As part of the suite of resources we’re creating to help students document and reflect on their lives, we’ve rounded up a list we hope can provide instant inspiration. Here is a selection ofStudent Opinion questions we’ve posed on our site since the pandemic first began to shut down schools in early 2020. We will continue to update this list through October, 2021.
Each question is inspired by, and links back to, a related Times article, and invites teenagers to reflect on some aspect of ordinary life that has been affected by the pandemic, the struggle for racial justice, 2020-21 politics, and more. The questions invite reflection on the present, memories of the past and predictions for the future. They ask students to tell personal stories, take stands on important issues, consider new ideas and use their imaginations.
We hope teenagers will find potential here for their own work in any genre — work they’re invited to submit to our Coming of Age in 2021 Contest.All of these questions are still open to comment by anyone 13 or over — and many of them already have hundreds of responses. In fact, simply reading what other teenagers had to say might be enough to inspire your own memories and ideas.
You can find links to all the materials that support this unit in this overview. As we remind students in the introduction to our contest … no matter what format you choose, trust us: Even if you don’t think you have something to say, you do. There are stories only you can tell.
This webinar will introduce educators to the nine contests, as well as additional monthly and weekly challenges, that The Learning Network will be running during the 2021-22 school year. Through writing, photography, podcast production and more, these contests give students an opportunity to exercise voice and choice and to create work for an authentic audience.
In this webinar, our editors and guest speakers will give you an overview of our contests and walk you through the logistics of participating in them with your students. We will also share resources for preparing for the contests and discuss how they fit into our free yearlong writing curriculum. We hope you will leave this webinar with inspiration for how to integrate these contests into your curriculum during the 2021-22 school year.
C.T.L.E. credit is available for New York educators. All participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Resource List: In this PDF you can find links to all the resources we discuss in this webinar.
Original Webinar: You can watch the original, unedited webinar here and download a professional development certificate at the end. The webinar is free, but registration is required.
PHP is an open-source, server-side programming language used across industries to develop dynamic websites and pages. Some of the common tasks PHP is used for are gathering information on leads, processing sales from a website, sending and receiving cookies, and more.
The ease of use and popularity of PHP makes it an obvious choice for programmers who want to find jobs in cybersecurity, development, and IT. Also, it’s a programming language that’s used by entry-level and advanced developers, so there’s no right or wrong time to learn PHP.
Below, we go over what PHP is used and why it’s so popular to help you decide if learning this versatile language is the right step for you and your career.
What is PHP used for?
PHP is one of the oldest programming languages still in use. It was invented in the late ’90s, and its many uses have kept it relevant to this day. By creating a back-end architecture that supports commerce, publication, and more — while also keeping the data provided to the client secure — PHP powers some of the most popular and frequently used websites.
PHP provides the basis for many popular websites and functionalities. Also, frameworks for many widely used applications are available in PHP, which eliminates the need to start from scratch each time you want to customize a new project. There are many shortcuts that can exist within the embedded functions making PHP a time-saving solution for programmers who need to create something new in a limited amount of time or with a limited budget.
PHP is often used to create customer relationship management (CRM) systems, which are used to manage customer-facing websites. (A few CRMs you might be familiar with are Salesforce, HubSpot, and Monday.com.) This makes it easy for users who aren’t technically savvy to add content and make changes to the site without the help of a designer or developer.
E-commerce websites are often based in PHP, making it easier for small businesses to create an online storefront without paying for custom development. And thanks to the HTML embedded within PHP pages, it’s much easier to add or edit content pages or modules of an established website or delete them.
Advantages of learning PHP
Whether you’re interested in learning PHP as your main programming language or adding it to your toolbox of skills along with other languages, there are many reasons to consider learning it, including:
Ease of learning
PHP can be easier to learn than other programming languages, thanks to its similarities with HTML, as well as the embedded HTML in code, built-in functions that are present, and the ability to reuse the blocks of code you build. There are also extensions available to help make creating new sites in PHP simpler, including authentication, location services, and encryption. Once you’ve mastered PHP and its functions, you can use these skills to build almost anything quickly and effectively.
