Celebrations at Uluru after climbers permanently banned

Yahoo – AFP, October 27, 2019

The ban on climbing Uluru had long been sought by the traditional owners of
the land, the Anangu, whose connection to the site dates back tens of thousands
of years (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

Uluru (Australia) (AFP) - Indigenous Australians performed songs and traditional dance as the sun set over Uluru on Sunday, capping a weekend of celebrations to mark the historic ban on climbing the sacred site.

The ceremony was held two days after a final surge of tourists who had flocked to central Australia scaled the giant red monolith before its closure to climbers.

A crowd gathered late Friday at the base of the site to watch rangers erect the "permanently closed" sign, in line with the long-held wishes of indigenous Australians.

"No more climbing today," shouted indigenous elder Nelly Patterson. "Close it," she yelled to a loud cheer from the crowd.

Previously known as Ayers Rock, the site was officially returned to the Anangu

in 1985 (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

The ban, first announced in 2017, had long been sought by the traditional owners of the land, the Anangu, whose connection to the site dates back tens of thousands of years.

As well as respecting cultural practices, the ban is designed to protect the site from further environmental damage and ensure visitors' safety.

"We are all very happy, as traditional owners, that the climb is closed now, after a long fight from handback to today," Reggie Uluru told reporters through an interpreter on Saturday.

Previously known as Ayers Rock, the site was officially returned to the Anangu in 1985.

Signs at its base had implored visitors not to climb it, but they were regularly ignored by some, especially in recent months as thousands made last-minute ascents.

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where

 they can view the monolith from its base, walk around its perimeter and learn about 

its indigenous heritage (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

"I think it is important that mother nature has a bit of a break," the last climber at Uluru, James Martin, said.

"I would like to say to the Aboriginals that we are sorry and the world does indeed belong to every single person who was born on the planet," the Australian told reporters as he came off the rock at sunset on Friday.

Parks Australia added extra rangers on patrol over the weekend, with fines for those who attempt to summit the rock now reaching up to Aus$10,000 ($6,800).

The ceremony was held two days after a final surge of tourists who had flocked

to central Australia scaled the giant red monolith before its closure to climbers 

(AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

"Although we expect our visitors to respect the law and the wishes of traditional owners when they visit, significant penalties can be issued," Parks Australia told national broadcaster ABC.

Work is expected to begin next week to remove a chain that was used by climbers to make the steep ascent.

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where they can view the monolith from its base, walk around its perimeter and learn about its indigenous heritage at the cultural centre.

Related Articles:

Uluru closed to climbers after crowds make final ascent
Climbing Australia's giant red rock Uluru banned

The Creation Choir - Mar 21, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Pair 5 - Node: Ulura, Australia & Null: Mount Logan, Yukon Northern Territories, Canada are revealed & activated. The 12 Pleiadians time capsules (The Nodes and Nulls of Earth) within Gaia will now gradually receive information) 

These time capsules need to be on the planet as a guide or blueprint for the starting creative energy of Gaia [the Creation Template]. Kryon has told us: that as the time capsules are slowly released, they modify The Crystalline Grid to help Human consciousness shift, and eventually create an ascended planet.  (Text version "The Fast-Track Systems")

Australia marks 30 years since Uluru returned to Aboriginal owners

Gaia Global Consciousness Retreat (8) - Mar 24-25, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Record-breaking dance in Indonesia's Aceh promotes unity

Yahoo – AFP, August 13, 2017

Participants take part in a mass traditional Saman dance performance in Aceh
on Indonesia's Sumatra island on August 13, 2017

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh on Sunday to stage a record-breaking song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park in the westernmost province.

The men, clad in elaborate black and yellow traditional costumes, sat in neat rows, clapping their hands on their shoulders and laps and moving in an increasingly fast-paced rhythm to a traditional song.

The saman, or "the dance of a thousand hands", is one of the country's most popular. In 2011 it was included in the UNESCO list of items of intangible cultural heritage.

The event was aimed at attracting more visitors to the province, the head of the local tourism agency, Syafruddin, told AFP.

