Balikpapan, Indonesia

The traditional market was a highlight of Balikpapan. The moment we walked in I was astounded by all the gorgeous things they had for sale: fabrics, purses, gems, and more. It was so overwhelming at first but the more I walked around the more I couldn't stop walking around and buying things. It was awesome to see the different traditional patterns from different tribes. And I really loved the amount of bead work there. One of my favorite souvenir from the trip probably came from this market: the bead shawl (I'm really not sure what else to call it haha).

I also enjoyed interacting the locals at the market. Everyone was eager to sell their items but also eager to see us experience their culture. After I bought my bead shawl, I walked around in it. Women stopped me and told me they liked it. They even handed my a hat and asked to take pictures. I could see the pride on their faces when they handed me these beautiful things from their heritage. It was really fun and a super cool experience.

I hope in the future these people can still exist off this market. It seemed like a hub for many women to work. I love seeing a space for women and hope that in the future, they can continue to support themselves off their art.

Visiting the mangroves was none of the things I most looked forward to on this trip. They are an extremely overlooked ecosystem but full of insane life. Because water is brackish and flows in cycles, the life living in these areas is full of weird and cool adaptations.

I had never seen mud skippers before. Those were definitely a highlight. And we saw so many different species!

We also saw bright blue crabs which I was not expecting. Along with lizards and a short glimpse of the Asian Small Clawed Otter. The coolest animal was the probiscus monkey. Those weirdos are so fun to watch. I had never seen monkeys in the wild before. Watching them jump from tree to tree carrying babies was so cool.

These mangroves are exactly the same age as me. It was incredible to see how much he had helped the surrounding ecosystem within my lifetime. It's a really incredible thing to see because so much of what we do as environmentalists seems impossible. We dream of helping and restoring these huge ecosystems but it's difficult to see it come to fruition. His dedication to the mangroves and the community around it was incredibly inspiring.

I hope the future brings attention to the importance of mangroves for the general public. Most people don't know they are one of our greatest weapons against climate change in coastal communities. It was really fun leaving my mark on the mangrove as planting a mangrove also! Thank you for that opportunity Professor Dian.

The floating market was really fun too. Perhaps my favorite part was buying my lato lato. Those toys were everywhere the whole trip and it felt right getting one and trying it out. It is surprisingly difficult. Once we got them, I appreciated the kids running around doing the lato lato over their head.

My other favorite part was purchasing more bananas. They are insanely tasty and I couldn't get enough of them.

I'm curious about the future of this floating community. There were lots of houses in the area including a whole market. The community mostly came from the island of Sulawesi. These people are predominantly coastal people. Because our planet is likely going to warm more than 2 degrees in the coming years, these communities are at huge risk. Their lives are on this dock, on the water. I fear what will come of them when the rising seas become worse and worse. Maybe the community can raise the dock? In all honesty, maybe the docks are more resilient to climate change because you can engineer a way to lift them. It will be much harder to make the actual land mass resilient to climate change.

Ground zero of the new capital was one of the most interesting and eye opening parts of the trip. I'm very conflicted about whether or not I think the city is a good idea. It's all about being a healthy, eco-friendly city of the future. But will it actually be?

My biggest worry about the future is that the production of easier to access roads across Borneo will open up lots more jungle for encroachment. The government could help by putting very strict rules about preserves on the island. But the government can't stop everything... obviously.

I'm also worried that focusing on building this new, shiny city will deter focus from the issues facing Jakarta. This city has more than 30 million people living in it. We cannot just abandon them for the more eco-friendly route. I think most of these people will stay in Jakarta. They need to be protected.

I hope that the future of this new capital city is a bright one. I think there's a lot of danger in putting all investment into the new city instead of trying to solve the issues of the city that already houses 30 million people. I also hope the government stays with their plan to make this a truly green city. Already, the government has chosen style and symbolism over the environment--as seen in the design for the presidential palace. Why would the first building you build in this eco-friendly tropical city be a monstrous building covered in glass? It doesn't make sense to me.

I have hope that this will work our for the people of Indonesia. I know they are strong enough to stand up for themselves if the government fails them. I worry that moving the government away will make the people of Jakarta even less visible because their protests won't be seen first hand. I wish the best for this country as the try to navigate the ever-impending doom of climate change. It's not an easy thing to work around but I do think they are trying their best with the hand they've been dealt.

Samboja lodge was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. From the moment we got out of the struck and stepped into the lodge I knew it was going to be an incredible experience. The people who work there are absolute heroes.

Our first activity was visiting the orangutans. Oh my goodness were they incredible. I had never heard an orangutan before nor have I seen one in its natural habitat. I know this wasn't exactly like seeing them out in the wild but nevertheless it was awe-inspiring. Seeing them grasp to trees and move around so gracefully was unlike anything I had ever seen, even in zoos.

During our visit to the orangutans, we got the chance to ask a lot of questions about their care. Over 150 people work at Samboja and help care for these creatures. It goes to show that conservation helps communities. That many jobs would not be there were this area a palm plantation. I really really enjoyed talking with our guide about the workers. He mentioned that many come from the local villages. And if you are lucky enough to be one of the workers, they will help you grow as an environmentalist and orangutan expert! It really was incredible seeing the benefits of eco-tourism firsthand.

Another activity at Samboja I really enjoyed were the seminars. Our first seminar given by the Forestry manager helped us understand the situation of Samboja. This beautiful place is not all sunshine and rainbows whether we want it to be or not.

The biggest hurdle it seemed was with the government. Yes, the local communities were beginning to encroah Samboja's land but that was allowed by the government. And even though the government knows they made a mistake, they are dragging their feet in giving the land back to Samboja.