Popularity and universality
PHP is a popular back-end programming language that’s used worldwide, and data shows it’s present in almost 80% of websites built in a server-side scripting language. It’s compatible with all operating systems and many databases, making it a great choice for large enterprises with offices in different locations. Large corporations like WordPress and HubSpot use PHP across locations, regardless of the equipment used in a particular office, thanks to the universal nature of the data produced.
Potential industry uses
PHP is often used with HTML and databases to create dynamic applications for use on the web. It can also be used to run a server or create command-line scripts to complete tasks without the need for a browser.
Cybersecurity applications
Malicious attacks aimed at PHP-based sites are easier to identify and block when you are familiar with the language. PHP is used in cybersecurity by managing secure data sharing between servers and users, increasing the level of security when transferring data. The end-user gets the HTML output from a server, but they don’t see the full PHP code, offering the originator of the PHP pages a level of confidentiality greater than other programming languages. This provides a basic level of security against malicious actors looking to hack your website.
Diversity of output
Along with creating HTML, PHP allows you to create PDF, Flash, and simple text files without having to learn any new languages. PHP can create forms that collect data from visitors, offer dynamic page content based on the visitor’s location or interests, or send cookies that help identify returning visitors to the site and launch remarketing efforts.
Depending on your current skillset and where you want your career to go, learning PHP can really pay off in the short and long run. If you plan to have a long career in development or back-end engineering, adding to your PHP knowledge will only benefit you over time and open the possibilities of what you can accomplish. Get started learning PHP today with our courses.
Holiday time in August can sometimes feel like the only chance you get to escape your usual routine. It’s a chance to take a step back from the daily grind and try something new. We’re often put off from taking up new hobbies or trying out different ways of doing things because we feel like we just don’t have the time or energy to start them. If only we could get going, there would be no stopping us!
An August break is the perfect opportunity to devote some quality time to trying something new because you actually have the chance to integrate it into your life. And to make things even easier, we’ve put together a great shortlist of unique and interesting courses for you to try out until you find your new favourite pastime!
1. Reiki
This Reiki course will teach you the theory and techniques of this ancient form of holistic energy healing, giving you the skills to help yourself and others. The course looks at the discipline’s guiding principles, the seven major chakras, as well as traditional and non-traditional sacred symbols. You’ll also learn the fascinating story of Reiki’s rebirth in popularity and about the lives of its most influential practitioners.
2. Standup Comedy
Being funny is one of the hardest skills in history to master, this course in Standup Comedy is a great place to start. Created by a practicing standup comedian, this course will help you understand the culture and unwritten rules of standup, information you won’t get anywhere else. From writing to performing jokes, you’ll learn how to build a comedy act from scratch with plenty of instructive examples. Trickier topics like improvisation and staying confident are also covered in this comprehensive and fun course.
3. The Minimalist Lifestyle
We’ve all thought to ourselves how much we’d like to declutter our lives, if only we had the time! This August, why not take Alison’s Minimalist Lifestyle course and simplify your life? This transformative self-help course will show you how to live your life more joyfully and with more freedom by learning that “less is more.” By paring back your lifestyle, you’ll reduce your stress levels, free up more money and find yourself living a simpler and happier life.
4. Floristry
August is the perfect time to indulge a passion for floristry. With everything in bloom around you, it’s a great opportunity to try out the practical knowledge you’ll learn by taking this Diploma in Floristry. From plant varieties to the dos-and-don’ts of flower arranging, this course will teach you everything you need to know, whether you’re just an amateur lover of flowers or have your sights set on a new career!
