We offer a range of unique, educational and rewarding experiences in the heart of the Bornean rainforest, where you learn first-hand from our conservation experts.
With more than 20 years of conservation and research experience in Borneo, we have trained hundreds of students from local and international schools, universities and research institutions in a wide range of rainforest conservation topics. We welcome visitors at our field sites in Borneo, where we share our expertise and passion, so you have an unforgettable experience and also have the opportunity to give back and support our conservation efforts.
Keep reading to find out more about the exciting programmes we have on offer and you can choose the experience which is right for you.
Molly, Cleveland District State High School, Australia
Experiences are individually priced so please contact us for more information. Excludes international and domestic flights, visas and personal travel insurance.
Living in a vibrant research camp, students will explore an incredible peat-swamp forest and discover wildlife in one of the most diverse rainforests in the world. During the expedition, students will expand their knowledge in wildlife ecology and rainforest conservation, increase appreciation for nature, and improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
A highlight is seeing the native wildlife – if you are lucky, orangutans will visit camp, gibbons will swing close by and you may even catch a glimpse of hornbills soaring through the sky! There are a variety of different options available for school expeditions. Working closely with teachers, we will plan an expedition to suit the needs of the school visit and we are flexible to accommodate the students’ academic requirements. Students must be at least 11 years old to join an expedition.
We offer field courses for university students, from around the world, to gain practical experience with our in situ scientific research and conservation projects. Students will be fully immersed in a field research environment and undertake ‘living lectures’ with our scientists and field team who have carried out long-term, intensive research on Borneo’s fascinating fauna and flora. For students who want to get out into the field, or lecturers who want to illustrate the theory taught in their classroom, this is a unique opportunity to experience the reality and the beauty of field research and conservation.
We invite enthusiastic and committed students to join one of our courses for an intensive few weeks of training or, alternatively, if you are a lecturer and wish to bring your students to one of our field sites and complement your teaching expertise with highly-qualified scientific support then join us! Lecturers have the opportunity to develop the content of the field courses with us and we can tailor the activities to prepare the best experience for the students.
Located in the Sebangau National Park, this ex-logging camp is now a thriving research station with students and researchers from around the world visiting every year. The camp has been improved greatly since it was first built in the 1990’s and now has accommodation for 35 people, an office, laboratory, library, solar panels, and common spaces for teaching and socialising. With local produce supplied by the nearby village, the kitchen staff cater to a range of dietary requirements and thanks to our cook Lis, who is also resident landscape gardener, has created beautiful scenery to relax and soak up rainforest life that surrounds the research base. It is a short, but unique, journey to camp from the village of Kereng Bangkirai. You will take a traditional canoe-like fishing boat called a kelotok across the river, then if river levels are low during the dry season, you will jump on a small train (yes, a train!), called a lori which will take you from the river edge straight into camp.
Rungan is the perfect place for those who wish for a more adventurous experience! In the heart of the Bornean rainforest, where you learn first-hand from our conservation experts. Be ready for basic facilities, with dormitory style camp beds made of rice bags tighten between planks (which are surprisingly very comfortable!), drinking water boiled from the river and generator-driven electricity only available in the evening. This remote camp with no phone or internet connection will make you feel like a real explorer discussing unknown parts of Borneo. You will be surrounded by stunning wildlife and without regular contact with the rest of the world (except for emergencies with a satellite phone). Our local field team always enjoy a game of Uno or playing guitar after a day of discovery in the forest! This camp provides the ideal opportunity to get back to basics and really reconnect with nature.
Borneo Nature Foundation is a non-profit conservation organisation. We work to protect some of the most important areas of tropical rainforest and to safeguard the wildlife, environment and indigenous culture on Borneo.