2002 Conservation Projects

Jump forward to see our 2002 rainforest conservation projects in Belize and Borneo.

Belize 2002

Las Cuevas

with University of California and Government of Belize and Government of Belize

Research Support

The Natural History Museum uses the research station at Las Cuevas in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve which lies within a much larger area of protected forest in the Maya Mountains (we worked there in 1999). We worked with field guides at the station and other researchers from the University of Virginia carrying out research using remote camera trapping technologies into the movement of jaguar in the region (Belize boasts the highest concentration of these amazing animals in Central America), the clearance of a trail to enable dry season access to the proposed Chalillo Hydroelectric Dam on the Macal River and the monitoring of wildlife/endangered species along the Monkey Tail/Macal Rivers.

Cockscomb

with Belize Audubon Society (BAS)

Trail Upgrade and Infrastructure Support

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, managed by the BAS contains the gruelling five-day trail to complete the journey to and from Victoria Peak, Belize's highest accessible point. Trekforce's task here consisted of upgrading and maintaining the Victoria Peak Trail, post-Hurricane Iris, which included repairing pallapas, constructing bridges and recommendations for climbing 'protection' issues on some of the difficult sections. A further trail was identified to link up The Outlier Ridge Trail to the trail leading to the peak to provide a range of different trails to be used by the eco tourists, ornithologists and researchers visiting the area, now featured in The Rough Guide.

Block 127

with the Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE)

Protective Fire Break

TIDE has been given the responsibility of maintaining a new protected area provisionally called ‘Block 127’. The 11,500 acres of jungle and mangrove has been given protected status in return for a US financial contribution to Belize. This brand new area needed to have its boundaries marked and for trails to be cut to access different areas. A large group set about the exhausting task of cutting a firebreak to prevent a dry season flash fire from spreading into the reserve. The immense amount of felled wood post-Hurricane Iris (Oct 2001) proved a huge fire risk and so the fire break was vital. A temporary ranger's station was built as an additional task.

Elijio Panti

with the Itzamna Society

Park Mapping

Noj Kaax Meen Elijo Panti is a new protected area consisting of 14,000 acres of jungle and mountain pine ridge in Cayo District. The area is, as yet, unexplored thoroughly - our team there discovered a 300ft waterfall. Parts of the rainforest are over 100 years old. Tasks included building a large pallapa hut with washing area for the planned visitor centre, constructing steps from the proposed visitor centre site to a series of magnificent Mayan Offering Caves (still containing Mayan pots and ancient human sacrificed remains) and carrying out exploratory topographical transects throughout the park. The project report provided the first accurate map of the park boundaries and contents.

Payne's Creek

with the Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE)

Ranger Station

Payne's Creek National Park, managed by TIDE, is where we carried out a very successful project in 1999 to build a Rangers Station. Unfortunately the post was destroyed by Hurricane Iris (Oct 2001). The station was the focal point for the National Park not only from a visitor's perspective but also from the management and policing aspects. Thus the reconstruction of this facility was high priority. A small team rebuilt the centre five months to the day from when Iris struck. The focal point to the park was re-built and TIDE's conservation and environmental educational programmes were able to continue unabated. Other tasks included trying to forge a route westwards across the Maya Divide.

Mayflower

with Friends of Mayflower Bocawina

Park Demarcation

Mayflower Bocawina National Park contains the Mayan ruins of Maintzunun, Mayflower and T'au Witz. This is an area of great natural beauty, including two waterfalls . From the high ground, views are afforded of the coastal plains out to the Caribbean coastline. Our team's project was a continuation in creating the basic infrastructure for the National Park to become self-sufficient through eco-tourism and archaeological research. This included the demarcation of the park boundaries, bridge construction, trail clearance and pallapa construction. Topographical transects were also conducted throughout the park, discovering waterfalls, view points and further Mayan archaeological sites.

Billy Barquedier

with Forestry Department, Steadfast Tourism and Conservation Association (STACA)

Park Demarcation

Billy Barquedier National Park is a joint initiative of the Forestry Department and the community of Steadfast and is the newest National Park in Belize. The Billy Barquedier Creek and its water catchment area provides the only water source for two villages in the Stann Creek Valley and hence it was essential to accurately clear and mark the boundary to avoid further human encroachment. Tasks included clearing and marking the boundary, creating a trail to Steadfast Waterfalls and conducting an exploratory transect along the Mullins River valley through The Manatee Forest Reserve from its source (with a view to a new eco-tourist trail being created via Hells Gate Falls).

