We hope that by spiraling through and sharing these stories of the people, land, and animals whose very survival is tied up with our own, you may be inspired as we are to take conscious action in your own life at this very crucial time here on earth. We encourage you to embrace any despair that you may feel and integrate the strength of those emotions into the very next thing that you do.

From all of us at LEAP

Only five more months! This December, the state government will ban logging and pave the way for sustainable forest management and conservation in the Ulu Segama Malua region of Borneo. Considered the “Orangutan Heartland,” this bio-diverse region is home to one of the largest unfragmented populations of orangutans in the world — around 3,000 — as well as sun bears, gibbons, wild buffalo, Borneo pygmy elephants, and Sumatran rhinos. This courageous move encompasses two critical forest reserves (a total combined area of 240,000 hectares or over half a million acres).

LEAP executive director Cynthia Ong recently served as a “Nest Recorder” of Orangutan habitat on two helicopter flights over the Ulu Segama Malua area. She joined Hutan, the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD), and Sabah Wildlife Departments (SWD). Together, they surveyed the west Ulu Segama area - the area with the highest density of Orangutans (about 2,000 of the estimated 3,000 population in this area).

They also flew over North Ulu Segama to look at the forest condition, which is very badly degraded with mostly grassland (weeds) and patches of forest with pioneer species. The Orangutan population of 300 to 400 is suspected to have declined based on the nest density data. Hutan, SFD, SWD, and WWF Malaysia mounted a ground survey in June to get more accurate data on Orangutan distribution, food sources and general conditions. A proposed fruit-tree planting project is now in discussion. This sub-population of orangutans is isolated from the main population by palm oil plantations to the north and the Ulu Segama River to the south. It does not contribute to the viability of the larger orangutan group, but it is considered the most endangered population in the Ulu Segama Malua area.

Click here to view photos of the flight!

Wong Siew Te is the world’s leading scientist and expert on the Malayan sun bear, an endangered tropical rainforest mammal. As part of the Oakland Zoo’s monthly lecture series, LEAP will be giving a presentation on December 12 on sun bear conservation in Sabah. The proceeds will go towards future sun bear conservation—please be sure to mark your calendars now! Join us if you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area on December 12.

In related news, sun bears in the zoo in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, will sleep better soon, thanks to new hanging baskets, which mimic their natural sleeping conditions.

Click here to make a direct donation to sun bear research and protection through LEAP’s donation page. 100% of your donations go directly to the project.

Look for a new and improved Web site for Wong Siew Te, his team, and their efforts to save the sun bear, when www.sunbear.org goes live in the next few months.

Model Ecologically Sustainable Community Tourism

The MESCOT Initiative was started in 1996 by a group of about 30 visionary and dedicated individuals from the different villages of Batu Puteh to create an alternative means of income generation for the people of the area, while also protecting the last remaining vestige of rainforest and traditional indigenous cultural heritage.

The MESCOT forest restoration crew just completed a massive planting of 20,000 seedlings in the Supu Forest Reserve, which involved hacking down ten-foot high reeds with machetes. The area they planted is a six-hectare area [approx. 13 acres], which is a critical pygmy elephant migration corridor. MESCOT is on the verge of planting 30,000 more trees by year’s end. Local women will also spend the next six months weeding until the seedlings are strong and able to survive independently.

The news from Tungog Lake continues to inspire us! Crews of about 20 men from MESCOT successfully cleared the lake of an acute infestation of Salvinia Molesta, an invasive non-native water plant that almost killed the 19-hectare lake (almost 50 acres). The men are working on and off on maintaining the lake, and will eventually let the lake exist as free of human interference as possible. The effects are already starting to show, with fish, birds, and otters returning in larger and larger numbers.

With the resuscitation of Tungog Lake and the surrounding forest, the local population now has a “product” to sell to support their economy. Eco-tourists from around the world will be coming by the end of the year to a gorgeous new facility: the Mescot Tungog Rainforest Eco-Camp.

Start planning your trip now! You’ll have a unique opportunity to see some of the most exciting and endangered species in the world — species like orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and an array of birdlife. Eco-tourist guests will also have the opportunity to lend a hand with local lake and forest restoration projects.

The facilities will be comfortable, with a main lodge for reception, social activities and community gatherings; six chalets; a long house for communal living; and a state-of-the-art, environmentally sound septic system!

Click here for the latest images of the programs at MESCOT.

