TWF to promote Wallace to foreign communities

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 06/10/2009 8:38 PM  |  National

The Wallacea Foundation (TWF) is promoting the East Indonesia areas named after British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace to the global community as part of its ambitious plan to set up a biodiversity research center in Ternate, North Maluku.

The maiden overseas campaign is to be held in Beijing during the Indonesian Week on June 17-21 before moving to Geneva later this year.

“We also wish to build a monument to honor Alfred Russel Wallace,” Sangkot Marzuki, chairman of the non-profit foundation, told reporters Wednesday.

Wallace areas cover Sulawesi, Maluku and Nusa Tenggara. The British scientist explored the areas between 1854 and 1862.

Sangkot said the foundation would promote Wallace’s rich biodiversity, including about 10,000 species of plants, 222 animals and 647 birds.

The foundation’s advisor, Sri Indrastuti Hadiputranto, said the scientific institution would also compile all researches conducted by other groups in the Wallace areas
.
The Wallacea Foundation was set up in 2005 as a merger of the Wallace Development Institute and the Wallacea Foundation.

Director of public diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, Umar Hadi, said the ministry threw its weight behind the foundation’s efforts.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.