Banyan Tree Bintan Conservation Lab Surveys

Surveys
Reptile and Amphibian Survey. In April 2007, the Conservation Lab welcomed its first visiting expert, Dr Graeme Gillespie, Director Wildlife Conservation and Science for Australia’s Zoos Victoria. A noted Herpetologist (expert for amphibians and reptiles), Dr Gillespie spent 2 weeks conducting surveys to establish a baseline of reptile and amphibian species within the expansive resort grounds of Banyan Tree and Angsana Bintan.

Coral Survey. In July 2007, the Conservation lab welcomed Professor Chou Loke Ming from the National University of Singapore’s Marine Biology faculty to conduct surveys to assess the health of the coral reefs in Bintan. This was a unique opportunity as Prof Chou is a highly regarded marine expert who also conducted some of the initial reef surveys before the development of Banyan Tree and Angsana Bintan. The survey identified a number of points of collaboration to protect and promote coral growth, with a number of these projects being developed for implementation in 2008 and beyond.

Butterfly and Bird Survey. In the Fall of 2007, the Conservation Lab hosted a visiting expert from National University Singapore to conduct surveys on birds and butterflies on Bintan. Such surveys helped the Lab enhance its understanding of the local ecology and how to protect and enhance the health of such eco systems.

Land Turtle Survey. In October 2007, the Conservation Lab hosted the Asian Turtle Foundation to carry out surveys and studies on land turtles along the northern coast of Bintan. This partnership helped identify new methods for the Lab to protect the Asian Box turtles making their homes in the area while also providing more detailed information for guests to share the importance of both land and marine conservation.

In a display of the Conservation Lab’s efforts to preserve the natural habitat of the resort’s surroundings, the resort celebrated its very first recorded birth of native hawksbill turtles. Hawksbill turtles are one of two of the world’s surviving marine turtle species that live around Bintan Island. Although these turtles lay hundreds of eggs each nesting season, only 1% survive to adulthood. In collaboration with partner resorts, the Banyan Tree Bintan Conservation Lab team and resort associates rescued the eggs and relocated them to a safer nesting site. Upon hatching, the baby turtles were carefully brought back to the same beach they were found in and released to begin their journey into the open waters.

As a result of the surveys and partnerships, experts have discovered 60 species of birds in the resort, of which 15 were listed as protected species; while 40 species of reptiles and amphibians were identified in resort and surrounding area, including two freshwater turtle species listed as vulnerable and endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Research is ongoing, and further projects and partnerships are being developed to enhance the ability of the resorts to protect and promote the local ecology.