The men, mostly from the ethnic Gayo community, made occasional wave-like movements without breaking formation.

Their song focused on the importance of protecting the province's Mount Leuser National Park, home to rare Sumatran tigers and elephants, which is threatened by rampant poaching and rainforest destruction due to the expansion of palmoil plantations.

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh to stage a record-breaking

song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park

Thousands of spectators flocked to an open field tucked amid lush green hills in Gayo Lues district to watch the performance.

The Indonesian Museum of Record certified it as breaking a national record with 10,001 participants -- beating last year's record of 6,600.

The dance is usually accompanied by a song performed in unison. It emphasises teamwork, a symbol of unity.

"In the old days the lyrics were usually about spreading Islamic teachings. These days we can adjust the lyrics to deliver any message we wish to convey to the audience," Syafruddin said.

Aceh's international image has been tarnished by its public punishments under Sharia law, such as caning for homosexuality.

"I am very impressed with the performance, the dancers synchronised very well and it makes me proud as an Indonesian. It was incredible," Sarah, a visitor from Jakarta, told AFP.

Verdict for Leuser Ecosystem to Fall on Nov. 8

Jakarta Globe, Ratri M. Siniwi, November 04, 2016

The Mount Leuser National Park. (Photo courtesy of World Conservation Society)

Jakarta. The fate of the Leuser Ecosystem will be revealed on Tuesday (08/11) with judges set to deliver their verdict in a case launched by Aceh citizens.

The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 21 by Acehnese community leaders against the Minister of Home Affairs, the Aceh Governor and the Aceh local government for excluding the Leuser Ecosystem from the Aceh Spatial Plan 2013-2033.

By excluding the Leuser Ecosystem, the Aceh local government will open arms to more mining, logging and palm oil plantations, dismissing the ecosystem’s National Strategic Area status and its Unesco World Heritage Site status for Mount Leuser National Park.

“The Leuser Ecosystem is a legacy from my parents, and if I don’t take care of it, it’s like I’m betraying my next generation,” Aman Jarum, a plaintiff in the suit and a member of the Aceh Citizen Lawsuit Movement (GeRAM), said on Thursday (03/11).

As the ecosystem is the province’s water catchment area, it plays an essential role as the water source for millions of people in Sumatra. Due to the hard impacts of climate change, losing water source would mean a gamble on the future of livelihoods around the world.

“Climate change is going to turn water into gold; [water is] going to be more valuable,” said former environment minister Emil Salam.

As the expert witness for GeRAM, he said in court that destroying the area will also mean destroying the homes of Sumatra’s endemic wildlife.

“Leuser is one of the 25 ecosystems in the world with a unique biodiversity and serves as home for 7,500 Sumatran orangutans, 700 Sumatran elephants and 250 Sumatran tigers,” said Emil.

According to Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI), there are 53 companies benefiting from the Leuser Ecosystem.

Most are palm oil plantations, followed by timber, and pulp and paper companies.

“We are not just putting Leuser at stake, but also other ecosystems in Indonesia — what would happen to them?” the former minister stated.

Peru creates huge national park in Amazon basin

Yahoo – AFP, 7 Nov 2015

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, pictured on July 28, 2015, will create the Sierra

 del Divisor National Park in a region inhabited by a variety of indigenous communities

living in self-imposed isolation (AFP Photo/Ernesto Benavides)

Lima (AFP) - Peru is creating a national park to protect a vast territory in the Amazon basin that is vulnerable to drug trafficking and illegal logging and mining, the country's environment minister said Saturday.

Called the Sierra del Divisor National Park, it covers an area of about 14,170 square kilometers (5,470 square miles) in a region inhabited by a variety of indigenous communities living in self-imposed isolation.

Peru's President Ollanta Humala will travel to the region Sunday to sign a decree creating the park, Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar Vidal said on his Twitter account.

The park has an estimated 3,000 species of plants and animals, many of them found nowhere else in the world, according to the government.

The announcement comes just three weeks ahead of a UN summit aimed at sealing a global pact on climate change.

Advocates of the new park have said it will enable the capture of 150,000 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of nearly 40 percent of Peru's daily carbon output.

Sierra del Divisor has been a protected zone since April 2006. Since then, the communities living there have lobbied for its designation as a national park to stiffen legal protections against encroachment by loggers, miners and drug traffickers.

Sierra del Divisor is the second national park created since Humala took office in 2011, after the Gueppi National Park, a 6,260 square kilometer expanse centered on the Gueppi River in southeastern Peru.

Related Article:

Australia marks 30 years since Uluru returned to Aboriginal owners

Indonesia calls off search for Spaniards in boat sinking

Asia One – AFP, Aug 23, 2014

In this file photograph taken on December 3, 2010, boats depart from Rinca island
part of the Komodo National Park, home of the Komodo dragon. Eight foreigners
 and five Indonesians were rescued on August 18, 2014 two days after their tourist
 boat sank during a storm in the archipelago, having survived by huddling in a
lifeboat or floating in their life jackets.

JAKARTA - Indonesian authorities called off their search for two Spanish men Saturday, finding no sign of them one week after their tour boat sank in central Indonesia.

The boat carrying 25 people departed from the island of Lombok near Bali and was headed east toward Komodo Island, a popular tourist destination, when it hit a reef and later sank in stormy weather on August 16.

The 18 other foreign tourists on board, as well as four Indonesian crew and one guide, survived the horrific ordeal.

A team with three rescue boats and three fishing vessels combed the seas around several islands in the area for the final day of the search, to no avail.

"We found no sign of the men at all. There are many fishermen in the area looking out for them, and they will continue to do so, even though we've ended our official search," local search and rescue chief Budiawan, who goes by one name, told AFP.

"Of course we'll come back out if there is any sign of them." Indonesian authorities were unable to confirm the men's full names, while Spain's foreign ministry identified one as 43-year-old lawyer Victor Garcia Montes from Seville, according to Spanish media reports.

The two men had been with a group of 10 others who swam some five kilometres (three miles) to the volcanic island of Sangeang. The 10 reached the island, where some drank their own urine and ate leaves until they were rescued the following day.

Another group of 13 people who went out with the vessel's small lifeboat survived. They had to switch between swimming and sitting from more than 40 hours as the boat could hold only seven at a time.

All survivors were treated on the central Indonesian island of Sumbawa.

The foreigners rescued were from New Zealand, Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy.

Komodo is one of several islands that make up the Komodo National Park, a protected area. Its eponymous lizards are a major tourist attraction that grow up to three metres (10 feet) long and have a venomous bite.

Indonesia relies heavily on boats to connect its more than 17,000 islands but has a poor maritime safety record. Boat sinkings involving foreign tourists, however, are rare.

Related Article:

Ten foreigners, five locals missing as Indonesia tour boat sinks

Govt Plans to Open Komodo to Cruise Ships

Jakarta Globe, May 16, 2014

Komodo dragons mating. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Jakarta. East Nusa Tenggara’s provincial tourism agency on Friday said it had appropriated Rp 60 billion ($5.26 million) to build a floating aluminum dock off Komodo that would open the island to cruise ships.

“This year we’ll build a cruise ship dock on Komodo Island,” tourism secretary Wely Rohimone said, as quoted by state-run Antara News Agency. “We’re in the preparation process.”

Wely said the dock would be finished in 2015 and would be built to last for 25 years.  The project, Wely said, would come as part of a broader effort to make Komodo National Park easier to visit.

Komodo and a handful of nearby islands, the only known habitats of the Komodo dragon, are increasingly popular as tourism destinations but remain relatively difficult to access.

The Komodo dragon has been classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as a vulnerable species.

Indonesian Heritage Sites

Jakarta Globe, Putri Minangsari – Burufly, October 7, 2013

Serenity at sunrise makes Borobudur temple a memorable place to visit.
(Burufly Photo)

More than three decades have passed since Unesco first listed cultural and natural heritage sites of special significance. In 2012, with almost 1,000 places on the list, it has become one of the reasons why people travel to faraway lands.

