Sumatranorangutan

New information center in Sibolangit

PanEco and YEL will establish a new Nature Conservation Information Center (PIKA) in Sumatra. PIKA will be situated in Sibolangit Nature Recreation Park and will be established over the next five years in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency BKSDA.

The Nature Recreation Park Sibolangit was formerly a highly regarded botanical garden, linked to the well known Kebun Raya in Bogor, Java, before it fell into disrepair. YEL and PanEco feel it would be highly desirable to attempt to regain some of Sibolangit's former glory. At the same time, it possesses enormous potential for educating local North Sumatrans. Residents of the nearby sprawling city of Medan seldom - if ever - visit the Province's natural rainforests. This readily accessible new center will offer them the opportunity to better experience and appreciate the forest environment, and to learn more about its ecology and conservation. Its location near to the SOCP orangutan quarantine center in Batu Mbelin also  offers an excellent opportunity to inform visitors about the important work being carried out in this strictly closed  facility.