Eminent Indonesian Conservationist and Belantara Board Member Receives Lifetime Achievement Award, Has New Species Named After him

Jakarta, 1 March 2017 – One of Indonesia’s leading conservation figures and Belantara Foundation’s Vice Chair Of Board of Trustees, Professor Jatna Supriatna, has been honoured during a recent event by the environmental non-profit Conservation International (CI) for his long-standing dedication to protect the archipelago’s biodiversity. The Lifetime Achievement Award & Leadership on Biodiversity Conservation recognizes Prof. Supriatna’s significant contributions to the scientific understanding Indonesian primates, and his leadership of the Indonesian programme of CI. Prof. Supriatna’s guidance and experience in the field is helping a new generation of environmental organizations to address the loss of forests and wildlife.

During the event, Prof. Supriatna was also given an exceptional honour by the researchers of the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as an appreciation for his dedication in this field, who named a new species of primate they just newly found after him,Tarsius Supriatnai.

“Inspiring and exceptional achievements”
“We are thrilled to hear that Prof. Supriatna has received the recognition he deserves for his unwavering commitment to protecting Indonesian nature”, said Agus P. Sari, CEO of Belantara Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of forest and peatland ecosystems. “The entire management of Belantara Foundation and I would like to express our sincere congratulations to Prof. Supriatna, the Vice Chair of our Board of Trustees and a best friend of mine – for this inspiring and exceptional achievement. It reflects the immense contribution made by him as an expert in his field.”

Reacting to the award, Prof. Supriatna said: “I feel so blessed and sincerely surprised by this honour. The award is certainly a result of my consistency in working for biodiversity conservation for 42 years since 1975. I am truly happy that my work is acknowledged, and especially by all of my colleagues who share the same passion with me. I also understand that this is also a big responsibility and a challenge for myself. The drive from all of us is needed to continue fight for conservation.”

A career dedicated to conservation
During a career that already spans more than four decades, Prof. Supriatna has chaired the Indonesian chapter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and lead the Indonesia programme of Conservation International. In addition to his role at Belantara Foundation, Prof. Supriatna serves as Chairman of the Research Center for Climate Change, University of Indonesia (RCCC UI). Prof. Supriatna also served as Senior lecturer at the Biology Dept., Director of Biodiversity and Conservation Studies, Coordinator of Graduate Program on Conservation Biology of the University of Indonesia. He has a Master of Science and Doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico, USA, including a pre- and post-doctoral at Columbia University in New York.