Thanks to the sponsorship of the Aspinall Foundation and the 25Hours Freeride, BTRF was able to donate to the Regency of Malinau 6,000 environmental education manuals for primary school children. The books are adapted for grades 1 through 6 and cover topics relevant to the local environment and landscapes.
Onethousandfeet is a brand of footwear that donates a percentage of the sales of each pair of shoes to protect the rainforest. The primary beneficiary is BTRF. For each pair of shoes purchased, the company donates funds to create sustainable community development and sponsorship of rainforest protection in Borneo. onethousandfeet officially launched its products in February 2010 at the TED conference (technology, entertainment, design) at Long Beach and Palm Springs. In the course of the first day, over one thousand pairs of shoes were distributed to participants. Bill Gates and Will Smith, among others were observed sporting their onethousandfeet shoes.
photograph TED/Marla Aufmuth
A great many thanks to Dominique Perret, his dynamic team and the generous sponsors for making the 2010 edition of the “25 Hours Freeride” once again a special and fun event. For the second year in a row, BTRF stands to benefit from the “25 Hours Freeride” event in Gstaad, Switzerland on January 29-31 when CHF 181,200 were collected. After organizers’ expenses are deducted, BTRF will use the resulting funds to further environmental education in Borneo’s schools and for community development in its project areas.
For more information, visit 25 hours website at: www.25hoursfreeride.ch
Photographs copyright of Daniel Mitchell
To see more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/a03575/sets/72157623323310560/
In Balikpapan, on December 1st 2009, BTRF’s president, Ms. Marinah Embiricos was a keynote speaker at the National environmental Workshop on the “Regional Initiative in Anticipating Global Warming and Climate Change Mitigation”. Over 200 participants attended the workshop, including the Minister of Environment, the National Council on Climate Change, former state ministers, Regents of East Kalimantan, Member of East Kalimantan’s Parliament, Governors of numerous provinces throughout Indonesia, environment and forestry department representatives, community organizations, NGOs, International Organizations and the private sector. Read more… »
Upon the request of a number of farmers living in Malinau District, BTRF and the Balung River Eco-resort organized and financed a trip to the Balung Eco-resort for a week-long training on commodity cultivation, tourism and electricity generation. The training took place at the Balung Eco-resort and the Kebun Rimau plantation from October 10 to 21, 2009 and accommodated a group of 10, comprised of farmers, local NGO representatives and BTRF project staff. Read more… »
BTRF’s President Marinah Embiricos accompanied the East Kalimantan and the West Kalimantan delegations, led by HE Drs. H. Awang Faroek, Governor of the East Kalimantan and HE Drs. Cornelis, Governor of West Kalimantan to the Governor’s Global Climate Summit 2 – on the road to Copenhagen, hosted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzengger from September 30 to October 2, 2009. Read more… »
Statement reinforces sub-national action, desire to forge consensus and enhance effort
Copenhagen, 14 December 2009 – Echoing sub-national unity to fight advancing global climate impacts, governors representing 14 states and provinces today issued a statement urging nations’ support of forestry protocols. The states, including from; Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and the U.S. jointly endorsed a transnational task force that would forge greater involvement of national governments and the international community to help address forestry related issues in developing climate policy. The provinces of East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan, Indonesia were represented by the President and Founder of the Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation (BTRF).
BTRF’s President, Marinah Embiricos signs new Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Forestry’s Department of Forest Protection and Natural Resource Conservation Director General Ir. Darori, MM. The MOU stipulates provisions for the strengthening of capacity of government institutions in forest protection and nature conservation planning and support management activities in Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan Province.
The scope of cooperation also includes the empowerment of local communities through a series of pilot projects aimed at raising awareness for nature conservation, strengthening community institutions, eco-tourism development and Payment-for-Ecosystem-Services (PES) schemes.
BTRF would like to extend its most heartfelt thanks to Dominique Perret, the organizers, the sponsors and all the participants that made the 25 hours freeride a fun and successful event. BTRF is particularly pleased to announce that its team came in second position. CHF 89,000 were donated to BTRF which will go to support its work in Malinau Regency in East Kalimantan Province of Borneo.
BTRF has been chosen as a beneficiary of this years 25 hours Freeride event in Gstaad. The 25 hours freeride is the brainchild of BTRF board member, Dominique Perret, who has earned the distinction of being voted ‘Freeride Skier of the Century’. Now in its eighth year, the freeride is a team event that has raised thousands of francs for charity.
This year the proceeds of this inspirational sporting and fun occasion will be shared by two organisations working on behalf of underprivileged children in the developed and developing world respectively: