Forest fires in Kalimantan are becoming increasingly severe. The heat is intense, the air is suffocating, and visibility is so poor that everything becomes a blur. These are the effects I have experienced firsthand as someone who lives in a city. It makes me wonder: if those of us living in cities are already suffering, what about the other living creatures out there in the forest?

I am someone who has spent my entire life, from childhood to adulthood, living in a city—Solok, to be precise, a small city in West Sumatra. Having spent my days in an urban environment, I had never truly considered how important forests and wildlife were.

However, as time went by, I came across the social media account of COP (Centre for Orangutan Protection), which posted about a conservation training program called ABELII CAMP. Since childhood, I had often heard the word “conservation” at school, but I had never really understood what it meant. This sparked my curiosity, and I decided to join the training program held in Medan, North Sumatra.

I participated in the training for approximately one week. Through ABELII CAMP, I came to realize just how broad the meaning of conservation truly is. I also began to understand the importance of protecting forests and everything within them, including the smallest animals, which can have a significant impact on their surrounding environment. I came to realize one important thing: “What is the meaning of human existence if we do not make a positive impact on our environment?”

Eventually, I decided to get involved and take action on the ground by becoming a volunteer with COP. I volunteered for approximately four months, gaining an incredible amount of knowledge and new experiences that not everyone has the opportunity to acquire. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I was given.

My journey in conservation did not end there. In July 2026, I once again participated in COP’s conservation training program, COP School, held in Yogyakarta. Even after the training had ended, I decided to volunteer once again, driven by the increasingly severe forest fires spreading across Kalimantan.

COP then deployed me to Labanan, Berau, East Kalimantan. I was sent alongside one of my fellow COP School participants to assist the COP team, who were struggling against the raging fires in Kalimantan. Upon arriving in Berau, I realized just how devastating forest fires in Indonesia could be. The heat was unbearable, the air was suffocating, and the smoke made my eyes sting and my vision blur.

Imagine how much more these fires torment the creatures living in the forest. Their homes, their habitats, and the very source of their food are being destroyed, consumed by flames in an instant.

I spent days in Kalimantan without a single day of breathing fresh air. All I encountered were thick clouds of smoke and intensely burning flames. Once again, I was reminded of my very first conservation training at ABELII CAMP—the importance of forests, the importance of wildlife, and how deeply these values had become embedded within me.

Thanks to the training I received from COP, I have developed an unwavering determination to protect and restore Indonesia’s rich biodiversity. I do not want to simply stand by and watch; I want to be directly involved in the field.

Because I have come to understand that those who cannot speak for themselves need someone to speak up for them. If not us, then who will take the first step (Ndaru_Orangufriends Padang)

DARI RUANG PELATIHAN KE KOBARAN API, SEBUAH PERJALAN MENJAGA HUTAN
Kebakaran hutan di Kalimantan semakin menggila, panas, sesak, hingga membuat penglihatan sangat buram. Inilah dampak yang saya rasakan langsung sebagai manusia yang tinggal di kota, pertanyaannya, kita yang diari kota saja tersiksa, bagaimana makhluk hidup lain yang ada di hutan sana?
Saya adalah anak yang sedari kecil hingga dewasa berada di kota, tepatnya adalah kota Solok, salah satu kota kecil di Sumatra Barat yang sehari-hari hidup di kota, dan tak pernah terpikirkan sekalipun oleh saya, sepenting apa itu hutan dan satwa.
Namun, seiring berjalannya waktu, saya menemukan salah satu sosial media COP (Centre for Orangutan Protection) yang mem-posting tentang pelatihan konservasi ABELII CAMP. Saya sedari kecil sering mendengar kata konservasi di sekolah, tanpa saya ketahui apa itu konservasi sebenarnya, dari situ saya mulai penasaran apa itu konservasi dan memutuskan untuk mengikuti pelatihan tersebut yang diadakan di Medan, Sumatra Utara.
Saya mengikuti pelatihan tersebut, kurang lebih satu minggu. Dan dari pelatihan ABELII CAMP ini, saya tersadar betapa luasnya arti kata konservasi. Saya juga menyadari betapa pentingnya menjaga hutan, dan seluruh isinya yang bahkan hewan kecil pun sangat berpengaruh besar dengan lingkungannya. Saya menyadari suatu hal, “apalah artinya manusia apabila tidak berdampak bagi lingkungannya. Akhirnya, saya memutuskan untuk ikut serta dan turun langsung ke lapangan dengan menjadi relawan di COP. Saya menjadi relawan kurang lebih selama empat bulan dan mendapatkan sangat banyak ilmu serta pengalaman baru yang tidak mungkin didapatkan oleh semua orang. Saya sangat bersyukur atas kesempatan yang diberikan kepada saya.
Perjalanan saya di dunia konservasi tidak berakhir begitu saja karena di bulan Juli 2026, saya kembali mengikuti pelatihan konservasi COP School yang diadakan di kota Yogyakarta. Bahkan setelah pelatihan berakhir pun, saya memutuskan kembali menjadi volunteer karena melihat bagaimana kondisi kebakaran hutan yang mulai menggila di tanah Kalimantan.
Saya pun diutus oleh COP menuju Kalimantan, tepatnya di Labanan, Berau, Kalimantan Timur. Saya diberangkatkan bersama salah satu teman COP School saya untuk membantu tim COP yang sedang berjibaku melawan kobaran api di Kalimantan. Sesampainya saya di Berau, saya menyadari betapa mengerikannya kebakaran hutan di Indonesia ini, panas, sesak bahkan membuat penglihatan terasa perih. Bayangkan betapa tersiksa nya mereka yang hidup di hutan, rumahnya, tempat tinggalnya, dapur sumber makanannya, hilang terbakar dalam sekejap.
Berhari-hari saya di Kalimantan, tiada sehari pun saya menghirup udara segar, yang ada hanyalah kepulan asap dan kobaran api yang sangat panas. Kembali saya teringat tentang pelatihan konservasi pertama saya di ABELII CAMP, tentang pentingnya hutan, pentingnya satwa, dan itu tertanam di dalam diri saya.
Berkat pelatihan yang saya terima dari COP, saya memiliki tekad yang sangat kuat untuk menjaga dan memulihkan kekayaan hayati yang ada di Indonesia, dan saya tidak hanya ingin melihat, tetapi saya juga ingin terjun langsung di lapangan. Karena saya sadar, mereka yang tidak bisa menyuarakan, butuh disuarakan, kalau bukan dari kita, siapa lagi yang akan memulainya. (Ndaru_Orangufriends Padang)