Monthly Newsletters

Since September 2005, Lambusango Forest Conservation Project/LFCP (Program Konservasi Hutan Lambusango/PKHL) has published monthly 'Lambusango Lestari' Newsletter/Buletin Lambusango Lestari. Seven hundred copies are distributed to the Lambusango Forest stakeholders in Buton District, Bau-Bau, Kendari,  Bogor and Jakarta .  The newsletter can also be accessed in www.lambusango.com.   In every edition, the newsletter is designed to discuss a particular topic/issue related with Lambusango Forest conservation actions. Below is the English translation of the main article/report titles:

Introduction to the Lambusango Lestari Indonesian Newsletter May edition

Sulawesi forms the largest landmass within the Wallacea biogeographical region and has the highest percentage of endemic species. Lambusango forests (65,000 ha) is the best remaining lowland natural forest in the Buton island ( South-east Sulawesi ). The global significance of the Lambusango forests can be summarised as follows: (1) During the last five years, Operation Wallacea has discovered 21 new vertebrate species, i.e. 4 fish, 11 reptiles and amphibians, 2 small mammals, 3 bats and 1 primate; (2) The last strongholds of ‘Critically Endangered’ Anoa, the most charismatic Sulawesi mammal endemic species; (3) Home of threatened species including one frog which was thought to have been extinct plus numerous other reptile and amphibian species, 12 bird species on the IUCN Vulnerable, Threatened or Near Threatened lists, and 2 rare endemic bats only recorded on a few previous occasions in Sulawesi. 

The biodiversity richness of the Lambusango Forests is discussed in some details in this edition, apart from the latest LFCP’s news until mid May 2006. The headline of this volume is 'What is in the Lambusango Forests?". Below is the English translation of the main article/report titles:

1.  Verba valent, scripta manent (Editorial/Edi Purwanto)

2.  What is Wallacea? (Editorial/Edi Purwanto).

3.  The unique phenomena in the Padang Kuku (Main report/Edi Purwanto)

4.  Why Anoa is suitable for a flagship species?  (Main report/Henry A. Singer)

5.  Fish species diversity in the Lambusango forests (Actuality/Henry A. Singer)

6.  Why do millions western people become birdwatchers? (Actuality/Henry A. Singer) 

7.  Do we need to manage Macaca brunnescens (Andoke) population in the Lambusango Forests? (Opinion/Ambang Wijaya).

8.  Book discussion (‘The Mystery of Biodiversity Richness of the Lambusango Forests’) in the secondary schools (Report).

10. Socialization of ‘Community Forestry Management Forum’ at sub-district levels (Report).

12. Writing essay contests about Lambusango Forests for secondary school (Report). 

13. Pak Lamarene: a Lambusango jungle adventurer (Profile).

Introduction to “Lambusango Lestari’ Indonesian Newsletter April edition

Headline: ‘Nasionalisme Lingkungan. Menyoal Konversi Hutan Alam Menjadi  Kebun Sawit’  

Since the beginning of 1990’s the extent of oil palm plantation has increased continuously, from less than 1.5 millions hectares in 1992 to ca. 3.6 millions hectares in 2002.

The rapid and ambitious oil palm plantation development, to some extent, has driven illegal and destructive logging in the country.  Following are the major areas of concern: (1) Despite the widespread and abundance of logged over area (ca. 45 millions hectares), oil palm plantation are often developed at the expense of virgin natural forest. This has been; (2) Many oil palm developers have misused their permits; some only interest on timber extraction, rather than doing business on oil palm plantation. In fact, misused of oil palm plantation permits has been widespread in Konawe District, SE Sulawesi (Kendari Pos, 21 February 2006). 