Indonesia is home to eight such Unesco sites. These range from natural beauty in the wilds of Sumatra to the magnificent Borobudur temple on Java. Here’s our guide to all eight:

Borobudur Compound (1991)

This temple is one of the the largest Buddhist monuments in the world. With more than two million blocks of carved volcanic stone and a beautiful line of five active volcanoes, the serenity and history make it a truly memorable place to visit.

Prambanan Compound (1991)

Adorned with lavish and suggestive decorations, this Hindu monument — a complex of 240 temples and was built in the eighth century, during the heyday of  the powerful Sailendra dynasty in Java — is said to be the largest outside India.

The compound has an open-air theater in which more than 200 dancers perform the great Hindu epic “Ramayana” every other night. The performance, set against the starry sky and a great bonfire with Prambanan as the backdrop, is definitely spell-binding.

Komodo National Park (1991)

More than five thousand giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behavior have led us to call them Komodo dragons, live in Padar, Komodo and Rinca, the three big islands that make up the Komodo National Park.

The living fossils might be the main attraction here, but the national park has more to offer. The dry hillsides of the savannah and pockets of green vegetation offer great vistas, while the white and pink sandy beaches and natural corals will take your breath away.

Komodo National Park (Burufly Photo)

Ujung Kulon National Park (1991)

Home to Krakatau — famous for a catastrophic eruption in 1883 — the Ujung Kulon National Park’s beauty remains preserved. Located on the south-western tip of Java, the park boasts several offshore islands with unspoiled beaches, stretched towards the Indian Ocean.

Sangiran Excavation Site (1996)

Outside the charming city of Solo in Central Java lies one of the most important sites in the history of human evolution. Excavations at this site, led by German archeologist G.H.R. von Königswald from 1936 to 1941, uncovered the first known hominid fossils. In the following years, excavations discovered fossil believed to belong to the first human ancestors, Pithecanthropus erectus (“Java Man.”)

Lorentz National Park (1999)

Slightly smaller than the US state of Oregon, Lorentz National Park is located at the eastern tip of the archipelago. From the eternal snow on of the world’s seven highest summits to exceptional tropical marine environments to extensive lowland wetlands, the park offers striking contrasts that are perfect for adventurers.

Distinctive, indigenous cultures such as the Amungme, West Dani and Komorohave have their roots in the region.

Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra (2004)

Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran orangutans are among the many inhabitants of this site, which comprises three national parks: Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat and Bukit Barisan Selatan, which together are home to an estimated 10,000 species of plants, more than 200 species of mammals, and some 600 species of birds, of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemic.

The Subak System: Cultural Landscape of Bali (2012)

Recently named a world cultural heritage site, the Subak reflects the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of spirit, human and nature. A water temple sits at the center of the site, and a priest is in charge of dividing the water. The democratic farming practices here have enabled the Balinese to become the most effective rice growers in the archipelago.

Burufly

Tourists kicked out of landmark US parks

Google – AFP, Robyn BECK (AFP), 3 October 2013

A US park ranger gives a visitor suggestions of other nearby places he can

 visit while Joshua Tree National Park was shutdown, at the entrance to Joshua

Tree, California, on October 2, 2013 (AFP, Robyn Beck)

Joshua Tree National Park (United States) — For many people it is the trip of a lifetime. But thousands have been left angry at being locked out of landmark US national parks due to the government shutdown.

Hundreds who were lucky enough to already be staying in places like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon faced a deadline Thursday to leave, 48 hours after the shutdown went into force due to a budget standoff in Washington DC.

"We grew up seeing pictures of it in books," said Clare Cogan from Cork, Ireland, on honeymoon with her husband Mohally but locked out of Yosemite National Park, shuttered since Tuesday.

"You know, the cars underneath those huge sequoia trees. That was America," she told the Los Angeles Times, which called the spectacular Californian park "an emblem of partisan divide."

