Rainforest Rescue has been working with project partner, Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) to restore illegally cleared national park in Northern Sumatra since 2009.

Our recent site visit to the project in Sei Betung Besitang, Gunung Leuser National Park provided encouragement as it demonstrated that it is possible to re-create a healthy ecosystem in an old-growth rainforest previously decimated by illegal palm oil plantations.

OIC’s revegetation work is similar to our Daintree operations. All trees are grown at their nursery from seeds sourced from the ‘mother’ trees (those that survived logging).

A combination of slow and fast-growing trees are planted to ensure rapid canopy enclosure, and all trees are tagged and growth rates measured every six months. In a plot regenerated three years ago at Sei Betung Besitang, key species are already returning.

Elephant scats and orangutan nests demonstrate the rainforest now grows sufficient food for their survival.

These animals also play a significant role in rainforest regeneration – orangutan disperse seeds over a larger range as they travel between trees and elephant scats provide fertiliser.