Terms of Reference
Botanist Freelancer
Sangga Bumi Lestari is an Indonesian non-profit sustainability research, strategy, and implementation organisation that protects and restores ecosystems, improves livelihoods, and strengthens governance. We implement projects to increase community and civil society involvement in the management of forest areas, encourage corporate companies to operate forestry and agricultural concessions according to key sustainability criteria, and facilitate government support for sustainable development goals. We have enhanced protection of some of West Kalimantan’s key wildlife habitats through facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborations and demonstrating that well-managed forest areas can enhance community livelihoods and contribute to district level development goals.
Sangga Bumi Lestari implements projects from offices in Jakarta, Ketapang, and Kapuas Hulu. We currently have 23 staff members and additional freelance field assistants. Our current projects focus on five key areas:
Land use change analysis to identify sustainability issues and communicate externally via articles and reports, workshops, and webinars.
Direct engagement to encourage sector transformation and develop collaborative strategies to improve sustainability commitments of concessions. We also engage relevant government departments to support these private sector’s initiatives.
Supporting the government’s social forestry policy, focused on the province of West Kalimantan. We focus on supporting communities obtain social forestry designations, encouraging district government support for the policy, and developing strategies to increase village development and the welfare of local communities operating social forestry permits.
Developing wildlife corridors to connect existing forest areas and recover degraded habitats, including conducting biodiversity and vegetation surveys, data analysis, education and outreach, reforestation, and stakeholder engagement.
Flood prevention in rural and urban areas. Including mapping of watersheds, land-use change analysis, hydrological modelling, stakeholder engagement, the development and trial of suitable mitigation strategies, training, and implementation.
Role
Sangga Bumi Lestari is looking for a Botanist Freelancer for our project in the Betung Kerihun-Danau Sentarum landscape in Kapuas Hulu. Duties may include:
Conduct studies on plant species and their environments in the landscape,
Help in data collection and plant identification according to the methodology,
Plan and organize activities related to vegetation surveys in the landscape,
Communicate collected data with the Project Coordinators and Landscape Research Manager,
Report to Botany Programme Coordinator.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in biology, botany, ecology, forestry, or other degrees related to ecological conservation.
Experience in collecting vegetation data with proven ability to conduct research activities and ability in plant identification,
Understanding various methods in conducting biodiversity research for different taxa,
Experience in data collection for a university or academic project will be a bonus.
Able to withstand the physical demands of fieldwork in a landscape encompassing swamp and dry forest.
Willingness to work in remote areas.
Willingness to learn and follow the methodology and data quality standards,
Speaks fluent Indonesian and at least functional English.
What we offer
One-year contract.
Working with a team passionate in biodiversity conservation research.
The position would be based in the Betung Kerihun-Danau Sentarum landscape in Kapuas Hulu. When not in the field, accommodation in Kapuas Hulu is provided.
Benefits include a hybrid working policy and private health insurance.
Please contact:
Interested candidates should send a CV to info@sanggabumilestari.org and Cristiar Samosir (cristiar@sanggabumilestari.org) with the subject line ‘Botanist Freelancer-Surname’. Please send your applications before the 17th of January 2025.