Guardians
of the
Forest
Intro
We are Guardians of the Forest.
We are a community of empowered people that believe there is hope in action. Working together, we know that positive change is possible. Change that creates a more sustainable future so environments, wildlife and people can all thrive. Everyone has a part to play, and everyone can make a difference. We are all connected on this planet, and when we work together that connection can have a powerful impact.
Join our community and help us turn hope into action, with one simple step. Sign up to become a Guardian now.
Why should I become a Guardian?
- Join a community of like-minded, empowered people that believe there is hope in action.
- Receive exclusive, first look updates from our conservation projects in Indonesia.
- Access to Guardians only events and webinars.
- Access to Guardians only merchandise.
- Exclusive discounts on International Animal Rescue’s online shop.
- Unique opportunities to be a part of new compassionate conservation initiatives.
- Take steps in your everyday life to lessen your impact on the environment.
- Inspire change in your local community and help raise awareness of our work.
What does hope in action look like?
At International Animal Rescue, we have reason to believe in hope for a better world. Our holistic projects show us day after day that ordinary people, when empowered, are capable of extraordinary things.
Meet some of our Guardians on the Ground…
Lia Aulia
My name is Lia Aulia and I am a Guardian of the Forest. I am 24 years old and work on the education team. Through this work I discovered that the villages directly adjacent to the forest often do not have schools - and where there are no schools, there are no teachers. An experience that has really touched my heart was working with the children in Batu Lapis Village in West Kalimantan.
The lack of education in this village means that most of the children cannot read - this truly breaks my heart as everytime we visit with books the children are so excited - they are thirsty for stories. The children always ask us to read them stories and books and they love to draw. They are also so excited every time we teach them about the environment by playing and learning in the forest around them. The forest becomes their classroom and they love to learn about the importance of plants and animals. These children are our hope for the future and true Guardians of the Forest.
Ketus
My name is Ketus and I am a Guardian of the Forest. I come from Pematang Gadung village and work as the Coordinator of Forest patrols, Wildlife Censuses and Phenology in the forest surrounding my village. I work with my friends, who are all also from the village, to carry out patrols to collect data on biodiversity and protect the forest from poachers, illegal loggers and illegal mining. Every day, we patrol on foot for several kilometres, setting up camera traps, recording wild animal sightings and mitigating conditions that could threaten the sustainability of our village forest. I have been doing this work since 2015 and am happy to see that our forest is still beautiful – our patrols are an important part of this. I promise to continue to this vital work for the forest, my community and the biodiversity that surrounds us.
Mrs Mai
My name is Mrs Mai and I am a Guardian of the Forest. I am a proud member of The Power of Mama, Indonesia’s all female fire fighting force. We are a group of mothers who take action to protect the forest around us. I play an active role in patrols to prevent forest and land fires, as well as speaking with local communities about how we can all play a part in improving the health, wellbeing and safety of our families and our entire community.
In addition to fire prevention, we also support communities impacted by flooding and provide education and resources to improve sanitation and quality of life. I hope that the Power of Mama will grow and that we can inspire our children to share our passion for protecting the forest we call home.
Global guardians
Guardians of the Forest is a community built on hope in action – it is made up of people all around the world, each playing their part to protect our planet in the face of extreme challenges. You are our Global Guardians, those who are committed to doing what they can to support our teams on the ground and each other to be more Guardian in our everyday lives. From organising beach cleans, donating to our projects, and holding fundraisers to recycling, buying second hand or reducing single use plastics – we believe that collectively our small actions can make a big difference.
Meet some of our Global Guardians…
Hannah Stitfall
My name is Hannah Stitfall and I am a Guardian of the Forest. Wildlife is always something that has fascinated me since I was a small child. It captures all of our hearts when we are young, and it is something that has just stuck with me. However, it wasn’t until I was travelling that I realised I really wanted to do something to make a difference, as I’d seen first-hand how species and environments around the world are suffering immensely at our hands. Being a wildlife TV presenter and filmmaker was never the plan, but it was a natural progression to communicating wildlife stories on a large scale.
