Day 1: Into the Unknown
I set out today with a team of six scientists to study the unexplored karst systems of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Karst systems – limestone caves, cliffs, sinkholes and waterfalls – are known globally to house some of the most unique and diverse species on Earth. Scientists believe that the caves and cliffs of Borneo – because of their size and location – may have more rare and endemic species than anywhere else.
But nobody is quite sure what we'll find, because there has never been a comprehensive survey of what lives in the Borneo karst systems. The Conservancy has made these Indonesian habitats a conservation priority because of the vast biodiversity that depends on these systems for survival, and because of the growing threats they face. If something is not done soon to protect these karst areas, dozens of plant, animal and insect species may disappear before anyone knows they ever existed.
I climbed into a small motor boat called a “katinging” by the local Indonesians. The driver stood at the back, maneuvering the outrigger motor, while the rest of us sat on thin planks of wood placed on the bottom to keep us inches above the water that slowly but steadily leaked into the boat. Every few minutes, our driver, named Puma, would use a small plastic bowl to bale out the water that covered the boat floor.
As we motored up the Tabalar River, we passed through thick forests of giant trees covered with massive vines. Proboscis monkeys scurried from the water’s edge as the boat’s loud motor grew near. Birds were everywhere. A variety of cranes and hornbill birds flew high above our heads. A brahminy kite – resembling a bald eagle with its white head and brown body – flew parallel to our small boat for several minutes before turning into the tree tops.
After a two-hour ride, our boat pulled up to a muddy bank along the river. A team of local workers who had arrived two days earlier where still cutting small trees with machetes in order to make our “pondocks”: beds resembling military hospital stretchers made of thin logs tied together by rope with canvas stretched over them. The pondocks were laid side by side on a wooden frame elevated about three feet above the ground to keep us clear of bugs, snakes and rats that roamed the night while we slept.
As darkness fell, the camp workers placed small white candles along the wooden bed frames. We ate a dinner of grilled chicken and rice. Halfway through the meal, a swarm of biting ants invaded the camp, completely covering the ground, climbing up the table legs and biting everyone’s ankles. As we jumped up on the log benches, a camp worker came with a torch, swaying it back and forth across the ground while another worker sprinkled kerosene on the dirt in order to burn away the ants. As we stood on the benches and sat on the table top we watched small flames singe the ground beneath us until it was safe to once again walk around.
After dinner, Matt Struebig, the expedition’s bat expert from the Queen Mary University of London, asked if I wanted to help him set up bat traps in the river. On the boat ride to the camp, Matt had seen a number of myotis bats skimming the water to catch insects. By now, the jungle was completely black and filled with the sounds of unknown animal species, so I declined Matt’s invitation. Instead, I crawled onto my pondock and drifted off to sleep to the sound of giant dung beetles slamming into my mosquito net.
Learn more about Borneo and East Kalimantan, Indonesia:
- Press Release: Scientists Discover New Animal and Plant Species Hidden Deep in Borneo Jungles
A team of international scientists led by The Nature Conservancy announced the discovery of at least two new fish species and a variety of previously unknown insect, snail and plant species living in the karst systems of Borneo.
- Where We Work: The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the world’s most extraordinary storehouses of biodiversity. Although it covers only 1.3% of Earth’s land surface, it is home to about 17% of the plant and animal species of the world.
- How You Can Help: Adopt an Acre®
Every second of every day, an area the size of a football field is cleared. That's 86,400 football fields per day, seven days a week. By adopting an acre, you are providing critical funds for rainforest acquisition and protection enabling the Conservancy and its partners to achieve their mission of protecting biological diversity.
Photo credits (top to bottom): © Harry Wiriadinata.
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