5. Become a Wine Expert
For many people, wine is one of those things that you’d like to know about but have no idea where to begin. This Introductory Course on Wines is the perfect place to start! From production and blending to fermentation and storage, this free course gives you the grounding in winemaking that you need to help you make sense of the thousands of different grape varieties and wine regions. The course also provides practical information on decanting wine at home and the correct temperatures different wines should be stored at.
6. Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency isn’t just a fascinating subject to learn about, it’s also a potentially lucrative passive income stream for those in the know. This Cryptocurrency Masterclass will teach you everything you need to know to get a foothold in the market and start investing. You’ll learn how to read and navigate the market and how to use the various financial exchanges and brokerages to increase your working capital and net worth.
7. Urban Gardening
While the sun is shining, it’s time to get out into the garden and start learning! This fascinating course on Urban Gardening will allow you turn any patch of land, no matter how small, into a thriving green space. Whether you want to grow flowers or vegetables, this course will teach you how to create an attractive and sustainable garden that will give you hours of joy.
Over the next few weeks, Galina and Ben will teach you everything you need to know to build an iPhone app from the ground up. You’ll learn how to use tools like Swift, SwiftUI, and Xcode to create a complete, working quiz app that’s ready to be launched on the App Store.
How to watch
The new live series will air every Wednesday at 3PM ET between August 4th and August 25th. We strongly recommend participating on YouTube — where you can engage with our Curriculum Developers and ask questions in real-time — but you can also join us on Twitter, Twitch, and Facebook.
The weekly sessions will run for about an hour each, so be sure to mark your calendars. If you happen to miss one, don’t fret — they’ll all be recorded so you can watch them later on when you have the chance. Check out our Events page for more information.
What we’ll cover
As we said earlier, Curriculum Developers Ben and Galina will walk you through our Build iOS Apps with SwiftUI Skill Path in the upcoming live series.
First, we’ll introduce you to the tools you’ll need to start building apps for iOS, including Xcode and Swift. Then, you’ll learn about MVVM architecture as you create and modify views and models for your application. Finally, we’ll conclude the series by showing you how to add functionality, welcome screens, and other finishing touches. By the end of the series, you’ll have a fully functional quiz app ready to be launched on the App Store!
Below, we take a closer look at what each session will cover.
In our first session, Ben and Galina will walk through what tools are needed to start developing apps for iOS. We’ll learn how to use Xcode, how to add views to your app, and how to customize them using view modifiers.
In our second session, we’ll learn about the MVVM architecture and why it’s important for building applications. We’ll build a question model structure for our quiz app, and make our view stateful so that it can visually notify the user if the answer they selected was correct or incorrect.
Session #3: Build a ViewModel and Communicate with a Model
In our third session, we’ll continue to learn about the MVVM architecture and build a view model for our quiz app that mediates communication between the view and the model. We’ll build a game model structure for our quiz app, add in more questions, and add functionality so that new questions will appear as the user works through the quiz.
In our fourth session, we’ll learn how to use navigation to present different views to the user. We’ll build a welcome screen for the quiz app as well as a final screen where the user can see their results from the quiz and choose to restart. After this session, you will have a fully functional quiz application!
Whether you’re new to the job market or you’re transitioning to a new career, you want to showcase all the skills that make you the right candidate for the role. Let’s take a closer look at what technical skills are and how to showcase them on your resume and during your interviews.
What are technical skills?
Technical skills are a type of hard skill. Hard skills are relatively easy to quantify and describe. For example, you either know JavaScript, or you don’t. You may be a beginner or have fairly advanced skills, but it’s something you can easily describe and quantify.
The opposite of hard skills is soft skills, and these aren’t as easy to quantify. For example, problem-solving is a soft skill. And while you can use examples from your previous jobs and education to show you’re a good problem-solver, it’s not as easy to quantify this skill.
When it comes time to apply for a new role, you want to use examples to show both your soft and hard technical skills. Hiring managers want to see both skill sets on your resume, and they’re especially looking at your ability to apply your technical skills to solve real-world problems. Below we go over what technical skills to consider putting on your resume and how to highlight them, as well as how to bring attention to these skills during your interview.
