About US

Protecting Borneo’s biodiversity through community-led conservation, research and education projects.

We have been implementing rainforest conservation in Borneo for over 20 years. We partner with local stakeholders to implement landscape-level conservation strategies based on rigorous scientific research, and support communities to develop sustainable livelihoods that complement environmental protection.

1990s

First expedition

Botanists Jack Rieley (University of Nottingham) and Susan Page (University of Leicester) teamed up with Suwido Limin and colleagues at the University of Palangka Raya to conduct fact-finding expeditions into Sebangau’s peat-swamp forests.

1990s

1995

Orangutan population discovery

joined the third expedition and undertook the very first orangutan surveys in Sebangau. Incredibly, they discovered that this forest was home to the largest known orangutan population in lowland Borneo.

1995

1999

OuTrop was founded

Helen and Simon founded the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop) to raise awareness of the importance of Sebangau for orangutan conservation and to encourage sustainable management, protection and restoration of this globally-important rainforest.

1999

2003

Orangutan Research Project

It has been ongoing since 2003 when Helen Morrogh-Bernard, first started to habituate wild orangutans in the Sebangau National Park and collect data on their behaviour and ecology.

2003

2004

Designation of Sebangau National Park

We identified Sebangau as home to the largest orangutan population in lowland Borneo, bringing the region to the forefront of orangutan conservation efforts and contributing in the award of National Park status in 2004

2004

2005

Gibbon Research Project

Established by Dr. Susan Cheyne in the Natural Laboratory of Peat-swamp Forest (LAHG), a special zone within Sebangau National Park, to study the gibbon’s behaviour. We have studied seven wild gibbon groups and continue to focus on three of them.

2005

2008

Wild Cats & Camera Traps

We began our first camera trap surveys in the LAHG, a special zone within Sebangau National Park. Using infrared camera traps, we seek to answer key questions about the behaviour and ecology of Borneo's secretive wild cats.

2008

2010

Blocking man-made drainage

We started blocking man-made drainage canals in the LAHG, a special zone within Sebangau National Park by building dams made from sustainably-sourced materials and designed by peat hydrology experts.

2010

2015

Forest Fires in Central Kalimantan

In 2015, massive fires raged for months in Central Kalimantan. We are working to address the root causes of the fires through implementation of our integrated, community-based fire-prevention strategy for the region.

2015

2016

Borneo Nature Foundation was created

Born out of OuTrop and legally registered in 2015, we changed our name as Borneo Nature Foundation to extend our reach and tackle conservation challenges across Borneo. We expanded our projects in Sebangau National Park to support the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in forest restoration; and established our Rungan Programme, working to protect 156,000 hectares of vital orangutan habitat.

2016

2018

Expanding into the Heart of Borneo

We launched our Barito Ulu Programme, working in the Heart of Borneo to revive research and conservation in the spectacularly bio-diverse and yet unprotected rainforests of northern Central Kalimantan.

2018

2019

Collaborative Agreement with Sebangau National Park (BTNS)

BNF officially signed a Collaborative Agreement with Sebangau National Park (BTNS) on May 2019. This agreement serves to consolidate and develop our relationship and collaboration towards our common goal of preserving the biodiversity in Sebangau National Park and strengthening the joint conservation efforts.

2019

2020

Achievement year

We received major recognition for our conservation efforts in Borneo when we won the UpLink Trillion Trees Challenge, People’s Choice Award at the World Economic Forum and the Keeling Curve Prize.

2020

2022

BNF Now

We always look forward and strive to protect the endangered species even more while involving the community and local stakeholders. We hope, our work can get a bigger impact than before.