, spatial location and conservation status of the protected species. All these information are useful if we use to talk with people in the village to motivate them to conserve their biodiversity actually. The specific aim of this activities are to mine information about biodiversity especially wildlife that usually found in Kayupuring village area’s based on community knowledge and their field observation, and we add more detail information on their basic ecology and its conservation status, then we present on the village biodiversity map.

This program is a part of Our Coffee and Primate Conservation Project that funded by Fortwayne Children Zoo and Singapore Zoo, cooperation with Wildlife Lab, Forest Resource Conservation Dept, Faculty of Forestry, Gadjah Mada University, of Yogyakarta. Located at Kayupuring village, on 17-19 June 2014, we have meeting series and guided by GIS expert from the university to discuss about wildlife that usually found in their village and forest, than we ask them to describe as clear as possible based on their field observation and we match this information to the field guide book as scientific clarification. And finally we use Google earth, to map wildlife encounter by the villagers.

Participants of Participatory biodiversity Mapping

GIS experts and wildlife ecologist from Gadjah Mada University giving a talk.

The 2nd Primate Survey Training, Sokokembang 9-11 June 2014

This activities was initiated last year in 2013, where we realize that primate conservation should be based on scientific information. And actually there is a problems to conserve endangered primate and its habitat in central java , that we lack of capacity and knowledge about primate survey method. 

Thus , the training aims are :1 to raise and encourage young primate researchers and conservationist in central Java. 2. To enhance knowledge and technical experience on field primate survey. 3. To establish professional network among young primatologist in central java.

Totally 21 participants,  were joint in 3 days training in Sokokembang (see photo.1), they are come from university students, forestry government staff ,Journalist, and local NGO  from surrounding javan gibbon habitat in central java

2014 training participants 

In this training, we introduce two methods that can be applied in the  field for primate survey training, i.e “line transect” and “vocal count-triangulation” especially for gibbon survey. The training including room discussion, field practice (data collection) and its data analysis.

During the training we also received coverage from national newspaper, and published at  11 June 2014 (photo.2).

newspaper coverage about the primate survey training in Sokokembang forest

Field visit Fortwayne Zoo in Sokokembang forest

Sokokembang forest view

17-20 June 2014 are special days for the coffee and primate conservation project, in Sokokembang village, Petungkriono , Central Java. We had a visit from Fort Wayne zoo staff (Dr. Joe Smith) and Fort Worth Zoo  (Dr  Nancy  P. Lung). The reason to visit Sokokembang is Javan gibbon, to see the field condition, problems and real action to stop extinction of the rarest gibbon in Indonesia.

As host for the project, after we introduce all the the project team we visiting Kayupuring village to meet village government officers there. Our mission is to express appreciation to the local government that Sokokembang within Kayupuring village has become part of the world’s attention to conserve endangered primates. Primate and habitat preservation involving forest communities have a real contribution to sustainable development with economic and ecological consideration complementary.

Primate watching in Sokokembang forest also become most interesting for our guest, we had observe with very clearly all four primate species in the forest i.e Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus), Javan Surili (Presbytis fredericae) and Longtailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), so lucky  we are,  observing all these primate in a single feeding tree, where there was ficus tree have been fruited and all the primates have been feed on them.

We also invited our guest to join in our village meeting, meet the villagers who processing forest-coffee and off course to feel our jungle track heading to our tree house which usually to be used as javan gibbon monitoring based on their call.

Three days for the field visit also giving invaluable experience and  motivation to our team member to continue our works, to conserve our endangered primates and it's habitat, and photos will tell you more than words.

with village government officers

Joe and Dr.Sena adisubrata from Gadjah Mada University

ID?

primate watching

Civet coffee

Nancy and Emily trying to capture the gibbon

Bird watching from tree house

Walking through forest coffee habitat

coffee processing and other non timber forest products

group photo with team, family and tv crew

SwaraOwa

"javan gibbon sonogram (male call)"

SwaraOwa is Javanese words, it’s meant  “calling of the gibbon”. We are a group of young people from surrounding Javanese primate habitat’s in central Java, Indonesia,  who want to try to contribute in conservation programs of our endangered primate species and it’s habitat. This blog belong to our group, and we use this SwaraOwa to talk with all of you, human primate in this planet earth, to raise attention and conservation awareness, also to  build a professional network, to  conserve our remaining forest,  where our last non-human primate living in,and off course for our future.
For our previous conservation project activities, you can read here,  and  here for another active blog, (available in Bahasa only). You can also follow us on tweeter @swaraOwa

Javan Gibbon on the Radio

Even people of Pekalogan, there are still some of them not know their own forest and unique primate, such as Javan silvery gibbon, which can be found nowhere else on earth. Sokokembang forest is located about one and half hours from the city of Pekalongan. its located in the mountainous area and Pekalongan city located along the coastline of north Java sea. However, mountainous area in Petungkriono district, that also habitat of Javan gibbon actually is critically important for Pekalongan city, where this mountain as watercatchment areas from all the rivers streaming down through Pekalongan. We have initiated a public campaing to introduce Javan gibbon and its conservation habitat in Sokokembang forest through a radio program. The aim is to promote and raising conservation awareness of an endemic primates of Pekalongan regency .

Collaborate with local radio “Radio Kota Batik” in Pekalongan, series of talkshow was succeed to be done at 24 April, 8 May , 22 May and 5 June 2014. We use this program not only to introduce our Primate Study Club but also more important to share information about our activities and to promote conservation of endangered primate which still exist in Pekalongan regency, that actually need more attention from people of Pekalongan themselves.

Agnes (our team member) have been on aired talk about Javan gibbon conservation activities.