Project Women Empowerment Trees

On July 18, over 100 women (and five brave husbands supporting them!) met in the district of Pitas, Borneo, for the next, exciting phase of Project Women Empowerment Trees. As one of the women village elders prayed, they planted the first of what will be thousands of trees — trees that will yield fruit, medicine and herbs and other economic products. They then prepared the earth and polybags, and, at last, received truckloads of seedlings from the Sabah Forestry Department. Photo shows project leader Raini Mapura with the first tree planted.

In indigenous communities such as Pitas, many men have left to work in the cities, and women currently have little means of employment. However, in Pitas, ten women leaders led the construction of ten nurseries and watering ponds in ten local villages. These women are all paid a salary now, and LEAP’s partner PACOS (Partners for Community Organizations) helped them open their very first bank accounts!

Satellite images will help them determine which areas are best for planting commercially beneficial trees and which watershed areas are better planted as wild canopy. The women chose a mango tree in their first, ceremonial planting, which will bear fruit for years to come. This is all part of the long-term goal of empowering the women, children, and the elderly who live on the land.

Click here for the latest images from PWET.

Projek Gaharu Malaysia

From Wikipedia: “Agarwood [known in Malay as Gaharu] is the resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, large evergreens native to southeast Asia. The trees occasionally become infected with a parasite mould and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the fungus grows, the tree produces a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood. It is this precious resinous wood that is treasured around the world. The resin is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, thus it is used for incense and perfumes. One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.”

One goal of groups like LEAP is to create an alternative means of income for indigenous communities through joint projects between villages and government institutions. LEAP continues to work with scientists Dr. Robert Blanchette and Joel Jurgens from the University of Minnesota, and the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to conduct trials and train Malaysian scientists in a patented Gaharu (Agarwood) cultivation technology. This three-year project began in March 2007 when Dr. Bob and Joel came and treated trees in three sites in Malaysia. March 2008 will see a continuation of the process with a second treatment.

Dr. Blanchette says “We have been perfecting the DNA extraction and DNA fingerprinting analysis for Aquilaria with great success and are now able to make an identification of the species from any leaves or wood sample. We need as many known samples of Aquilaria species as possible to get a library of sequences that can be used for future identifications. We have been successful [in extracting] DNA from leaves that are dried – even old ones have worked!”

LEAP and Hutan will be at the Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco, October 5-7, hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Network. Hutan, a grassroots non-profit organization, has been working to develop and implement innovative solutions to conserve the orang-utan in Sabah. If you are in the Bay Area please come by and say hi! Click here for further information.

 
We’d like to thank our funders, Alexander Abraham Foundation, the Shared Earth Foundation, Arcus Foundation, American Forests, and the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as the individual donors whose generous support enables us to continue our bridging work between the global North and South. We also welcome our expanding Borneo staff on the ground in Sabah, who are writing proposals, collaborating with project partners and keeping operations running smoothly, especially while Cynthia is in the States. Administration and Finance Director, Winnie Long, and project consultants, Sylvia Yorath and Heather Pierson join us with years of experience and a wonderful knowledge base. A special thanks to Dan Weeks for his volunteer time in helping to write this newsletter!

With deep respect, love and gratitude,
Cynthia

None of our work would be possible without our incredible, visionary and cutting-edge funding partners: Alexander Abraham Foundation, Shared Earth Foundation, American Forests, Arcus Foundation, Alex Reese, and the Malaysian Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation. Thank you, and more.

We acknowledge and honor our project partners: MESCOT, PACOS, Sabah Forestry Department, Hutan/KOCP, Wong Siew Te, Urban Networks, Sabah Foundation, University of Minnesota, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, GRASP - Great Ape Survival Project, Green Belt Movement International.

The increased projects and work has necessarily and gratefully led to the expansion of our LEAP team! We have grown our executive team and are proud to introduce Angela Sevin as our USA Director and Steven May as our USA Coordinator. We are indeed delighted to introduce our international Board of Directors. The LEAP Board spans the U.S., Canada and Malaysia, including two new members and several changes in position. In December, we welcomed new Board members Treasurer Chris Elkins and Vice President Lea Endres. Carol Bates is now our President and Jay MacPherson is our Secretary. Tuck Taylor, Angela Sevin, and Cynthia Ong continue their loyal service. (Click here for pictures of our Board AGM in Oakland, California in December 2006.) A parallel Sabah team will be established in February. In addition, we established a Fund Council to carry the heavy-weight task of raising funds for both our projects and operations. We are pleased to introduce Michael Schmidt as part of this council, along with four executive team and board members.

