I decided this year I wanted to do something completely different than my usual tourist holiday, so after a little searching, a four week volunteer stint in Borneo at an Orangutan rescue centre it was!
My home for the four weeks was in an eco-lodge in an area called Samboja Lestari, a regenerating 2,000-hectare forest reserve located in Eastern Borneo (the forest had totally been destroyed by fire prior to 2001). As well as being a major reforestation project, Samboja Lestari is home to 52 Sun Bears and 225 Orangutans all who have been rescued from either deforestation or trade.
Not knowing what the conditions were going to be – day/night temperatures, availability of washing machines and how strict the dress code would be for females, Icebreaker seemed like the perfect travel companion.
I was all set for my flight in my cosy Bodyfit 260 and Rio pants. I also took with me a 150 cami (perfect to sleep in), a Rio Hoodie, an Airport top as well as a couple of pairs of Lite Crew socks. Why I took more than one pair of socks with me I don’t know, they are fantastic! I did a little test and even with hot sweaty feet tucked into work boots all day long after eight days straight they still didn’t smell. I was so impressed with them I gave my other pair to another volunteer, who put them to good test in her Welly’s – she loved them too!
One of the main objectives of our volunteer team was to provide daily enrichment to the orangutans. The enrichment helps provide mental stimulation as they have to do something to get food and are then rewarded for their effort. These included a variety of new food options, sometimes frozen into big ice blocks, making food parcels from hessian sacks or stuffing bamboo sticks. They were fun to make and it was really rewarding to watch the Orangutans enjoy finding their treats.
This was an amazing experience for me and a big thanks to Icebreaker for providing some kiwi comfort.
- Jo Healey, Icebreaker Fan
