Forest campaign kicked off in Kalimantan

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A number of environmental NGOs started a forest preservation campaign on Friday in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on a tour called the “Kepak Sayap Enggang”, which literally translates as the flapping of hornbills’ wings.

The program is aimed at conserving forest habitat in three provinces: South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan.

Greenpeace, the South Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Pena Hijau (Green Pen) took part in the campaign.

During the tour, members of the NGOs will take a closer look at the current condition of local forests, while at the same time encouraging residents to help conserve the forests and to prevent more damage.

A similar campaign, called the “Mata Harimau” (Eye of the Tiger) tour, was held last year in Sumatra.

“This time around, we put forward the hornbill as the icon of forest conservation. The hornbill is also the symbol of people in Kalimantan and it is categorized as an endangered species,” Hegar Wahyu Hidayat, the executive director of the South Kalimantan chapter of Walhi, said in statement.