Thank you all for your continuous partnership, support and encouragement of our joint Work. We feel privileged to be working with such a dedicated, committed and unique group of people, and look forward to more adventures with you.

Enjoy this quick update of some of the projects we are facilitating or supporting!

In partnership,
LEAP Team - Malaysia, USA, Canada

Amazing news to report about Tungog Lake!! MESCOT crews, employing about 20 men, have been steadily and persistently clearing Tungog Lake of an acute Salvinia Molesta infestation, an invasive non-native water plant, which almost killed the 19-hectare lake. The project started in September 2005 and now, with the help of new boats and engines the lake is 100% clear! The plan for 2007 is to establish an ongoing self- maintenance program. Please see proof in the images! We would like to thank the Alexander Abraham Foundation for their continued belief and support in helping make this outcome possible.

The MESCOT forest restoration crew is working on their village nursery, planting seeds from the wild in poly bags, in preparation for the first phase of planting in March this year. An estimate of 15,000 seedlings will be planted then. Along with this, site preparations and de-vining of trees is also underway. This project is restoring critical wildlife habitat in the Lower Kinabatangan area. Click here for some photos of the planting in progress. We thank the Alexander Abraham Foundation for their support of the first year of this project, and are excited to begin the second year with the support of American Forests, who will also continue into the third year. Watch this space.

Hot off the press!! The full MESCOT report can be read here.

MESCOT will soon see the completion of their Rainforest Eco-Camp at the edge of the Tungog Lake, which is poised to host eco-tourists from around the world. The Eco-Camp will create jobs, generate income, and help MESCOT towards self-sustenance. MESCOT has already been hosting visitors from tourist groups around the world, and will soon include groups from Travellers Worldwide among their guests. Guests will enjoy the privilege of hands-on involvement in both their lake restoration and forest restoration projects, while living amidst the abundant communities of wildlife in the area. The Eco-Camp aims to raise awareness about the eco-system of the area as well as the many wildlife species who are endemic — the Orang Utan, Borneo Pygmy elephant, Proboscis monkey, many other primate species, hornbill species, and an array of birdlife. We thank Arcus Foundation for their grant which is enabling the completion of the Eco-Camp construction.

In December LEAP had a fabulous meeting with the women leaders of PACOS and Pitas, where we discussed economic empowerment for the women, children, and the elderly who live on the land. In indigenous communities such as Pitas many men have left to work in the cities and the women currently have little economic means. Inspired by the Green Belt Movement and Wangari Maathai, LEAP and PACOS will joint- facilitate this project which will mobilize the women and families in Kampung Liu and Kampung Kodong of the Pitas district in Sabah to plant trees that yield fruit, other economic products, medicine and herbs. We are currently devising a four-year plan together, and have the funding for Year 1 in place through The Shared Earth Foundation. Thank you! Click here for latest images.

LEAP is working with scientists Dr. Robert Blanchette and Joel Jurgens from the University of Minnesota, and the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to conduct trials and train Malaysian scientists in a patented Gaharu (Agarwood) cultivation technology. This project is funded by MOSTI and the recipients of the training will be Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology, Sabah Forestry Department and Sarawak Forestry Corporation. This three-year project begins in March 2007 when Dr. Bob and Joel come and begin a round of trials and training in three sites in the country. The ultimate goal is to create an alternative means of income generation for indigenous communities through joint cultivation projects between villages and these government institutions. Gaharu is used to produce very high quality incense for rituals. Click here for images of Dr. Bob and Joel’s first exploration trip to Sabah last year. We’d like to add a special note of thanks to Dr. Rashid Abdul Malik of FRIM for his wonderful leadership and initiative in bringing in MOSTI as the sponsoring ministry for this project. This would not be happening without him! We also acknowledge the leadership and contribution from the Alexander Abraham Foundation who made the first exploratory trip possible.

After a wildly successful exploratory study visit to Sabah, traveling to Imbak Canyon, Danum Valley and Maliau Basin Conservation Areas, the architectural team — Susan Stolting and Mauricio Duk of Urban Networks in collaboration with architect Ian Hall — are now hunkering down (via Skype across the Pacific Ocean), over the drawing board. The team is working on a Design Brief for the proposed Imbak Canyon Conservation Area eco studies centre.