In Buton District, PT. WCA intends to develop 15,000 hectares oil palm plantation in Lasalimu and Lasalimu Selatan Sub-Districts. Apart from list of villages (Sri Batara, Lasembangi and Wasuamba) which will be influenced by the project, there is no information (map) about the extent of proposed plantation area. However, considering the limited arable land in those villages, there is a big possibility that the proposed oil palm plantation areas (15,000 hectares) will be developed at the expense of Lambusango Forests. It is necessary to note that in 1990s, PT. WCA hold official permits to develop cacao plantation in Lasalimu Selatan, but they only logged thousands hectares of forests in Lasalimu Selatan, while the cocoa plantation has never been developed. The destructive logging has alleged association with the cause of 1999 flash food in Lasalimu Selatan Sub District.  

Based on our field investigation, there have been pros and cons concerning the issues among community living in those three villages. Some villagers have had over expectation on the benefit of the project, while some are pessimistic considering the past experience with the company. So far, Buton district has not yet granted oil palm plantation operational permit to PT WCA.  

In response to the situation, we made use the eighth edition of the “Lambusango Lestari’ Indonesian Newsletter (April 2006) to convey a set of awareness articles to warn Lambusango forest stakeholders on the environmental effects of ancient tropical forest conversion into oil palm plantation in small limestone island like Buton. Through our editorial, we also urge decision makers and all forest stakeholders to strengthen ‘green’ (environment) nationalism. Those materials will hopefully be used as a practical reference by decision makers and key community elders for taking natural resource management decision.   

The main headline of this edition is 'Green Nationalism’, with the sub headline ‘Scrutinizing natural forest conversion into oil palm plantation’. Below is the English translation of the main article/report titles: 

1.  All season disaster (From the Editor/Edi Purwanto)

2. Green Nationalism (Editorial/Edi Purwanto)

3. Environmental impacts of natural forest conversion to oil palm plantation’ (Main Report/Edi Purwanto)

4.  Social and environmental costs of developing oil palm plantation at the expense of      ancient forest (Main report/Sigit Wijanarko)

5.  Haze (Reflection/Sigit Wijanarko)

6.  Scrutinizing the oil palm plantation proposal (Main report/ Sigit Wijanarko)

7.  Profile of Bupati Buton/Syafei Kahar (Report/Sigit Wijanarko) 

8.  Oil palm plantation, is that right? (Report/Nasrun and Musyafir)

8.  LFCP facilitates the review of Buton District spatial planning (Report/Sigit Wijanarko)

10.  Why butterfly has beautiful wings? (Info/Henry A. Singer)

Introduction to “Lambusango Lestari’ Indonesian Newsletter February 2006 edition

Recently, floods and landslides hitting some areas of the country resulted from mainly environmental damage, while high rainfall intensity only contributes to the disasters. Floods and landslides in Central Java killed at least 131 people and destroyed hundreds of houses, 78 people were killed in landslides in Jember, East Java, while at least 20 people were killed in Manado, North Sulawesi. 

In response to the hot environment issues, we made use the February 2006 Edition of the Newsletter to convey a set of awareness articles to warn Lambusango forest stakeholders on the need to conserve their forests to maintain many useful ecosystem services, such as supplies of high quality water (including electricity power) to downstream areas, and more importantly to prevent flood and landslide hazards.   

The headline of this edition is 'Preventing Manmade Environmental Disasters".  Below is the English translation of the main article/report titles: 

1. Take lessons from flood and landslide disasters (Editorial/Edi Purwanto)

2. Preventing manmade environmental disasters (Main report/Edi Purwanto)

3. The need of rainwater harvesting movements to prevent flood (Main report/Edi Purwanto)

4. Do not wait until the tragedy coming (Opinion/ R. Ade)

5. Impact of upstream massive deforestation to frequent electricity blackouts (Report/R. Ade)

6. A closer look on Wabou village (Investigation/Agus Mahdi) 

7. Lawele villagers planted trees to restore critical land surrounding headwater catchment (Report/Nasrun and Sigit Wijanarko)

8. Buton District Forestry Office formulated the organization structure of Forest Crime Unit (Report/Marihot Manurung)

9. Farmers’ common practices to prevent pig raids (Report/Sigit Wijanarko)