Showcasing technical skills on your resume
One way to show off your technical skills on your resume is with a dedicated section specifically for those skills. When you create a technical skills section on your resume, you may want to break it into groups. For example, on a developer’s resume, skills might be grouped into sections for programming languages, libraries and frameworks, and APIs, just to name a few.
Depending on how extensive your skills are, you may find it’s best to include a partial list of your technical skills on your resume. Not only does this make it easier for the hiring manager to skim your resume, but you can also tailor your list to match the skills required for the specific position you’re applying for.
What technical skills should you include on your resume?
If you’re having a tough time picking out which skills to include on your resume, one shortcut is to pick ones from the job posting. It typically lists both required skills and desired skills for the position. And if you have a skill listed in either of these sections, you’ll want to put it on your resume.
And, you don’t just want to put in on there — you want to match the wording from the job description exactly with the wording on your resume, or as closely as possible. This shows the hiring manager that you 1) read the job description, 2) are a good match for the position, and 3) took the time to tailor your resume to the job instead of just submitting a nonspecific resume.
It’s also important to keep in mind that resumes are often scanned for keywords — keywords that are found directly on the job posting. This makes it even more important to include those keywords on your resume because if you don’t, it may not make it to the hiring manager in the first place.
Examples of technical skills
Here are some examples of technical skills to include on your resume:
Cybersecurity: Cryptography, SIEM tools, automation, malware analysis, data analytics
Showcasing technical skills during your interview
Your resume exists to get you to the next step in the hiring process — the interview. You’ll have multiple opportunities to show your technical skills throughout the interview process. Interviewing for a technical position is complex, and it might include phone screenings, take-home or in-person assignments, a traditional interview, and a technical interview. Here are some ways to highlight your skills at each step of the way.
Technical interviews
As the name indicates, technical interviews are designed to assess your technical skills. This type of interview may start with questions that dig into those skills, such as:
What’s the most difficult technical challenge you’ve encountered? How did you resolve it?
What technology could you not live without?
What’s a new technology you recently worked with, and how did you learn it?
The interviewer may also ask questions about your background to confirm the information on your resume. For example, they might ask what programming languages you know or what databases you’ve worked with. This is a great time to dive a little deeper into the specifics — don’t be afraid to show off your knowledge of a specific language or database.
But the primary part of the technical interview is to solve one or more technical problems. In some cases, you may need to code in real-time, which could involve a problem where you’re debugging or adding a feature to existing code, building a small project, or something else entirely.
In a case like this, it’s easy to show off your skills, since you’ll be coding or debugging right in front of the interviewer. But, remember you can always show off coding best practices, like including helpful comments.
While the technical interview is designed to show off your technical skills, your interviewer will also be interested in your approach to solving problems. Feel free to ask questions to clarify the problem and talk through various approaches out loud.
“Don’t worry about saying things that seem obvious or unimportant,” says Ian, one of our curriculum developers for Pass the Technical Interview with JavaScript. “It could be that you missed an edge case, and talking through the problem out loud will help you catch it!”
Speaking of technical interview prep, we also have these courses to help you ace your technical interviews:
Each of these courses walks you through interview questions and helps you develop the advanced skills you need to ace your technical interviews.
You’ll find these and other courses you can use to brush up on your skills or add to your toolbox in our course catalog. Also, check out our forums for helpful discussions on interview prep from our community, as well as tips and recommendations for your resume.
After saving up for years, my dad finally broke down and bought his dream car last summer: a shiny blue Tesla with a sleek design. He was thrilled to realize his childhood dreams of owning a sports car, but after reading this piece I don’t think I can share his joy.
Though nothing concrete has come out about what occurred with the Tesla in Benjamin Maldonado’s tragic accident, one thing is exceedingly clear to me: the lack of clarity surrounding Tesla’s Autopilot system.