Located on the edge of 31,000 hectares of virgin primary rainforest, the vision and hope is that this eco-construction will enable and support the research and study of the unique and abundant, yet unknown flora and fauna in the area. The goal is to present the Design Brief to Sabah Foundation (who manage the conservation area) for feedback and hopefully approval, after which concept design and construction plans will be prepared and presented for funding through sustainable construction foundations. The team has recently produced a comprehensive Trip Report of their impressions and the lessons learned during their visits to these 3 conservation areas. Also please visit the photo album for images of the trip.

LEAP is facilitating the partnership between GRASP (Great Ape Survival Project - a UNEP and UNESCO initiative) and the Sabah Forestry Department. The vision is to bridge between international and local stakeholders — through GRASP and Sabah Forestry Department — to build smart alliances which create common ground for shared responsibility, leadership, expertise, knowledge, reflection, decision, and action, towards the ultimate goal of conserving orang utan — and ultimately other great ape — populations and their natural habitat. A roundtable event is planned for June/July 2007 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and targets approximately 100 participants for 2 days. Watch this space!

The Conservancy is a new private trust mechanism that was set up by LEAP, in Malaysia, for the purpose of receiving funding, purchasing, and holding land in trust for conservation. A non-profit corporation has been incorporated. Its Board of Directors are Cynthia Ong, Cecilia Ong, Anne Lasimbang, Caroline Gabel, Nancy Abraham, and Isabelle Lackman-Ancrenaz. We wish to acknowledge and thank The Shared Earth Foundation for making the first donation to this trailblazing endeavor.

This timely project is for the reforestation and sustainable forest management of two critical forest reserves (a total combined area of 240,000 hectares or over half a million acres) regarded as “Orang Utan Heartland”, home to one of the largest unfragmented populations in the world (3,000), as well as sun bears, gibbons, tambadau or wild buffalo, Borneo pygmy elephants, and Sumatran rhinos. In a move considered “courageous”, by local and foreign NGOs (including LEAP!), the Malaysian government has committed to ban logging starting in December 2007, to pave the way for sustainable forest management and conservation. LEAP will raise resources and facilitate partnerships for the Sabah Forestry Department to fulfill the goal of implementing the sustainable management of this crucial habitat. Additionally, Arcus Foundation has approved a grant over 3 years to reforest 300 hectares of critical area!

LEAP is proud to announce that our associate and project partner, Wong Siew Te, the world’s leading scientist and expert on the Malayan Sun Bear has been newly awarded a Flying Elephants Fellowship for his leadership in and dedication to the research and protection of this threatened and “data deficient” tropical rainforest mammal. We honor Wong and his team for their commitment, perseverance and significant contributions to the preservation of the sun bears amidst much hardship and we can think of no better person for this award! You can now make a direct donation to Sun Bear research and protection through our donation page. For more information on Wong Siew Te’s team and their efforts to save the Sun Bear go to: www.sunbear.org

First of all, we were never “out” of action. Cynthia and Will were back in the US for February and March and, a lot got done! Important developments and much business transpired, thus, we have a lot of ground to cover so… LEAP on!
Note: Click on each picture to visit the album for that story.

A LEAP Board meeting was held on the 22nd of February with all members physically present apart from Tuck Taylor who participated from Sabah over Skype internet phone. We deeply appreciate the commitment and hard work of all our board members - they have repeatedly risen to the challenge of facilitating the emergent processes and issues of bridging relationships, resources and projects between the US and Sabah.

In early March, LEAP was awarded its official tax exempt status under the U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax code section 501c3. (Yay!) All donations made since September 9, 2005 are tax deductible. LEAP Board members are currently developing letters of inquiry to seek funding for both operational and project budgets from major foundations in the USA.

Early March also saw Will and Cynthia in New York for two days of meetings with Alexander Abraham Foundation (AAF) to give an update on and discuss LEAP’s current and proposed projects. AAF President Nancy Abraham and Executive Director Messiane Caze were extremely supportive and encouraging in helping to sharpen our vision and broaden LEAP’s funding base. We are deeply appreciative of their continued support of our work.

The LEAP Board and Advisory group have unanimously approved the establishment of the “LEAP Trust” as a Sabah (Malaysia) non-profit corporation for the purposes of serving as a legal mechanism to support and umbrella LEAP’s conservation work in Malaysia. This week (early April, 2006) the process began with a productive meeting with Sabah attorney Christopher Chin, and the incorporation process will begin. We are honored to have received a generous pledge to help kick off LEAP Trust, and look forward to announcing it and acknowledging our gracious donor …. so watch this space!

