Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia

Written by a teacher at the International School of LhokSeumawe

Class or age : 11-13yrs of age

Name of Forest: Gunung Leuser National Park

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General information

Here's a brief history on the Gunung Leuser Project and our involvement with GLP for you:

The Gunung Leuser Project was begun in June, 1995 when the European Union donated US$40 million to Indonesia. The grant was given to help with rain forest conservation in the Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the world's biggest tropical rain forests. A secondary goal of the project is to develop economic programs for the local people in the area.

The Gunung Leuser Project combines efforts of European and Indonesian scientists working to protect plant and animals within the core park by creating surrounding buffer zones. Many endangered species are now threatened by habitat destruction. For example, many large mammals that inhabit the rain forest-tiger, elephant, and rhino-are lowland creatures.

Yet, lowlands that surround the park have been steadily encroached upon by local people over the years. Habitat destruction thus forces these large mammals into the core highlands of the Gunung Leuser Reserve, away from traditional migratory routes and mating grounds.

Illegal logging threatens many of the diptocarps (the towering tree giants) of the rain forest. Diptocarps do not produce seeds until they are thirty to forty years old. Yet, these dominant trees of the rain forest are typically cut illegally before reaching maturity. As a result, no new seedlings are left to produce a new generation of this essential part of the rain forest ecosystem.

Scientists feel that the best way to conserve the natural resources of the Leuser Rain Forest is to create lowland buffer zones that provide economic alternatives for the people living around the park. Scientists want to promote agricultural programs and forestry products that provide an alternative to illegal logging and poaching practices. Irrigation projects are underway to promote better agriculture and reforestation efforts. Scientists also want to promote eco-tourism as an economic alternative to illegal practices. By providing economically sustainable programs to people living around the Leuser National Park, scientists hope to protect many of the endangered plants and animals within.

Five divisions of the Leuser Project have been established to attain the goals of conservation and economic sustenance. These five division include Research, Conservation, Buffer Zones, Rural Development, and Research, Monitoring and Information (RMI) Division. The Gunung Leuser Project is a very ambitious undertaking; hopefully, the project can help to protect one of the earth's most valuable natural resources--the rain forest.

The International School of Lhokseumawe (ISOL) is sponsored by Mobil Oil. ISOL has a school population of 24 students and 7 teachers. I teach science, math, and language arts to 7 middle school students (ages 11 to 13) of American, Canadian, and Swiss descent. Our school is located at the very northern tip of Sumatra on the Straits of Malacca.

ISOL middle school students are now working with European and Indonesian scientists, forestry agents, and other students on the Gunung Leuser Project. I met with Dr. Kathryrn Monk, director of the Research, Monitoring, and Information Division, about involving students from international schools in Southeast Asia with scientists in their research in the Leuser Reserve. Dr. Monk enthusiastically supports our efforts, and she will continue to provide advice and logistical support to us throughout this project.

Dr. Monk proposed a series of excursions into the rain forest to map and monitor a lowland area that adjoins the highland core park. This 12,000 hectares area (30,000 acres) was slashed and burned three years ago. Dr. Monk would like students to gather information that compares slash and burn areas to secondary growth forest and to primary growth forest.

Student activities includes mapping perimeter areas, monitoring plant and animal species in the primary and secondary growth areas, and conducting research projects within the rain forest.

ISOL students will eventually work with students from the Medan International School, the Singapore American School, and CALTEX American School on the Gunung Leuser Project. This opportunity provides our ISOL students time to collaborate with students from other schools on an academic project. Of course, students will also have time to meet new friends as they work together in the field.

Our study area is located near Sikundur, a remote post on the eastern side of the Gunung Leuser National Park. Sikundur is three hour north of Medan by road. The road is paved to Besitang; from Besitang westwards to the park, dirt tracks pass through oil palm and rubber plantations.

While scenic, the way is difficult. As the rainy season approaches, the dirt tracks will become even more difficult to negotiate.

A second excursion has been tentatively scheduled for the middle of March, 1997. We will consider further excursions as soon as we evaluate the success of these first two outings.

Written by Paul Lane,
Science Teacher
International School of Lhokseumawe
c/o Mobil Oil
Lhokseumawe, Sumatra
Indonesia