The Heartland Project is an initiative carried out by Kalimantan youth to restore and conserve their peat forests. The project aims to restore, reforest, and protect Kalimantan's landscape by empowering local youth, supporting indigenous people-led climate initiatives, and promoting indigenous ecological knowledge.
One of the activities in The Heartland Project series is film screenings in schools, which are part of the Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival event. Some environmental-theme videos were screened to the students. They were very enthusiastic to discuss about the films and the future of Kalimantan.
Evan Christian Evan Lalin, a student of SDK Don Bosco Palangka Raya, expressed his concern about the future of the earth and the condition of the forest. Evan emphasized, "Animals and nature can live without humans, but humans cannot live without nature. Don't cut down trees or burn forests, because that will upset the balance."
He highlighted that forests have great benefits for humans, saying, "Forests provide oxygen supply and absorb carbon emissions. In the forest there are also many medicinal plants with properties equivalent to man-made medicines."
At a different time and place, Nuraina Azaria, a 14-year-old student of MTS Raudhatul Jannah, also emphasized the importance of protecting forests. He warned, "Don't burn forests carelessly, because forests are the main source of food for humans and animals. Forests are natural habitats for flora and fauna. If forests are lost, then animals and plants will become extinct. All flora and fauna in Indonesia come from forests, if the habitat is damaged, then endemic species that only exist in Indonesia will become extinct."
The Heartland Project provides advocacy support and active participation committed to preserving Kalimantan's forests for a better future for the earth.