Early in February, the heaviest rains in recent history hit the Kinabatangan river area effecting the MESCOT team involved in clearing Lake Tungog of Salvinia. Rather than sitting out the rains, MESCOT demonstrated their initiative and jumped into action and used the heightened lake levels to push massive amounts of Salvinia up onto the banks and out of the lake. Cynthia will be visiting the MESCOT team and checking out the “after” of the Lake Tungog “makeover” this week.

Tungog Lake - after the hard work during the flood

Alexander Abraham Foundation awarded a grant to Wong Siew Te for continuation of his research on the effects of selective logging on the Malayan Sunbear (Helarctos malayanus) and the Bearded Pig (Sus Barbatus). Wong is a dedicated researcher and Ph.D. candidate who has been working selflessly for the past 7 years to learn more about the food and habitat of the Sunbear. Wong’s research will help to protect this species which is listed as “data deficient” by the IUCN (Redlist of Threatened Species).

LEAP is working with UrbanNetworks (Los Angeles architect firm) on an ecologically sustainable design for a studies centre in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, 30,000 hectares of some of the last remaining jungle reserves in Sabah. A first trip for the architect team is planned for end April/beginning May when they will travel to Sabah (sponsored by New York developer Alex Reese), present their concept proposal to Sabah Foundation, spend time in Imbak Canyon and workshop with stakeholders (scientists and researchers) for feedback and input on their design concept.

Gaharu is a resinous substance which may be produced by trees in tropical rainforests. Gaharu is valued as an ingredient in traditional medicines and as an incense that is used in cultural and religious practices. Professor Dr. Robert Blanchette of University of Minnesota (UMN), a leading authority on Gaharu production techniques, and his colleague Dr. Joel Jurgens, will be visiting Sabah May 10-16. They will be hosted by the Forest Research Centre of the Sabah Forestry Department, and meeting with various government and NGO groups in Sabah to present their work and Gaharu technology, and discuss the potential for Gaharu production in Sabah. This exploratory trip is funded by Alexander Abraham Foundation and coordinated/facilitated by LEAP.

LEAP is proud to present the LEAP Eco Bracelet. Made by the River People of the Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, this unique hand-crafted item is a symbol of your awareness and support of the ancient rainforests of Borneo and their need for protection. Please click on the bracelet to purchase. Each rattan vine bracelet you buy will help de-vine a growing tree or to plant a new tree.

LEAP has begun to facilitate an exciting project with our partners PACOS and a community of women in the area of Pitas in northern Sabah. This project will be for the purpose of rehabilitating degraded forests but will support (and depend upon) the empowerment of the women to restore their environment and re-establish their economies. This project would include the Kenyan organization, Green Belt Movement, which has developed significant expertise and a model for empowering women through the planting of trees. We met with GBM founder (and 2004 Nobel Prize winner) Wangari Maathai and she expressed excitement about a project in Borneo. Please click on photo to visit the album from our first exploratory trip to Pitas during which the women of the community expressed their commitment to this project.

As if all that wasn’t enough to do …. Cynthia and Will also relocated their lives and work base to the East Bay of Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area. They now have the luxury of sharing a “proper house” with fellow Board member Angela Sevin, her husband Mark and house-mate Steve. Community-living and sharing resources is in alignment with the work we do, and we are grateful and happy to have made the move, and “walk our talk” in this way. LEAP’s U.S. operations will now be based out of the Bay Area, a place known for its environmental and social progressiveness and activism. We miss Venice Beach, but Berkeley is pretty cool!

Some twelve or so dear friends and ardent LEAP supporters (including Board members Tuck and Jay) gave Cynthia and Will a lovely send-off several hours before the long flight from Los Angeles to Sabah. Gracious host Robert Radin treated everyone to another one of his infamous organic, home-made meals, in the cozy warmth of his beautiful home. Click here for a slideshow of images and a recording of the party’s impromptu rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Lovely and memorable times…
Thank you Robert and everyone!

H30 Gaya Park, Penampang Road,
Kota Kinabalu 88300, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
6.012.828.1705 mobile

3378 Revere Avenue,
Oakland, California 94605, U.S.A.
1.310.429.2686 mobile

skype - cynthiaong_leap

internet phone & global voicemail - 1.510.931.6448

None of this work would be happening without the people around us … our families and friends, donors and supporters, the awesome groups we have the privilege to work with …. you are the wind beneath our wings and we thank you.

With warmest wishes until the next time,
The LEAP Team

In late November Cynthia and Will (now a full-time LEAP volunteer), traveled to Malaysia to begin a two-month visit and what will most likely become a life of sharing the year between Asia and the USA.