A US Park Ranger turns away a visitor
 at Muir Woods National Monument on
 October 2, 2013 in San Francisco, 
California (Getty Images/AFP, Justin
Sullivan)

The National Park Service closed its gates on its 401 sites as soon as the shutdown went into effect after midnight Monday, leaving visitors -- including many from overseas -- frustrated at park entrances across the country.

Tourists who were already staying in hotels, cabins and campgrounds inside national parks like world-famous Yosemite were allowed to stay -- but only for 48 hours, after which they were told to leave.

"Guests ... who are already checked-in can continue with their vacation plans, but they are required to leave by October 3 at 3:00 pm," said Lisa Cesaro of the company that operates over 1,000 rooms in the park, DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite.

The park, which was already partially closed in August due to a massive wildfire, is known around the globe -- especially for Yosemite Valley, where tourists flock to see landmarks including the spectacular El Capitan and Half Dome rock formations.

"We came all the way from England to climb and get to the top of El Capitan, but now we won't get the chance," Tim Larrad, a 52-year-old retired police officer from Worcester told the Contra Costa Times newspaper at his campsite.

"It's very disappointing. This climb was lifetime stuff. The trip took a lot of time to plan and prepare for," he said.

The Yosemite spokeswoman said that since Tuesday most activities, including horseback riding and bike rentals, had been suspended.

"We are continuing to provide retail, dining and limited transportation services for overnight guests in the park through Thursday," she said.

"If the shutdown continues, we will try to reschedule those who have upcoming reservations or cancel their booking and provide a refund," she added.

Some 715,000 visitors flock daily to National Park Service sites across the country, on average in October, according to CNN.

Other world-famous tourist attractions shuttered until further notice include the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and the Alcatraz prison island in San Francisco Bay.

A couple on a motorcycle ride past a sign

 posted at the Angeles National Forest

announcing the recreation facility area

closed on October 2, 2013 in the mountains

north of Los Angeles, California (AFP, 

Frederic J. Brown)

Joshua Tree National Park, two hours' drive east of Los Angeles, is famous for its bizarre cactus-like trees and weird rock formations, which draw climbers from around the world, especially at this time of year between the high heat of summer and the cooler winter.

It, too, is closed, with park rangers giving newly arrived visitors the bad news: they will have to wait until politicians in Washington sort out their differences on spending, before they can enter.

In the Grand Canyon, visited by 18,000 people a day on average at this time of year, spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said the gates were closed from 6:00 am Tuesday.

"All recreational opportunities in the park, including hiking, biking, mule rides, visitor centers, they're all closed," she told AFP.

People who were in accommodations in the park on Monday night had been "given 48 hours to make additional arrangements, and then they have to leave the park," she added.

"We're just trying to maintain an orderly shutdown and closure of the park," she said, adding: "Having to turn anyone away is hard."

The Lincoln Memorial closed due to the shutdown of the

 government of the people, by the people, for the people. 

(Photo/Xinhua)

Related Articles:

US shutdown: Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore to reopen

US government shutdown makes Chinese tourists sad

US government begins shutdown after Congress debates end in stalemate

Philippe Cousteau’s Journey to Sumatra

Jakarta Globe, September 24, 2013

In ‘Expedition Sumatra,’ Cousteau and his team take viewers to see how
 deforestation has affected the island’s endangers species and indigenous
people. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Philippe Cousteau hopes people will be “amazed by the beauty” of Sumatra when they watch his new television series which follows his trek across the island’s rainforest on CNN.

The CNN special corespondent and environmental adventurer and his team recently journeyed to see how deforestation has affected the island’s endangered species and indigenous people.

Throughout the eight-part series “Expedition: Sumatra,” which launched on Sept. 13, the team visits an orangutan sanctuary, learns how farmers repel elephants instead of killing them, and witness the changing rainforest.

“I hope people are amazed by the beauty of this special place, I hope they are outraged by its destruction, but most of all, I hope they understand the power each of us has to change its future,” Cousteau said of the new series.

