Orangutan & Pygmy Elephant volunteer safari

Your mission on this unique volunteer programme is to help us monitor migration patterns along the river, explore human conflicts and elephant behaviour towards local villages and make locals aware that the pygmy elephant is an important natural heritage to the location. By being on the project you will demonstrate that the rest of the world comes to Borneo to experience elephants and help to reverse stigma that elephants are treasures not pests. Help us save the pygmy elephant while being on a river safari in the ancient rainforests of Borneo.

As well as planting trees, you will get to track Pygmy elephant migration patterns and observe any conflicts with humans or villages. You will travel round in a small group of 12. Small groups are less intimidating to the local communities and results in less damage to the jungle by trampling. There are only about 150 pygmy elephants left in the wild, and they are an important natural heritage to Borneo. By being on the project you will help to emphasise the importance of elephants to the local community, thereby encouraging tourism and therefore helping the local economy.

You will partake in a day planting trees aimed at offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions generated from your long haul air travel. The trees planted are used to help regenerate rainforest corridors (that were removed because of logging) and bridge the gaps between one forest area and the other. This allows for animals to increase their habitat also. Supporting local economic development is just as important as our conservation work. 80% of our staff are locals. They receive their training from overseas tourism students who teach them to understand the culture and needs of the tourists, and also help increase their English and communication skills.

The lodge that you will be staying at in Sabah, subscribes to the environmental codes of responsible tourism under Green Globe program of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and PATA's Green Leaf program. Accommodation is provided in a locally owned Eco-lodge, which won at the Responsible Tourism Awards. The Lodge is built 100ft away from the riverbank and outside the riverine reserve to prevent stormwater soil erosion.

Native vegetation is left intact to provide natural shading and to minimise impact of noise on the surrounding as well as to provide privacy to the resident guests. The Lodge is built on stilts 5ft above ground to minimise impact of annual flooding of the Kinabatangan River and prevent ground insects, animals and reptiles entering into the rooms. The boardwalk is built on stilt and covered for added protection from falling rotting branches with two elephant passes to allow for elephant migration through the property. An open concept is adopted for the lounge area and the restaurant to allow for unimpeded air circulation and ventilation and thus minimises the use of fans. The Lodge is built with local hardwood species for stilts and pillars and even furniture.

When guests arrive they are educated about the importance of conserving water and electricity and are encouraged to recycle. There are special systems that collect rainwater from the metal roofing of the lodge, which is then piped into storage tanks. Water can also be taken from the river, where it is treated with aluminium sulphate and drained of sediments before being piped into linear storage tanks. Hot water is heated by 2 Solarhart 300 JK solar heating systems which can heat 132 gallons of water at a time. The shower head and water level in the toilet cistern have been specifically adjusted to minimise water usage. The lodge is equipped with septic tanks for safe waste disposal, and all organic food waste is composted. Non-biodegradable wastes are sent away to disposal and recycling sites. Electricity comes from solar panels affixed to the lodge roof and a 25KVA generator. At night, kerosene oil lamps light the garden and corridors in a warm orange glow, while the lamps used in the kitchen and lounge area use recycled cooking oil. Special 9-watt fluorescent light bulbs are used to further reduce the energy loss.