A great many meetings, conferences, and discussions were accomplished before the end of 2005. A brief list follows but click here for photos. Further details concerning projects will be added to the blog next month.

RSPO – RT3 “Singapore, 23 November 2005 – The members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil [Ed: large palm oil producers and buyers] today have adopted the Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) with an overwhelming majority. The 8 Principles and 39 Criteria encompass all facets of sustainability ensuring that production is economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial…”

Malaysian Nature Society – This group of dedicated professionals and public members and has been contributing towards the protection of Malaysia’s natural heritage since 1940″. They have helped established many parks in peninsular Malaysia, preserving valuable ecosystems. Their publications are consistently professional and their educational department is an excellent example of how to promote environmental awareness. LEAP spent a day with MNS discussing possible projects for collaboration. After a meeting at the Kuala Lumpur office we visited the “Forest of Learning” at the University of Malaya and were also given a tour of the Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

MESCOT – Discussion of forest restoration projects and progress on the Salvinia removal from Lake Tungog. View pictures from MESCOT Dec ‘05 meeting.

Borneo Conservation Trust - Meetings to further discuss this initiative to purchase and hold land in trust for conservation. This project, initiated by the Sabah Wildlife Department, has strong support from the Sabah government . The Trust is being chartered early in 2006 and Cynthia has been invited to sit on the Board of Trustees.

Sabah Forestry Department, Environmental Education Unit – Discussion regarding initative to introduce an experiential, Environmental Education curriculum to the teacher’s colleges of Sabah.

Finally, LEAP ended the year 2005 in a luxury hotel… in a conference room!
Institute of Development Studies – Seminar on Community Participation in Resource Planning and Management. The meeting was valuable both for content and networking however lead presenter Adrian Lasimbang put it into perspective with his comment that community participation in resource management doesn’t really happen in air- conditioned, 5 star resorts through seminars in English!

The Year of the Dog

The year 2006 C.E kicked off with a “quorum” of LEAP team members being present in Sabah. Tuck Taylor joined Cynthia and Will in time to celebrate New Year’s at Seaside Travellers Inn. Tuck also immediately re-connected with his “compadres” at PACOS.

Summarized below are reports of the many meetings were held in the first few weeks of 2006 connecting LEAP to several current projects and potential partners.

IDS – LEAP met with IDS (Sabah state think-tank) to discuss avenues of collaboration. LEAP also visited the IDS (UNDP funded) demo plot of traditional herbs and medicinal plants (View Photos) and discussed joint-venture possibilities between the project and interested U.S. groups.

Sabah Foundation – LEAP met with senior members of the Research and Development department. Several projects were discussed in relation to the SF conservation areas: Maliau Basin, Danum Valley. In addition, LEAP is coordinating a project to create an eco-designed Study Centre at Imbak Canyon. Sabah Foundation has an outstanding staff who are breaking new conservation ground. In December LEAP went on a helicopter ride to survey and photograph the Canyon and Study Centre site.

Sabah Forestry Department – LEAP met with Director Sam Mannan in Sandakan to discuss ways in which LEAP can support the commendable efforts by SFD to protect Sabah’s valuable Forest Reserves. Issues discussed included Forest Management Units, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the threats of illegal logging and encroachment by oil-palm and other agricultural plantations, and forest fires.

MESCOT – LEAP traveled with MESCOT advisor Martin Vogel from Sandakan to Kampung Mengaris on the Kinabatangan river. The agenda was to get “down and dirty” with the MESCOT team clearing the Tungog oxbow lake of Salvinia Molesta as well as get a close look at the Forest Restoration project underway just downstream of Tungog. MESCOT members held a meeting and invited LEAP to share any process improvement ideas that had occurred to us in the few hours in which we had been working and observing. A fascinating group dynamic ensued over the course of the next 5 hours.

Wong Siew Te – LEAP met with this researcher to discuss potential funding of his work studying the effects of selective logging on the Malayan Sun Bear.

LEAP Advisory Council - The first “all in” meeting was held in Kota Kinabalu (at a café where else?). Current and prospective projects were discussed. We are humbly and deeply grateful for the council’s support, sage advice and direction.

PACOS – Discussion of project to support a women-led reforestation project in conjunction with Green Belt Movement (founded by Kenyan Wangari Maathai winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize). This became a trip to the village of Pitas in northern Sabah to meet with women and determine suitability and interest levels. Project report coming in next month’s issue. Click here for photos from Pitas.

