Fraser Cook, a PhD student studying Biodiversity Management at the University’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), has secured funding for an expedition to assess the sustainability of the ornamental plant trade in Kapuas Hulu, Indonesia.
The Scientific Exploration Society (SES) awarded Fraser its Judith Heath Explorer Award 2024 for Botany & Research, and he will officially receive his award at a formal ceremony in October.
SES’ Explorer Award grants fund scientific expeditions focused on discovery, research, and conservation. Fraser applied for the award to embark on this research expedition. This aims to conduct the first comprehensive mapping of ornamental plant sites, habitats, and nurseries in Kapuas Hulu. Kapuas Hulu, in West Kalimantan, is one of the most remote and inaccessible Borneo regions, and a hotspot for endemic flora.
Winning this award means that Fraser can collaborate with local plant hunters to enhance plant conservation and foster a sustainable horticultural trade in the region.
Fraser said: ‘I am delighted to have won the award to pursue this expedition. Kapuas Hulu in West Kalimantan Borneo, known for its dense forest and swamps is a hotspot for unique plants, many unknown to science, yet less than 40% of it is protected. Overharvesting native species poses a significant threat to biodiversity and resellers along the supply chain stand to make more profit than local communities. Both the local people and the forest are losing out.
‘As a care experienced person, I never thought these amazing conservation opportunities would be reachable for me. My personal and professional experience drives my research to be solution focused with the community. This deeper understanding to place local indigenous knowledge at the centre of the expedition, with a rigorous systemic assessment of species distribution in forests and semi-wild nurseries, enabled this pioneering and different approach.
‘Local plant hunters want to celebrate their unique flora as a cultural asset, which perfectly aligns with the goals of ecosystem stewardship to combat overharvesting and habitat loss. I really hope that my expedition working closely with the local community, my DICE colleagues and my local Indonesian counterparts at IPB University and Bogor Botanical Garden can help inform the conservation strategies and horticultural practices required to make a big difference.’
The expedition will see Fraser experiencing physical, adventurous and trailblazing challenges. The adventure itself is arduous, requiring 12 hours of non-stop driving to reach the area. Once there, his team will navigate through dense forests, swamps, and lakes, often submerged by water for half the year. It will require five days of traveling on foot or by boat. Fraser and his team will encounter peaks reaching up to 800 meters, an equatorial climate with high sunlight intensity, humidity above 80%, and temperatures in the low 30s Celsius. The expedition is set to start in April 2025 and run until July 2025 and is part of Fraser’s wider comparative study across Indonesia.