Many, including myself, have been far too quick to accept the idealistic claims surrounding Autopilot and this may have been behind not just this incident but also the loss of at least 10 other innocent people. Tesla has obscured our vision with flashy and deceptive tactics to market their “driving assistant” as a fully autonomous system.
It’s ironic that a company claiming to be at the forefront of innovation has been retroactive when it comes to technology’s interaction with people. I find it appalling that the company is quite literally playing with lives. And honestly, I feel silly that I readily believed the exaggerated narrative around Autopilot.
As we further integrate with technology, it’s crucial to be wary about the inventions that enter our lives. While technology is great, ignorance is not. I’m certain that we must be more responsible about untested innovations to ensure people like my dad won’t become the next statistic.
The demand for people who can create functional code is increasing as applications and automation play a larger role in business. There are currently over 200,000 Computer Programmer positions in the United States, illustrating a booming job market for programmers that’s reflected across the rest of the world.
Read on to learn what a Computer Programmer makes, what they do, and which courses you can use to get started. The salaries in this article are based on what programmers make in the United States, but their salary expectations are strong compared to other professions regardless of location.
How much does a Computer Programmer make?
Computer Programmers earn an average of $86,500 a year. The top 25% make $112,120 and the bottom 25% come in at $65,760. Salary expectations for Computer Programmers are nearly three times higher than the national average, which is $31,300, according to recent census data.
The relatively high pay for programmers makes sense, considering the importance of what they do. A company’s software is integral to its revenue, management of resources, and the comfort and productivity of its employees.
Many critical systems and procedures depend on programmers, which explains why the unemployment rate for Computer Programmers is a low 1.4%, meaning 98.6% of Computer Programmers have jobs.
Still, there are many different kinds of Computer Programmers, and their responsibilities — and salaries — vary significantly. Let’s take a look at some of the most common kinds of Computer Programmers and their salaries:
Systems Programmer
A Systems Programmer makes an average of $89,780 a year, ensuring an organization’s operating systems can handle its many applications and processes. Operating systems (like Windows, macOS, and Linux) support the applications and peripheral devices of a computer.
Operating system management often entails making sure that each computer has the most recent updates and performing upgrades as necessary. Note that some operating systems aren’t compatible with older versions of software, while others can be made compatible with a series of tweaks. Deciding when and how to do this falls on the shoulders of a Systems Programmer.
C++ is a common language within many Systems Programmers’ tech stacks. You can learn how to be a C++ ace with our Learn C++ course.
Web Programmer
Web Programmers are some of the highest-earning developers, bringing in about $128,792 each year for creating applications that run on the web. The apps they create vary based on the needs of their company. In many cases, a Web Programmer meets with executives and other stakeholders to ascertain their high-level needs, then creates software solutions to meet those objectives.
Web Programmers also address issues related to maintaining, supporting, and changing existing software the company depends on. Making adjustments to software can allow a company to earn more revenue or make day-to-day life easier for its employees.
Our courses and paths for Web Programmers can help you launch or advance your career as a Front-End, Back-End, or Full-Stack Web Programmer. You can get started with our Front-End Engineer,Back-End Engineer, and Full-Stack Engineer Career Paths.
Game Programmer
Game Programmers make an average of $83,479 a year designing video games for companies. Even though games are meant to be fun, a Game Programmer’s job is far from child’s play. The games they make often include revenue-generating tools such as advertisements, upgrades, and in-game purchases.
A Game Programmer is charged with creating games that’ll keep players engaged and entertaining. This may involve creating complicated worlds that provide immersive experiences for gamers — keeping them coming back again and again.
Application Programmers make around $89,121 a year, and their job can include a combination of web-based and computer-hosted applications. When making web-based applications, programmers design solutions that employees, executives, and customers access by logging into a web-based portal. Designing computer-hosted apps involve making apps that run on a computer or device without being connected to the internet.
