SRI is responsible for managing the Batang Gadis National Park Conservation Support Program and is funded by the Tropical Forest Conservation Action Sumatra (TFCA Sumatera), with its goal of protecting the Batang Gadis National Park via an active and collaborative approach.

Symbol of recognition of local wisdom

The Batang Gadis National Park is located in the Mandailing Natal (Madina) Regency, North Sumatra. The National Park has been declared in 2004 and is named after the Batang Gadis River that flows thorough the park. Batang Gadis National park covers 73,803.75 hectares and is located at an altitude of 300 to 2,145 meters above sea level.

The main goal of the national park is to save animals and natural habitats but the National Park is also a symbol of recognition of local wisdom values in managing forests.

Broaden your horizon and explore the beauty of North Sumatra

If you are looking for a new way to broaden your horizon and you are looking for something impressive to add to your CV, volunteering abroad is the perfect choice. It is not only a good way to show that you are brave enough to visit another country but also a good way to illustrate what’s important to you, and show that you’re more than willing to try new things. 

So if you are willing to take the step to volunteer in Indonesia, SRI offers the experience to find out how it is like to live and work in North Sumatra. Besides working with wildlife, SRI offers you a great way to experience the exciting nature of North Sumatra in a whole different way.

See the habitat of the rare Sumatran tiger

See where one of the most impressive big cats of Asia lives in the wild. The Batang Gadis National Park is the home of the critically endangered and rare Sumatran tiger. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands because the Bali and Javan tigers are already extinct.  In 2008 the population of Sumatran tigers has been estimated to be between ca. 30 to 100. In 2013 their number has been estimated to be between 23-76, the equivalent of 20% of the total population in Indonesia.

Next to the Sumatran Tiger there are over 40 other different mammal species in the Batang Gadis National Park and over 240 species of birds. Next to the Sumatran tiger the park also offers home to some other amazing forest cats like the Asian Golden Cat and the Leopard Cat. The Asian Tapir is also a resident of the National Park and is the largest of five species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. One other very charactaristic animal in the Batang Gadis National Park is the sun bear which is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

The wildlife in the park is threatened by poaching, and encroachment by an Australian gold mining company that holds a 200,000-hectare concession that overlaps with the national park. As you can see on the map the National Park is therfore devided in two parts.

This way it is possible to produce local coffee with a good quality and keep in touch with the local farmers that protect the forest and the habitat of endangered animals.
Informing and working together with local farmers is the main goal of SRI so they can maintain and protect the beautiful and diverse nature of North Sumatra! Working at the different coffee farms and at the coorporatives production office gives you the change to experience the whole process of making.

Discover the beautiful nature and culture

Batangtoru Forest Ecosystem Landscape: Natural Home of Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo Tapanuliensis)

Forest rehabilitation program

Maintaining the rainforest is as important as the rehabilitation of it. During this program you wil help with planting new trees and be involved with:

• Three sapling production in the tree nursery
• Tree planting
• Monitoring of the trees
• Border patrols

Accommodation
During your stay SRI provides you with a save but basic accommodation in Panyabungan. Living at SRI is similar to how  locals live in Panyabungan and the vilages where you will stay during the different projects. It may not be as luxurious as you are use to at home, but it provides you with all the necessary things and gives you a good and realistic experience of living in North Sumatra! During your stay you will live in the SRI office in Panyabungan and during the different projects you will stay with locals or in one of SRI’s offices near the projects.

Food and drink
Traditional Sumatran food is very spicy because Sumatran people like to eat almost everything with chilli. Besides chilli they also like to use a lot of other different spices like lemongrass, ginger or garlic. If you are not into spicy food you can always tell the people you want the food not to be spicy. If you are a vegetarian we could recommand you to bring some B12 and Iron supplements because most of the diet in this region is chicken and fish. There are ofcourse also options for vegetarians like Gado Gado, Nasi Goring, Mie Goreng, Indomie, Infumie or Pacal but they usually do not contain a lot of vegetables or substitutes for meat. The people in North Sumatra also like to eat tempeh or Tofu and it is almost all the time served fried as a side dish. The consumption of alcohol is not allowed outside the office and any kind of drugs are strictly forbidden!

The prices above are including 3 meals a day, free use of water and there is thee and coffee at the projects. Costs for extra drinks and snacks are not included. 

Dress code
Especially for female volunteers it is important to bring covering clothes to wear if you go in public. This is because of the local culture in the whole North Sumatran region. Women need to wear covering clothes in public and most of the local women wear a hijab (headscarf ) as well. Volunteers do not need to wear a hijab. Wearing a T-shirt is accaptable but still more revealing than what everyone else here usually wears. For men the rules are less strict but it is appreciated by the locals if you do not wear clothes which are to revealing.

IImportant side note: in Sumatra, especially during the rainy season, there are many mosquitoes and Malaria and Dengue are present in the areas of the different projects. Make sure to bring covering clothes to wear especially during dawn and sun set (this is when Malaria mosquitoes are active). And if possible,try to get information about the risks and precautions in your own country before coming to Indonesia.

Spare time 
During the weekend (saterday and sunday) you are free to discover the beautifull region of North Sumatra.

Sibolga/Mursala Island

Sibolga is located on the west coast of North Sumatra and is a city in the natural harbour of Sibolga Bay. It was once  a port for British, Dutch, French and American traders. Mursala Island is one of the most famous places in Sibolga and is the biggest island in the region. The Island is most famous because of its amazing scenery and especially the Mursala Waterfall is very famous because it is 35 meters high and drops directely into the ocean. Around the island there are beautifull reefs which make this place perfect for snorkeling and diving.

• About 4 hours by bus from Padang Sidempuan Town
• Price for a singele bustrip from Padang Sidempuan Town to Sibolga is about IDR 50.000
• Private boat rental is about IDR 1.500.000/day

Medan

Medan is the capital of North Sumatra and is Indonesia’s third largest city. It has not that many tourist atractions as other big Asian city’s but it is interesting to go there for 1 or 2 days or combine the visit when you go to Lake Toba or Bukit Lawang. The city is large and there is a lot of traffic, which makes it not the most beautifull place in Indonesia. But there are still some interesting things to see from the colonial age and the city has some big shopping mall’s, temples and the great mosk.

• About 10 hours by bus from Padang Sidempuan Town
• Price for a singele bustrip from Padang Sidempuan Town to Medan is about IDR 170.000

If you are planning to go somewhere in your spare time, always ask the SRI staff for more information and discuss your plans with them first because they are responsible for you as a volunteer!