My hope for the future is a world where humans and wildlife can live and thrive alongside one another without any form of conflict. We are just one species on this planet out of around eight million, and each and every one deserves to thrive.
Guardians of the Forest is a brilliant campaign which is making a tangible difference to the lives of so many, wildlife and humans, and I can’t wait to see how the campaign progresses and the impact it has!
Lance Lau
My name is Lance and I am a Guardian of the Forest. I am a 14 year old climate activist who have been dedicated to this cause since I was 10 years old. At that young age, I started Fridays for Future Hong Kong in 2019, and then Fridays for Future Brighton in 2021. For 192 consecutive weeks, I have been conducting solo climate strikes every Friday, outside my school, in my neighborhood and in the middle of town. My goal is to raise awareness about the climate emergency and inspire more people to take action.
In addition to my striking efforts, I tirelessly organize educational workshops and deliver talks to students, young people, as well as banking staff and companies. My aim is to encourage discussions and foster environmentally conscious actions at all levels of society.
Levison Wood
I’m Levison Wood and I am a Guardian of The Forest. As an explorer, writer, and photographer, I have been fortunate enough to travel the world telling stories. Now, I feel it is my duty to help to protect our planet’s incredible biodiversity and wildlife.
I’ve seen all around the world how human activities can have a terrible impact on animals. Through my recent films, I’ve been shining a spotlight on the work of conservationists and the importance of living in harmony with nature.
We can all help. Join me and become a Guardian too. Together, we create change.
Patricia Cuthbert
I’m Patricia Cuthbert and I am a Guardian of the Forest. It was through my desire to help protect the Critically Endangered orangutan that I came to understand how vitally important the forest is to all life on earth. Saving and protecting threatened species begins and ends with the forest.
Destroying forests is a far broader situation than I could have ever imagined and it impacts all of us. It is about our planet, about consumer driven deforestation, the annihilation of thousands of species of animals and plants, climate change and ultimately our own lives. For me, the forests not only sustain life on earth but provide a deep-rooted connection to something greater than ourselves and are a reminder of the great importance of our natural environment and our role in it.
Lamech Opiyo
My name is Lamech and I am a Guardian of The Forest. I am a multi Award winning Environmental Conservation Champion & Youth Leader, Climate Activist, Humanitarian, Rotaractor (Member of a Rotaract Club) & Change Maker from Kenya. I’m currently the Chairperson of the Green Rotaract Concept District 9212 - A movement within Rotaract District 9212 that Champions for Environmental Conservation projects & Initiatives in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea & South Sudan.
I am very passionate about nature, wildlife and biodiversity conservation. Overtime, this passion have made me develop a sense of Bold Environmental Stewardship & challenged myself to actively inspire hope through Action by prioritizing and making it a personal responsibility to take care of the well being of mother nature.
I believe that by making it our moral responsibility to appreciate , protect & conserve nature, biodiversity and wildlife, we can collectively contribute to the sustainability & well being of our planet for the current and future Generations
I am proud to be a Guardian of The Forest, and would love for more of you to join me as Guardians.
Nico
My name is Nico and I am a Guardian of the Forest. I am a Guardian because nature means a lot to me. If you look around in nature, you can see the smiles on people’s faces as everyone enjoys nature in their own way. In the future I hope that our planet is much greener and we do everything we can to not damage it any more.
I want our icebergs to be the same size in 30 years and I don’t want any other species to go extinct because of human destruction. Whenever I find money on the floor, I donate it to International Animal Rescue. I also do litter picking in Brighton so that rubbish doesn’t reach the sea and damage the wildlife in it.
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News from the ground
WHO ARE THE POWER OF MAMA?
The Power of Mama - the first-ever group of female firefighters in Borneo are championing wildlife conservation, changing attitudes towards women in society and building a better world for future generations.
Mangroves are not only a rare and spectacular sight, these extraordinary ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing, food security and protection of coastal areas and communities.
My name is Dieka Pertiwi and I am a Guardian of the Forest. Since 2016 I have been working to protect orangutans, their habitats and the communities that live in the villages alongside them.