Much of an Application Programmer’s job involves addressing coding issues that cause existing apps to malfunction or underperform. This may require debugging much of the code, pinpointing a single issue, or rebuilding a set of functions.
Regardless of the kind of coding an Application Programmer writes, their main focus is the end-user. So, they need to hone in on what will improve their experience, including:
Making processes run faster
Enhancing the functions of payment portals, online shopping tools, and other e-commerce solutions
Building solutions that make processes more efficient
Automating repetitive, mundane tasks
Application Programmers often work with other developers or Software Engineers to do this. Collaboration with CIOs and other executives is also a common element of their jobs, as their projects need to contribute to the organization’s goals.
Who makes more, Computer Programmers or developers?
Although Computer Programmers and developers use many of the same tools, their jobs are different, as is their pay. Computer Programmers make a little less (on average) than developers, who make around $107,510.
While developers typically have to engineer solutions from the ground up, a Computer Programmer may only be charged with executing the plan. Still, this often involves working with several stakeholders to ensure their needs can be accomplished using code.
Our catalog of programming courses has everything you need to get started as a Computer Programmer or advance in your career. While gaining the knowledge you’ll need to work with the most up-to-date tools in the programming industry, you can also build a portfolio that’ll make you a more attractive candidate for jobs.
Can you believe that summer is almost over? I will miss the hot sunny days! To make the transition smooth, I have for you a soft, earth-colored wallpaper full of plants and leaves. I hope that those autumn and summer colors mixed on the calm beige background will help you relax and cool you down.
From this month on, our free wallpapers will be free only for about a month (there will always be a date next to the download button). After this time, you will still be able to get the package, however, it will cost $5. It will also apply to all past wallpapers so make sure to grab them before August 31 when they are still free. This change will help us cover some costs of maintaining our huge library of freebies and allow us to create even more free stuff for you.
Each wallpaper download from 2021 include:
Desktop wallpaper x3 (plain, with the calendar, and with a quote)
Phone wallpaper x2 (plain and with a quote)
Tablet wallpaper
Instagram ready quote
As always, our August’s free wallpaper comes with two different mobile phone layouts. They are great to use at once – the simple version for your phone background and the one with a quote for the lock screen.
Quote for August
No matter if you prefer spring, summer, autumn, or winter, all seasons have something unique to offer. Noticing positive aspects of all situations can definitely help, so let this month’s quote guide you and – bloom where you are planted!
Bloom where you are planted
P.S the square image is also included in the download package below! Feel free to post it on your Instagram.
What font is it?
Free August’s wallpaper features two of my all-time favorite fonts – a serif one called Coachella and script called Shorelines.
In conclusion, the free download includes three desktop options – one with the calendar and one without the calendar and one with a quote. There is also a wallpaper for tablet and two options for the phone. We have also included an Instagram-ready square with the weekly quote.
Your voice matters!
If you have your favorite quotes and would like them to appear on the next free wallpaper, make sure to post them in the comments below or send us your ideas via email.
Enjoy!
FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
NOTE: this template is available as a free download through August 31, 2021 only. After that, a $5 download fee applies.
Lastly, we would appreciate if you can share this freebie. It is really easy! Just click on the buttons below. It is completely free for you but helps us grow and produce even more content.
Share and help us grow. Thanks!
P.S This post includes affiliate links so by clicking them you are supporting us. Thanks!
We watched in silence as the two orangutans, a mother and her child, prepared themselves for an encroaching rainstorm.
While the air grew thicker, the mother — whom the local guides had nicknamed Minah — led her child toward the canopy and into a nest she had built earlier that day. Then, collecting vines and leaves, she wove an umbrella out of the foliage and held it devotedly over her daughter.
Thunder shook the ground, spooking a pair of giant hornbills, who honked indignantly. The haunting call of gibbons echoed across the canopy.
