WWF-Indonesia’s Honorary Supporter Visited Malinau Conservation District

It’s early morning in central Indonesia, when we start driving away from the center of Malinau. Along the way Nugie, Indonesian music sensation and Honorary Supporter of WWF Indonesia, continues to talk about why he is so in love with Indonesia's forests and the communities who live in them. So it is with this love of nature and society that brings him on his third visit to Malinau, a conservation district since 2007.

Nugie’s visit to this treasured bio-diverse area is at the invitation of WWF Indonesia to commemorate and celebrate the thirteenth year of Malinau being declared a conversation zone.

"I like the suggestion that the communities of Malinau have a lasting affect on you. I guarantee if you drink the water you will want to return again," jokes Nugie.

A focal point of the journey is to visit the village of Setulang, which has received the Kalpataru award in 2003 for their efforts to preserve and conserve indigenous forests (Tana Olen) surrounding the village.

When we arrive at SMPN 1 Setulang, some of the students surprise us - dressed in traditional clothes, they perform the Peace dance and the dance of the hornbills. Dancing with joy, Nugie and his friends are excited by such a rare performance.

We've come to visit to encourage the students and their school to continue to preserve the natural resources that they have. Nugie advises the students to be proud of their present life, because what they have is not able to be found in major cities, especially in Jakarta.

At the end of the meeting Nugie presents the school with books donated by students and schools from Jakarta, collected during the Heart of Borneo Festival earlier this year.

The next stop is the Radio Station Republik Indonesia (RRI) Malinau, where Nugie talks about how people can reduce their environmental impacts and plays some of his songs, including some that have not yet been released.

In the evening, Nugie performs on stage to commemorate the thirteenth birthday of Malinau’s conservation district. He closes the night’s performance with the Sparrow song, a song full of the message of life and the environment in it.