“We are linking the show with online resources and campaigns by terrific organizations who are encouraging the government to establish 30 Hills as a National Park and protect this critical habitat we were filming in.”

The 33-year-old environmental advocate, who is the grandson of French explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau, said the logistics were the biggest challenge they faced while filming in a remote location.

“Traveling with no infrastructure everything takes twice as long. All the details had to be planned out in advance,” Cousteau said .

“One of the things people always seemed fascinated by are some of the basics; for much of the expedition our toilet was a hole in the ground and our shower was a bucket.”

The social entrepreneur shared some of his thoughts with the Jakarta Globe about what he learned from his expedition across the Sumatran rainforest.

What was the most unexpected experience you had during filming?

When we visited the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the staff had me help teach an orphaned baby orangutan how to find food. They gave me a rotting piece of wood colonized by termites and told me I had to suck them out of the wood to demonstrate to the baby what to do.

This is an important source of protein for orangutans in the wild so I had to do it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the intent look on that little face as I did my best to slurp down termite larva.

What relationship were you able to develop with the local people?

One of the experiences that stands out for me was a visit to an indigenous Talang Mamak school. It was inspiring to see how engaged the young students were in learning about the truly unique part of the planet they call home. It was part of a school run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society to engage the local communities in understanding the importance of conservation. I got to test my creative skills with drawing pictures of local animals and participating in a puppet show.

In such extreme environments, what safety precautions do you take?

We couldn’t have made the trip without our friends and partners on the ground including the World Wildlife Fund and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.

From navigating issues like illegal logging and poaching to connecting with local communities and organizations, their assistance was invaluable.

Were you ever in any danger?

There was always the potential for danger. There were definitely groups that did not want us to tell this story including illegal loggers, poachers and representatives from industries and companies engaging in the pillaging of the island’s critical natural resources.

How do you think “Expedition: Sumatra” will contribute to environmental awareness?

Today, people want to experience the behind-the- scenes reality of how these types of expeditions unfold. With ‘Expedition: Sumatra,’ we made every effort to make viewers feel like they are part of the expedition team. The serialized format of the program creates a sense of anticipation of what will happen next that I think will appeal to viewers of all ages.

“Expedition: Sumatra” airs on CNN International each Friday at 10:30 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Monday at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Two hurt in attack by komodo dragon in Indonesia

BBC News, 6 February 2013

Komodo dragons normally feed on large mammals, smaller reptiles
and birds

Related Stories 

• Komodo dragons missing from zoo

Two men have been injured in an attack by a komodo dragon in a wildlife part in eastern Indonesia, park officials say.

The 2m (7ft) long lizard attacked a park ranger in his office, then turned on another employee who tried to come to his aid.

Both suffered serious leg wounds and were being monitored in hospital.

Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards, growing up to 3m long, with razor-sharp teeth and a poisonous bite.

The dragons' jaws contain highly poisonous glands that can cause paralysis.

The reptiles are unique to a small group of islands in eastern Indonesia.

They live on a diet of mainly large mammals, smaller reptiles and birds, but have been known to attack humans.

The animals are endangered in the wild and protected by international law - fewer than 4,000 are believed to be alive.

Komodo Park Officially One of 'New 7 Wonders of Nature'

Jakarta Globe, May 17, 2012

Two komodo dragons are seen in Asam forest on Komodo Island,
East Nusa Tenggara in Oct. 2011. Indonesia’s Komodo National Park has
 been officially named one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.” (Antara Photo:
Yudhi Mahatma) 

      

Related articles

• Tourism Islands To Get Rp 210t For Development
• Ambassador: New7Wonders' Motivation Is Money
• Komodo Makes It to 'Provisional' New 7 Wonders List
• New7Wonders Takes Aim at Diplomat in Long-Running Spat
• Final Hurdle for Push to See Komodo Named a New Natural World Wonder

The Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara has been officially declared one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" by the New7Wonders Foundation on Wednesday.

