BTRF has been accorded the immense privilege of being officially mandated to protect between 10-20 million hectares of tropical rainforest in the Kalimantan region of Borneo.

MISSION

BTRF's mission is to protect and safeguard large areas of tropical rainforest as well as to promote global responsibility and awareness of the need to participate collectively in the conservation of our planet's natural heritage.

BTRF's first project is to establish a protected area in Borneo.

KALIMANTAN

Signifying "River of Diamonds" in Indonesian, Kalimantan is covered by the world's largest stretches of unspoilt tropical rainforest. It is home to countless rare and exotic species, many of which are endemic to Borneo

Rainforests cover 6% of the earth's surface and provide habitat for up to 30 million species, 90% of our planet's total.

Their unique biodiversity and ecosystems are essential to the health of the planet.

Rainforests are the natural lungs of the planet, providing 20-30% of the world's oxygen.

Every year, 50 million acres (20 million hectares) of rainforest are destroyed. This represents an area the size of England, Scotland and Wales combined. At current rates of depletion, all remaining rainforests will be wiped out in 50 years. Approximately 19 million trees are felled daily. Rainforests take hundreds of years to form so their rich diversity and biological importance can never be adequately compensated by new plantations.

Tropical rainforests contain four fifths of the earth's terrestrial vegetation, much of which has evolved natural immunity from plant diseases.

The disappearance of rainforests invariably brings in its wake wholesale extinction. This is not limited to isolated species but impacts on the web of biodiversity, and planetary life support systems as a whole.

Extinction amongst birds and mammals is estimated to be occurring at more than 100 times natural rates.

Out of an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 tree species worldwide, as many as 50,000 are native to the rainforests

Over 2,000 tropical plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties. Approximately 6,500 plants are used for traditional treatments to cure malaria, syphilis, ulcers and other disorders.

Vital medicines deriving from tropical rainforest plants have included: Curare (muscle relaxant) Diosgenin (arthiritis and asthma remedies, birth control pills), Ouabin (heart medicine), Quinine (malaria prophylactic) and countless others.