Tags: Fires

A day of fire-fighting teaches lessons for a lifetime

November, 1 2013


A smoky haze blankets the landscape for miles before we reach Rawa Kuno Forest. Off in the distance, great plumes of smoke can be seen emanating from the horizon. At the base of each plume, orange flames reach up and produce the smoke that is being carried off into the sky. Once the sun goes…

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Changing weather, Changing Ecosystems

September, 30 2013


For the human and animal dwellers of Borneo, monsoons, droughts, and other extreme weather conditions are nothing new. The equatorial climate of this mega-island can be famously inhospitable. As such, Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and the entire OFI team of staff, researchers, and volunteers have become accustomed to working to protect orangutans under any and…

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It’s Our Job to Help Keep Orangutans Safe in any weather.

August, 1 2013


These days, it’s difficult to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television or Internet and not find a headline story in the news about extreme weather. It seems high temperatures, heavy rains, drought conditions, and wildfires are wrecking havoc on communities throughout the world. But what the average person considers to be extreme…

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Up in smoke: facts and frenzy about Borneo forest fires

November, 17 2012


You are standing in the midst of destruction. Felled, charred trees litter the smoldering ground below you. The dead leaves crunch under your feet with each cautious step and the heat presses on your skin and fills your lungs. Fires pop up unexpectedly all around you, and a threatened rainforest is behind you. You are…

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OFI fighting fires in Borneo

October, 25 2009


El Nino’s arrival has brought on severe drought to the region. During these long droughts, the forests of Borneo are much more vulnerable to fires. The land cleared for palm oil plantations and by farmers goes up in flames easily due to the dried and dead brush on the floor of the forest. What is…

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