Concert in aid of Kalimantan's forest

Concert in aid of Kalimantan's forest

JAKARTA (JP): Still fresh in the memories of many are the
fires in the early 1980's which raged through Kalimantan's virgin
forests.

The damage caused by the calamity may perhaps not be totally
irreparable, but in launching efforts to bring about the recovery
of these priceless assets, other aspects need to be considered.
Foremost among them are demands from an increasingly prosperous
society which in turn create mounting pressures from natural
resources development; transmigration programs and shifting
agriculture also add to the burden.

Careful management is needed in order to turn the conflicting
aspects of exploitation and regeneration into mutually supportive
elements within efforts to maintain the forests and at the same
time fulfill the demands of the people. This is where Project
Barito Ulu comes in.

Established in 1986, Project Barito Ulu was established under
a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Forestry
and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It is a
non-profit research venture supported by donations from trade and
industry and in its operations works closely with government and
university scientists.

Its specific aims are to gather unique data on plant-animal
interactions to better and the processes of regeneration and to
assist in management planning for conservation and sustained
yield programs, identify new plant and animal species in order to
enlarge the gene pool available for conservation and breeding
programs, increase knowledge of the ecology of shifting
agriculture in rainforest areas, and provide research and
training opportunities for Indonesian scientists in wildlife
biology and forest ecology.

Three Indonesian scientists are currently receiving
sponsorship for Masters degrees at UK universities, following
nine previous successful candidates.

As a non-profit venture, Project Barito Ulu is wholly
dependent on donations. A fund-raising event is to be held on
June 14 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, featuring renowned
British cellist, Alexander Baillie who will be accompanied by
Indonesian pianist Iswargia R. Sudarno in a program of
compositions by J.S. Bach, Schubert, Schumann and Martinu.

Baillie's visit in Jakarta also includes masterclasses and a
children's concert to be held at the Dutch cultural center,
Erasmus Huis.

--Gus Kairupan