Its 6 million acres of dense rainforest is home to 389 species of birds and 130 species of mammals, including the world’s largest wild population of Sumatran orangutans.
Though they once thrived in healthy jungles from Indonesia to China, wild orangutans, which are among the rarest and the most intelligent of the great apes, are now limited to the rain forests of two Southeast Asian islands: Borneo and Sumatra. Mainly because of habitat destruction — in the form of mining, logging and the highly destructive practices of the palm oil industry — their populations have dwindled.
The Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, was declared critically endangered in 2016; since the mid-20th century, its population has declined by more than 80 percent.
Populations of the Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii, and the Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis, both of which are also critically endangered, have also experienced precipitous declines.
In response, a devoted group of caretakers is trying to unravel the complexities of conservation on Sumatra, fighting to protect the ecosystem and grasping for a solution that can mutually benefit both the wildlife and people who call the island their home.
Sumatra is a long way from my family’s ranch in Wyoming where I grew up on the outskirts of Grand Teton National Park. Conservation, however, is in my blood. Fifty-five years ago my great-grandparents recognized the importance of wild areas, and established our ranch as one of Jackson Hole’s first private conservation parcels.
It was growing up here that I fell in love with nature and learned firsthand the difficulties of protecting it as development encroached around us. As my careers as an environmental archaeologist and photojournalist matured, I grew interested in the relationship between wildlife conservation and traditional cultures. In 2017, I leapt at an opportunity to travel to Sumatra with Photographers Without Borders, a nonprofit that had been covering the island’s wildlife and Indigenous-rights issues.
Over the next several weeks, we traveled through North Sumatra under the guidance of the Orangutan Information Centre (O.I.C.), an organization that aims to rescue injured and trafficked orangutans, rehabilitate destroyed rain forests and help circumvent human-animal conflict through educational programming.
Panut Hadisiswoyo, who founded the O.I.C. in 2001, told me that his goal is to give orangutans on Sumatra a place to flourish. He also hopes that, through community development, he can instill pride and awareness about the animals in rural communities — to help create a group of grass-roots orangutan guardians.
The epicenter of the O.I.C.’s efforts are in the Leuser Ecosystem, whose rain forests provide livelihoods and drinking water for more than four million people — and whose boundaries are continually threatened by ever-expanding palm oil plantations.
With the assistance of Nayla Azmi, a 32-year-old Indigenous conservationist, we spent several days hiking through the mountainous rainforest to watch and photograph families of orangutans on the outskirts of Bukit Lawang, a small village whose eco-tourism-driven economy provides a case study on how sustainable jobs and forest preservation can coexist.
Following our time with the orangutans, Ms. Azmi led us to other corners of Sumatra to learn about less iconic but equally important conservation battles.
Near the remote village of Tangkahan, which sits on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park, a riverside animal rescue center is home to a family of Sumatran elephants rescued from forced labor operations. While their new riverside home was bare-bones and relies on the controversial practice of offering elephant rides for income, the rescue center works to provide the animals with a better environment, in spite of mediocre resources. Visiting the center was a testament to the reality of conservation in Indonesia, where good intentions are often constrained by economic and infrastructural limitations.
The fate of Sumatran conservation will largely be determined by what happens in the next few years. While the rate of forest destruction continues to increase, the tireless work of activists like Mr. Hadisiswoyo and Ms. Azmi offers glimmers of hope.
“My dream is to see Indigenous people reclaim their pride and begin to lead conservation programs,” said Ms. Azmi, who recently founded the Nuraga Bhumi Institute to help preserve Batak culture, promote women’s rights and campaign for Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
“If we can give the trust to the people, if we can work together and take pride in our ancestral connection to the forest, I believe we will see a great change in conservation on Sumatra.”
Matt Stirn is an archaeologist and photojournalist based in Boston and Jackson Hole, Wyo. You can follow his work on Instagram.