Yes, that seems like a lot of work. And it is because so many groups in Sabah have responded so positively to our efforts. We are now beginning to focus on the projects that we see as both most coherent and aligned with our vision and most effective uses of our resources. Will has now returned to Venice (to type this newsletter…) and Cynthia returns to the US on the 8th of February. But in only a matter of weeks we’ll be returning again so…

Change to LEAP News

To keep our “story” current LEAP is going to be blogging more. LEAP will continue our newsletters (perhaps on this quarterly-ish schedule) but will also blog these letters and use the website to more constantly speak to our community about our projects.

[Ed: Please read this geeky, little article about the difference between blog and email mailing lists.]

Gratitude

As always, we extend our gratitude to the people and groups that make our
work possible -

• Alexander Abraham Foundation of New York, NY
• The Shared Earth Foundation of Chestertown, Maryland
• Sunshine Buttercup Farms, Inc. of Walnut Creek, California
• HealthSpan International Foundation of Mission Viejo, California
• Our valued LEAP Advisory Council
• The Taylor Family of Los Angeles, California
• Seaside Travellers Inn & its great staff and the Ong Family of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
• Sepilok B & B of Sandakan / Sepilok, Sabah

On this Sabah trip, we extend our gratitude to the following for helping coordinate the various trips and adventures:

• MNS to The Rimba Ilmu at University of Malaysia and to The Kuala Selangor Nature Park
• Sabah Foundation to Imbak Canyon Conservation Area
• PACOS to Pitas district in northern Borneo
• IDS to Kimanis demo-plot
• MESCOT to the project sites on the Kinabatangan River

And the many friends that continue to nurture, encourage and inspire us.

Until next month, LEAP - in hope and courage.

The last two weeks or so since I last wrote have been a whirlwind - integrating the work coming back from Sabah and using that to create movement here in the U.S. Holding the space and playing the role of emissary - listening and telling and listening and telling on both sides - has been challenging. I am humbled by the work of bridging. The vision of global partnership, collaboration, and connecting across borders and cultures is beautiful, but I have found that the reality - on the ground and on the front-lines - can be staggeringly and deeply complex and painful. It is no wonder we put up boundaries around us and isolate within our own groups.

We continue the spiraling movement …. in hope.

Ok, enough of the maudlin and mawkishness, and let’s get on with this blog update ; )

Lots of things swirling (despite the despair!):

* LEAP is proud to be Land Empowerment Animals People, Inc. or LEAP Inc. now - YES! We are incorporated in the state of California, U.S.A. and have papers (lots of it) to show for it!
* LEAP is also proud to be sending in its application for its IRS tax exempt status (501(c)(3)), both state and federal - and look forward to being an independent charity.
* Cynthia traveled to New York and met with our partners at the Alexander Abraham Foundation and the Shared Earth Foundation, and shared the developments from Sabah, and discussed and brainstormed about next steps in moving ahead.
* Cynthia also met with two other groups - the Great Ape World Heritage Species Project and Green Belt Movement International - and learnt about their respective areas of work, and also talked about proposed projects and work together.
* We continue the work with MESCOT - raising resources for their various projects, the forest and lake restoration and other things - their work is a source of inspiration and hope to us.
* We are also developing the Sabah Fam Trip for U.S. conservation NGOs - drafting an itinerary and creating our guest list of organizations/groups - this is targeted for March/April 2006.
* We have begun discussions and preliminary work on a proposal for a Studies Center at the proposed Imbak Canyon Conservation Area in Sabah, the last remaining lowland virgin rainforest - the vision is for an eco-design sustainable construction.
* Cynthia travels to Singapore for Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil roundtable 3 on November 22nd and 23rd, when key palm oil players from all over the world meet to make a commitment to sustainable palm oil by ratifying their Principles and Criteria.
* Cynthia and Will travel to Sabah on November 29th to spend two months working with our partners and associates there on the various projects and proposed projects - MESCOT, Imbak Canyon, the Borneo Conservation Trust, Sabah Fam Trip, joint-venture with Green Belt Movement, Forest Research Centre, etc. This will be the trip when we set up our Sabah base, to begin our bi-continental operations which is necessary for us to move ahead in developing the various projects.

That’s the news for now. There will be more to tell later … when things have developed and taken shape.

Check out our October LEAPNews - there is probably some duplication of news, but it has pictures!