"The success of the Komodo National Park is an inspiring example of how a community could jointly protect species which is nearly extinct," Bernard Weber, the president of the New7Wonders Foundation, said in a press statement received by Antara on Wednesday.

"By voting for it in such large numbers, the supporters of Komodo Island everywhere have expressed pride in their natural heritage, which is part of the great mosaic that is the world," Weber added. 

Indonesia's komodo ambassador and chief of the Our Komodo Foundation's advisory board, Jusuf Kalla, said Komodo Park had drawn more than 200 million votes.

"I thank the Indonesian people that have sent short messages to vote for Komodo," Kalla said.

The six other new wonders of nature are Halong Bay in Vietnam; Iguazu Falls straddling Argentina and Brazil; Jeju Island in South Korea; Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines, Table Mountain in South Africa and the Amazon rain foresst in South America, whose status is still provisional.

Antara/JG

Related Article:

Komodo Park Ramps Up Infrastructure as Tourism Skyrockets

UNESCO declares Wakatobi world biosphere reserve

Antara News, Thu, May 10 2012

Wakatobi Beach

Wangiwangi, S.E.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared the Wakatobi Marine National Park of Southeast Sulawesi province as a world biosphere reserve area unconditionally.

"The UNESCO has declared the Wakatobi national park, which covers an area of 1.3 million hectares, to be a world biosphere reserve, along with 12 other biosphere reserves in the world," Wakatobi Regent Hugua said here on Thursday.

According to Hugua, the decision to make Wakatobi a world biosphere reserve was reached at the 18th meeting of International Advisory Committee for UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve Program in Paris during April 2-4, 2012.

"At the meeting 26 areas were considered for world biosphere reserve status, but only 13 were approved, including Wakatobi. Five areas were given conditions and five other regions were declined," he explained.

Hugua said, with Wakatobi becoming a world biosphere reserve in July 2012, Indonesia would have eight areas with the same status.

He explained UNESCO wanted to protect three interests while establishing the Wakatobi National Park as a centre of the world biosphere reserve: local knowledge, environmental sustainability, and sustainable economic interests of the local society.

"Local knowledge is related to the cultural traditions of communities," Hugua said.

Environmental sustainability needs to be protected because waters of the Wakatobi National Park feature a diversity of coral reefs and marine life, which is comparatively higher than other regions in the world.

"The Wakatobi waters boast 750 species of coral reefs, out of a total of 850 species worldwide. Even the Caribbean Sea, which is very popular among tourists, especially divers, has only 50 species of coral, while the Red Sea has 300 species," Hugua noted.

"With regard to economic interests of the local society, people in the Wakatobi should be able to exploit the potential of existing natural resources in a sustainable manner without disturbing the environmental balance," he added.

"These are the three reasons why UNESCO made the Wakatobi Marine National Park a biosphere reserve centre of the world," Hugua said.

Editor: Heru

Komodo National Park drops to 26th place in global poll

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/23/2011

Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, home to the rare Komodo dragon, has seen its recent rank in the New Seven Wonders of Nature list drop drastically from sixth to 26th out of 28 finalists.

The list is an ongoing global poll to determine the new seven natural wonders of the world.

“For the past four weeks, only 60.62 percent of international voters have voted for Komodo, placing it at the 26th rank out of 28 finalists,” East Nusa Tenggara Tourism, Arts and Culture Agency promotion division head Ubaldus Gogi said in Kupang on Sunday.

Ubaldus, as quoted by Antara, said he hoped Indonesians would help promote Komodo dragons before the international community to boost the national park’s popularity.

As of noon on Sunday, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania topped the New Seven Wonders list with 99.98 percent of international voters having voted in support, followed closely by the Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan (99.81 percent of votes), the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador (99.76 percent), Cliffs of Mother in Ireland (99.64 percent), and Milford Sound in New Zealand (99.61 percent).

Germany’s Black Forest presently stands at 6th place with 99.58 percent voter support, followed by Italy’s Mount Vesuvius at 7th place with 99.49 percent.

The rest of the list can be seen at www.new7wonders.com.