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There are two types of expedition available in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. One option is to visit the forests Buton for one week and then to head to the Wakatobi Marine National Park for the second week. A second option is to spend the entire two weeks at the marine site.
During the first week the teams will complete training and surveys including:
In addition to the above practicals the students will also complete a course in camp on Wallacea Wildlife including lectures on Indonesia and the Wallacea region, plant and insect biodiversity, vertebrate diversity, impacts and invasives and a conservation synthesis. All of the lectures are based on primary research conducted in the area.
During their marine week students will be completing one of the following options:
For information on an Indonesia marine only expedition, please click here
The Wallacea region within the Indonesian archipelago has been isolated from continental land masses for millennia. Deep ocean trenches have prevented land-bridge connections during periods of lowered sea levels. The resulting long periods of isolation have lead to the evolution of high levels of endemism across the Wallacea region such that today it is recognised as a global hotspot for biodiversity.
Throughout the tropical regions of the world, the clearing of rainforests for agriculture and illegal logging practices have led to the degradation of the most biodiverse regions on the Earth. The North Buton Nature Reserve is a critically important protected area for the conservation of biodiversity within the Wallacea region. Despite this, the reserve remains under constant threat from local farming communities seeking to convert rainforest into farmland as well as logging of trees within the reserve for high value commercial timber.
Operation Wallacea’s terrestrial research project in Indonesia seeks to understand the impact of human-induced disturbance upon highly unique and threatened rainforest communities found within the Wallacea region. Biodiversity surveys will be undertaken within primary forest habitats found deep within the North Buton Nature Reserve as well as disturbed forest sites located on the periphery of the reserve and on adjacent farmland. Such research provides important insight into understanding how different rainforest species are impacted by human activity, enabling the identification of endemic species most vulnerable to disturbance and as such a priority for conservation.
The Coral Triangle is a marine region that spans Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. This region is recognised for having the highest diversity of marine species anywhere on the planet. At the very heart of the coral triangle, at the epicentre of biodiversity, lies the Wakatobi Marine National Park, the location of Opwall’s marine research base in Indonesia. The Hoga Island Marine Station has been the centre for Opwall’s Indonesian marine research programme for nearly 30 years. During this time, teams of international and Indonesian scientists have worked at this site during the Opwall survey seasons and as a result have produced more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. The research outcomes and discoveries from these studies have had local, national and international significance.
For the last 15 years, Opwall has also been running an extensive monitoring programme around Hoga and eastern Kaledupa for macroinvertebrates, fish communities, coral cover and community structure. In 2025 the long-term monitoring programme will continue, however there will a new research focus introduced. With recent changes in benthic community structure and a reduction in the size and abundance of many reef fish species that have occurred in the Wakatobi, our long-term research goal is to understand the trophic consequences of these changes, and develop an ecosystem model to represent the dynamics of the Wakatobi region. To support these goals, in 2025 research projects will focus on the assessing the consequences of shifts from coral to sponge dominated states and investigating the potential of deep reefs to provide refugia for sharks, rays and other predatory fish.
The costs of a school group expedition can be highly variable. There is a standard fee paid to Opwall for all expeditions but the location you are flying from, the size of your group, and how you wish to pay all impact the overall cost.
You can choose to book the expedition as a package (which includes your international flights) or you can organise your travel yourself and just pay us for the expedition related elements.
If you are booking your expedition as a package, you also have the option of being invoiced as a group, or on an individual basis.
Climate
In the tropical rainforests of Indonesia is is generally warm during the day (around 25 degrees Celsius), and humid, with up to 80% humidity. At night the temperatures drop lower, but not usually lower than around 15 degrees Celsius. It rains very frequently, and very heavily at times, but for short periods.
Creature Comforts
The terrestrial sites are basic field camps that enables access to primary rainforest habitats. A camp kitchen, communal eating area and change-rooms are set alongside a river where washing is done after a long day of forest surveys. In South Camp and Central Camp guests sleep in hammocks that are set in a large tent in the camp. North Buton guests sleep in camp beds within mosquito nets, in a large tent in camp. The camps have no reliable phone signal.
Fitness level required
High for the forest sites. You will need to hike for long periods, over steep and muddy terrain, at times with your large rucksack.
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Climate
At the marine site during the day, the weather is normally sunny and warm (around 30 degrees Celsius), and the night temperatures drop to around 20-25 degrees Celsius. Being on the coast means there is often a pleasant breeze so it does not always feel this hot. It rains rarely, but when it does it tends to be very heavy for short periods of time.
Fitness level required
Low-Moderate. Some fitness is required for in water activities, but conditions are relatively easy.
Hoga – Creature comforts
The Hoga Island Marine Station is an established facility that lies within the Wakatobi Marine Park of central Indonesia. The station was rebuilt in 2016 and supports a dive centre, lecture theatre, data analysis labs, as well as a large dining room and kitchen facility. Simple huts owned by members of the local fishing community surround the station and serve as guest accommodation. The island supports reliable phone signal that allows limited internet access.
Find out more about students can fundraise, as a group or individually
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