Borneo 2002

Malua

with the Royal Society South-East Asian Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP)

Rainforest Regeneration Experiment

One of our most high profile projects we have ever worked on came in July when we had the honour of attaching ourselves to the long established and world-renowned Royal Society SEARRP at the Malua Forest Reserve, North of the Danum Valley Conservation Area in East Sabah. The project is part of "The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment", a collaborative project between SEARRP and Innoprise Corporation. It involved the planting of 35,000 dipterocarp seedlings in a 100 hectare plot of partially logged jungle set aside for the experiment. This plot represents one fifth of the biggest ever ongoing experiment into rainforest regeneration in the world. The dipterocarp tree forms the main body of the jungle canopy and so it is vital to learn the best conditions to allow them to grow in order to try to regenerate previously logged jungle. The Malua Forest Reserve was a breathtaking reserve to work in; home to orangutan, clouded leopard and even a tiny population of the all-but-extinct Sumatran Rhino.

Ramudu

with Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications and the Kelabit People

Bridge and Visitor Centre

This team had the task of constructing a sleeping shelter and a wood/steel suspension bridge on the route from the central Kelabit village of Bario to the more remote village of Ramudu in order to complete the "Bario Loop" visitor trail and facilitate access to the local villages of the Kelabit Highlands. For this complex task we had the support of the Malaysian Institute of Engineers. This helps provide modest income via eco-tourism. The final product was a stunning achievement. Local elders attended the opening ceremony in full dress and a buffalo was slaughtered. The team finished their expedition with a trek back to Bario via the beautiful village of Long Dano.

Pa Dalih

with Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications and the Kelabit People

Bridge construction

Team Pa Dalih had the task of building one main steel and wood suspension bridge and rebuilding eight smaller bridges on the main trail to Bario as mentioned above. The team also spent some time finding and cataloguing some ancient megoliths for the University of Malaysia and got to see some unknown sites that will now be recorded. The Director of Immigration was among the guests at the opening ceremony where over 100 villagers attended. The paramount chief of the Kelabits, Pemanca Ngimat Ayu gave a moving speech about how the young volunteers came to Bario and had completed these projects with such enthusiasm and style.

Long Lellang

with the Medical Department, Sarawak and the Kelabit People

Gravity Water Feed construction

The medical department of Sarawak is constantly challenged with ensuring clean water is provided to the rural communities. They identified a need for a new gravity water feed to the village of Long Lellang where the school serves several settlements. Our team built a small water catch dam and laid pipeline for some two kilometres to the village. It was a challenging project as all the piping had to be carried up steep slopes and through rivers for weeks on end. The project allowed the team to meet the Penan tribe who are traditionally nomadic. The team returned from the project by taking a six day trek from Long Lellang all the way to Bario.

Pa Berang

with the Kelabit community of NE Sarawak

Bridge construction

On a well-used trail to the village of Ramudu, the Kelabits are constantly faced with trying to ford across two large rivers; the Pa Duran and the Pa Dabpur as well as several other tributaries. The trail serves about six villages that send their children to school in Bario. A Trekforce team built two large bridges as well as three smaller ones. They spent time in some of the oldest forest in the world. This team had a fascinating expedition where they had the privilege of meeting and living alongside some of the oldest communities in Borneo. The group also produced a Kelabit phrase book.

Pa Puak

with the Medical Department, Sarawak and the Kelabit People

Gravity Water Feed construction

A short distance from Bario itself, this team was doing a similar project to the Long Lellang team, building a gravity water feed to ensure safe water for the local people of Pa Puak. The project was finished in good time and so the team went on to build some more bridges on the Ramudu trail, part of the Bario Loop, which is to provide an attraction for serious eco-tourists who will provide a small income to the communities.

The Kelabit people invited the group into the village for an official naming ceremony where each of the volunteers was given their own Kelabit name. There are few people from outside Borneo who are afforded such an honour.

Serious Jungle

with Sepilok Orangutan Centre, Sabah and the BBC

BBC expedition, Separate TV project

As a result of our reputation in the expedition world, we have been selected by the BBC to lead an expedition to be televised later in 2002 as a six part series entitled, “Serious Jungle”. This was a one-off expedition for younger people.

In March, a countrywide competition, headed up by BBC Talent and sponsored by Persil, selected 150 teenagers to attend auditions. Finalists attended a final selection weekend in the Lake District from which the final eight winners were selected.

The task for the small team was the building of a feeding platform for the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah, Borneo. The expedition, led by Bruce Parry (himself now a specialist in far more extreme expeditions) and Emma Jay, who has led for Trekforce on many occasions, was supported by medics Beth Lynch and Roz Nurse.The eight camera crew were looked after by Trekforce veteran, Dougie Warner. The expedition has been shown live on CBBC and was broadcast as six episodes on BBC1 in the winter of 2002.