ProFauna Conference 2011: From The Ocean to the Jungle

ProFauna held its biennial conference inviting its 100 Supporters (local volunteers) from all over Indonesia and overseas. From 3^rd to 5^th June 2011, the theme "From the Ocean to the Jungle" was presented in ProFauna's education centre (www.p-wec.org) showing the protection and conservation of wildlife and forest in various ways in order to encourage the participants to actively involved in the efforts based on their skills and qualifications.

The presentation brought by ProFauna team included the organisation's sea turtle protection campaign in Bali, parrot conservation in Maluku, investigation and enforcement works against the illegal wildlife crimes in Jakarta, emergency response for animal victims of the Merapi Eruption occurred last October 2010, education and community development in ProFauna's education center (Petungsewu Wildlife Education Center), and forest protection campaign in Java and Kalimantan. The conference also invited internationally notable keynote speakers like Dr. Ian Singleton with the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) presenting the orangutan rehabilitation in Sumatera; Djuna Ivereigh, a photographer actively involved in parrot conservation and eco-tourism in Seram Island; and Joe Yaggi, a filmmaker with the Jungle Run Production who showed forest protection through documentary films. Since Indonesia is the country with the largest Moslem followers and most of the participants are Moslem too, the conference was also completed with a presentation about Islam and wildlife and forest protection in Islam Perspectives by Azizi Abdullah, a well-known Kiai (Islamic Cleric) in East Java.

The participants who were coming from different areas of the country like Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Maluku, and Java Islands as well as from Japan and Australia were excited to listen to the presentation and have discussion afterwards. On the 5^th June 2011, they had fun attending the workshop in conservation filmmaking by Joe Yaggi with the Jungle Run Production. ProFauna Supporters who were from various backgrounds: school children, teachers, university students and lecturers, veterinarians, conservation activists, government officers, and many more; enjoyed every minute of the presentation on how to campaign on wildlife and forest conservation from the simplest way/ DIY that anyone can do to the successful projects the organisation has performed which were presented by ProFauna's founder and chairman, Rosek Nursahid. After the conference, ProFauna also held training-for-trainers of Animal Welfare on 6^th and 7^th June 2011 for some of the participants. One of them, Hamka, as many Indonesians go by one name, a government officer with the Forestry Department, quoted, "I have spent wonderful time learning about ProFauna's works From the Ocean to the Jungle". Yuniar Laksitasari, ProFauna's Supporters Development Officer, added, "Anyone can join ProFauna and get actively involve in wildlife and forest conservation in Indonesia."