School Expeditions

Borneo Nature Foundation offers students an unforgettable experience to witness and learn about all the wonders of a Bornean rainforest, including one of our closest relatives, the Bornean orangutan, and what we can do to help save these majestic creatures.

Overview

Borneo Nature Foundation offers students a unique, engaging and rewarding opportunity to experience the habitat and wildlife of the Sebangau peat-swamp forest. Peat-swamp forests are remarkably diverse and home to over 30% of the remaining population of wild orangutans in Borneo. Other animal life includes gibbons, sun bears, clouded leopards, sambar deer, civets, tree shrews, water monitors, pythons, over 200 species of bird, including the rhinoceros hornbill and Wallace’s hawk eagle, and a large and diverse invertebrate community. We offer students the opportunity to:

Learn from both local and international scientists about topics such as peat swamp ecology, habitat monitoring techniques, biodiversity surveys, primate behaviour, research and technology and conservation threats and strategies
Enhance their understanding of material learned within the classroom when put into practice in the field, such as concepts related to Biology, Environmental Science and Geography
Experience the beauty and wonder of the flora and fauna of a peat-swamp environment and understand the importance of protecting this valuable ecosystem
Join active conservation and biodiversity research, gaining first-hand experience as a part of an NGO and research team in Indonesia
Empower their personal and interpersonal development to be facilitators of change, using the knowledge and skills they have learned throughout their visit for future conservation and research initiatives
Return to BNF in the future as a potential student, intern or volunteer

Experience

BNF’s School Expeditions are open to schools from both within and outside Indonesia. Working alongside BNF’s educators and scientists, the students will learn about peat swamp ecology, habitat monitoring techniques, biodiversity surveys, primate behaviour, research technology and conservation threats and strategies, to name just a few of the activities we offer. There are a variety of different options for visiting schools, depending on the students’ age, which includes 1-day, overnight and multi-day experiences. BNF can also offer students the opportunity to join one of our Environmental Education Programmes, Anak Sebangau, for the day located in the village of Kereng Bangkirai surrounding the Sebangau Forest.

“These programs allowed students to see the value in studying high school science as they put theory into practice and were exposed to potential future career paths that they had never considered. Students were so inspired during their trip that they undertook fundraising upon their return to Australia to support the initiatives of BNF and CIMTROP. The team at BNF and CIMTROP planned an incredible itinerary, had excellent communication in the lead up to our trip and really went out of their way to provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to our students. I could not speak more highly of their professionalism and would have no hesitation in recommending other schools visit their site.” – Chris Gauthier, Head of Curriculum, Springfield Central State High School, Australia –

The students will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of environmental education within the context of conservation and participate in traditional games, teach English and learn together with the young children in the programme about different environmental themes each month. This is a unique and rewarding experience for both the students and the children in the programme to learn from one another about culture and conservation. Further details about the variety of packages offered can be found in the School Expeditions Brochure, but we are flexible and happy to accommodate additional/alternative activities depending on the aims of the school trip.

Group size: minimum: 5 maximum: 30

Costs

The cost covers accommodation, meals, transportation and teaching expertise from a team of scientists and highly experienced field assistants. The cost also includes an important contribution to the long-term conservation work conducted by Borneo Nature Foundation and our partners, University of Palangka Raya, and to support Forest Patrol Unit and Fire-fighting Teams. The cost is dependent on group size and chosen activities, so please contact BNF to discuss the schedule and cost further.

Download brochure

Anak Sebangau play with Cleveland School students

Additional Information

All of BNF’s activities will be carried out in English or Indonesian so all students and chaperones must have a good working knowledge of either English or Indonesian for health and safety purposes. Before we begin any of the activities in the forest, BNF staff will provide a full induction to the forest and its hazards at camp, but we require all parents and chaperones read over our Hazard Awareness Form prior to the trip and forms for all students 18 years and under are signed by appropriate adults. We require students to be a minimum of 10 years old and can accommodate group sizes of maximum thirty individuals.

If your school or students would be interested in learning together with BNF in a thrilling environment, please contact join@borneonature.org for further information and start working with our team to plan your immersive forest experience.