Yours in LEAP,
Cynthia
Venice Beach, California

I apologize for not writing from Sabah, but my back to back meetings/trips did not allow for much more than repeated daily cycles of work/sleep/work/sleep! It was an intense and full time - much to take in and integrate. I am back, but I’m not sure I’m ALL back yet!

Taiwan was absolutely wonderful. The workshop with 35 of us was a powerful experience for me. Facilitating a group of progressive young leaders in a country full of vibrance and energy, on the verge of its “cultural initiation and individuation” was a gift for me.

My ten days in Sabah was a flurry of activity. Mostly meetings with all the various individuals and groups LEAP is/will be working with in one way or another - Sabah Wildlife Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Hutan, WWF Malaysia, Sabah Tourism Board, MESCOT - Model Ecologically Sustainable Eco Tourism project, Sabah Forestry Department, PACOS, Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary, Sabah Environmental Protection Association, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah Foundation, Sabah Society, etc. Yes … so you can see how ten days was pretty packed … meeting all those people!

I appreciated learning what was happening on the ground with all these groups - it was very encouraging and heartening to witness progressive projects and programs being conceptualized and executed by dedicated groups of the community, both NGO (civil society) and government. It seems like Sabah is in an exciting place of movement between the the world’s of the west and the east. A fertile middle ground for bridging … towards sustainable ecological co-existence.

The LEAP advisors met face to face as a group for the first time. Although short, it was a beginning. We also had the pleasure of Caroline Gabel, Founder and CEO of the Shared Earth Foundation of Maryland, U.S.A. (one of LEAP’s core supporters) joining us for a day of meetings - first with the LEAP group and then with the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat and his Permanent Secretary Datuk Monica Chia.

Our various projects and potential projects progressed through the meetings … not enough space here to give you an update, but we will do our best to update our Projects page on the website. One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to the Kinabatangan River and the MESCOT project site. Meeting the team and talking with them, and then taking a boat ride and short trek to their eco-camp site where they are constructing the main building and also clearing Salvinia Molesta in Lake Tungog, was an inspiring experience for me. The 4 km perimeter lake is choked by this water weed and the lake surface is no longer visible - it just looks like a huge green field. The village people used to fish in the lake, both for food as well as for their livelihood. After two weeks of hard work by about 10 to 15 people, quite a significant piece of the lake is now cleared. The fish life popping up for air was a site for sore eyes! The mountain of cleared salvinia will be bagged and brought back to the village, where an area has been cleared to begin experiments on composting, etc. Congratulations to the people of MESCOT! You make this hard work joyful and worthwhile.

I’d like to thank ICA Taiwan and the wonderful group I spent three days in a circle with, and all the people/groups mentioned above whom I got to meet with in Sabah. Of course, my one and only Sara (my daughter and my inspiration) and my family, who make coming home a joy and a privilege.

Challenges and all, I look forward to moving, spiraling - in the work that we have to do together.

Till we next meet …
Peace and blessings,
Cynthia
Venice, California

I am now in Taipei, getting ready for the workshop which begins tonight, and continues through Saturday and Sunday. We’re expecting a total of 35 people which is a nice-sized group. My co-facilitator Larry and I will spend most of the day today in prep or “huddle” for tonight’s session. I am rested after the thirteen-hour flight from Los Angeles to Taipei and feel adjusted to the fifteen-hour (ahead in Taipei) time difference between the two time zones.

As I write this, Yoggie and Emmy from PACOS are in Oakland with Tuck and Angela. They had a small gathering yesterday for friends and family to meet the Sabah guests. The plan for today was to drive to Berkeley, birthplace of the “hippie” movement in the 60s, as well as home to many activist movements. Yoggie and Emmy return to Los Angeles with Tuck tomorrow, and then travel on to New York the day after.

We had a wonderful time with them in Los Angeles - a get together with friends on Sunday Sept 18th, and then on to the concert in Topanga Canyon. The traditional Native American sweatlodge ceremony on Monday 19th was powerful - deeply transformative and profound. There were six of us sweating together …. what an honor it was. We’d like to extend our gratitude from the bottom of our hearts … to Andrew, Mary, Maha and Wynn. What a gift you are giving the world through your beings and your work. Maybe one day we can sweat in Borneo!

As winds and rain (typhoons are hitting Taiwan as I write this) and hurricanes whirl and rage around and within us, I pray that connection, enlightenment and a higher consciousness of our individual and collective action on the planet will emerge, and we will begin to transform the ways in which we treat each other, our animal and plant relatives and our mother earth.

With hope and respect,
Cynthia
Taipei, Taiwan