Onethousandfeet is a brand of footwear that donates a percentage of the sales of each pair of shoes to protect the rainforest. The primary beneficiary is BTRF. For each pair of shoes purchased, the company donates funds to create sustainable community development and sponsorship of rainforest protection in Borneo. onethousandfeet officially launched its products in February 2010 at the TED conference (technology, entertainment, design) at Long Beach and Palm Springs. In the course of the first day, over one thousand pairs of shoes were distributed to participants. Bill Gates and Will Smith, among others were observed sporting their onethousandfeet shoes.

photograph TED/Marla Aufmuth

A great many thanks to Dominique Perret, his dynamic team and the generous sponsors for making the 2010 edition of the “25 Hours Freeride” once again a special and fun event. For the second year in a row, BTRF stands to benefit from the “25 Hours Freeride” event in Gstaad, Switzerland on January 29-31 when CHF 181,200 were collected. After organizers’ expenses are deducted, BTRF will use the resulting funds to further environmental education in Borneo’s schools and for community development in its project areas.

For more information, visit 25 hours website at: www.25hoursfreeride.ch

Photographs copyright of Daniel Mitchell

To see more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/a03575/sets/72157623323310560/

In Balikpapan, on December 1st 2009, BTRF’s president, Ms. Marinah Embiricos was a keynote speaker at the National environmental Workshop on the “Regional Initiative in Anticipating Global Warming and Climate Change Mitigation”. Over 200 participants attended the workshop, including the Minister of Environment, the National Council on Climate Change, former state ministers, Regents of East Kalimantan, Member of East Kalimantan’s Parliament, Governors of numerous provinces throughout Indonesia, environment and forestry department representatives, community organizations, NGOs, International Organizations and the private sector. (more…)

BTRF’s President, Marinah Embiricos signs new Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Forestry’s Department of Forest Protection and Natural Resource Conservation Director General Ir. Darori, MM. The MOU stipulates provisions for the strengthening of capacity of government institutions in forest protection and nature conservation planning and support management activities in Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan Province.

The scope of cooperation also includes the empowerment of local communities through a series of pilot projects aimed at raising awareness for nature conservation, strengthening community institutions, eco-tourism development and Payment-for-Ecosystem-Services (PES) schemes.

BTRF would like to extend its most heartfelt thanks to Dominique Perret, the organizers, the sponsors and all the participants that made the 25 hours freeride a fun and successful event. BTRF is particularly pleased to announce that its team came in second position. CHF 89,000 were donated to BTRF which will go to support its work in Malinau Regency in East Kalimantan Province of Borneo.