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May 17, 2010
New Guidebook to Benefit Endangered Wildlife in Indonesia
Posted by Gary R. Chandler
Features Wildlife, Scuba, Adventure Destinations
DENVER, Colo., U.S.A.— An American author hopes to inspire more people to visit Southeast Asia to help save Indonesia’s tigers, orangutans, elephants, rhinos and other endangered species. His new travel guide will generate funds to promote wildlife conservation, sustainable jobs, and sustainable forestry.
Indonesia has many of the largest and most exotic islands in the world, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Komodo, New Guinea, and Sumatra—more than 17,500 islands in all. With more than 210 million people, it’s the fourth most-populous country in the world. These islands only represent one percent of the world’s land area, but they are home to more than 10 percent of all mammal species—more known mammal species than any other country. Unfortunately, Indonesia now has more endangered mammals than any other country, including the orangutan, Javan rhinoceros, Komodo dragon, Sumatran tiger, and the Sumatran elephant.
Gary R. Chandler, a marketing and environmental consultant in Denver, recently published the second edition of the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia. Chandler will use the book as a platform to help this island nation develop more eco-tourism opportunities, which can help the local people preserve the rainforest, while discouraging illegal logging and wildlife poaching. The new book offers travelers valuable insights and tips for a variety of activities, including wildlife viewing, volcano treks, scuba diving, and the indulgence of Bali’s spas and resorts. The new guidebook also includes a dictionary and phrase guide to help visitors communicate effectively throughout the country.
“Indonesia has some of the most amazing biodiversity in the world, but many ecosystems are under siege,” Chandler said. “If we can help this beautiful country expand its eco-tourism opportunities, it will help the locals support their families, while defending their ecosystems, which will benefit the country and the world.”
Chandler penned his first Indonesian guidebook in 1994. He also co-authored eight other books about environmental success stories from around the world. The new guidebook has been updated and expanded to emphasize wildlife and marine destinations across numerous islands. Chandler will donate profits from the book to wildlife conservation groups working in Indonesia, including Conservation International, Orangutan Foundation, and World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia.
Indonesia is home to the second largest rainforest in the world—second only to Brazil—with 350 million acres. These diverse forests contain an estimated 4,000 species of trees, 30,000 flowering plant species, 500 species of mammals, more than 1,500 species of birds, and 5,000 varieties of orchids.
In the middle of the 19th Century, British zoologist Alfred Russel Wallace observed that the fauna east of Bali and Borneo were closely associated with Australia, while those to the west of Lombok and Sulawesi were associated more with the Indo-Malayan region of Southeast Asia. This invisible border has since been named the Wallace Line. For example, the largest mammals in Indonesia, such as the tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans are only found on a few the western-most islands, most notably on Sumatra.
“This is a fascinating country that offers something for all travelers,” Chandler said. “You don’t have to be an adventure traveler to appreciate the beauty of Indonesia.”
For more information about the Language and Travel Guide to Indonesia, visit www.indonesiantravelguide.com or www.hippocrenebooks.com.
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