Trapping Wildlife…With Cameras!

Shelan is the team captain for the wildlife team. The team consisted of David, John, and Sarah. Our mission was to deploy three cameras in different areas of the rainforest. The targeted areas are within a restoration site in three different areas: a successful restoration, an unsuccessful restoration, and an untouched forest. The goals of … Read more

Learning and Growing at the KOPEL Nursery

On the 10th day of University of San Francisco’s (USF) Tropical Restoration Ecology class, students, led by Team Leader Paula Pereira, worked with nursery manager, Norsalleh, to both experience and help with nursery operations. KOPEL’s Nursery Program houses over a thousand individuals of each plant species being propagated at the nursery in preparation for tree plantings at restoration … Read more

A Walk with Sun Bears

“Look! Eyes in tree!” our guide pointed to the bank of the Kinabatangan River. All of us on the boat peered into the gloom, aiming our headlamps. Two large, orange ovals shone back at us. “What is it?” someone asked. “Sun bear,” the guide replied. I grinned in anticipation of observing more of these bears … Read more

A Look Into Malaysian Conservation

As a wildlife conservation enthusiast who has worked for a rehabilitation project in Africa, I was ecstatic about being able to see how Malaysia handled their animals. There were mixed emotions within the group, about whether animals should be kept in enclosures or not, but we popped over to the sun bear and orangutan centres to see … Read more

Day 2 on Paradise Island aka Borneo

Disconnected yet connected. Empty yet full. Uncomfortable yet comfortable. The first few days at the Kopel Eco Camp have been full of dichotomies. In a world where we are subjected to sensory overload on a daily basis, I feel so fortunate to be in such a serene and peaceful place. Initially, it was very disconcerting … Read more

Butterflies of Borneo and Beyond

We began our trip to Borneo with a 8 hour layover in the Singapore airport after 18 hours of flying across the Pacific. What better way to spend a long layover than to pay a visit to the beautiful butterfly garden in Singapore’s airport. When we first entered the butterfly garden, we immediately felt the … Read more

Tropical Restoration Ecology Class Heading to Malaysian Borneo

Fourteen University of San Francisco MSEM, ENVS, ENVA, and Biology students are heading to Borneo next week! Professor Gretchen Coffman will be leading this two week Arrupe Immersion Class from June 12 -28. Students will be working closely with locals conducting ecological restoration for wildlife habitat. The class will take place in Malaysian Borneo along … Read more