Coral Reef Snorkeling in Bangka
Critters at Lembeh Resort

CONSERVATION & VOLUNTEERING

Join the Lembeh Foundation team and help us to protect and preserve the beautiful nature of North Sulawesi for future generations.

Founder of Lembeh Resort Alex Rorimpandey always believed in supporting local communities in North Sulawesi. From the beginning, Lembeh Resort and Critters@Lembeh Resort have provided ongoing training and employment for people from our local villages. We encourage villagers to cherish the natural environment both above and below the sea, as well as their traditional cultures. We do our best to promote viable livelihood opportunities and sustainable ones for future generations. Lembeh Resort and Critters@Lembeh Resort employ and train many local villagers on Lembeh Island. The resort staff are given the opportunity to experience diving in hopes it will cultivate a greater appreciation for our unique and precious underwater ecosystems. Diving in Lembeh affords our staff a deeper appreciation of why people travel from around the world to experience critter diving in Indonesia and why Lembeh Strait is considered the best muck diving and macro diving destination in the world.

In keeping with his commitment to the community, Alex donated materials to build the local church in nearby Pintu Kota Kecil. This mutual cooperation has helped forge a strong bond between the resort and the people of Lembeh: Today Lembeh Resort provides electrical power for the church and Sunday school, which plays an important role in most of the education on the island. We also host barbeque parties for our guests, at which children from the Sunday school provide musical performances. The children save their earnings from performances to buy something for everyone’s benefit. Very often our guests ask how they can help the local communities. We think the most useful materialistic contributions are school materials (such as crayons, paper, colored pens, pencils, very simple English dictionaries, or very basic children’s books in English) and sports accessories (such as soccer balls or other group sports accessories). What else could be helpful? The new school year starts each July. Uniforms are mandatory in Indonesia, and a complete set costs, on average, $55.00 USD. This expense is quite difficult for some families to afford and donations are happily accepted. In return for a school uniform donation you will receive a beautiful hand-carved box which contains a thumb-drive with recordings of the children’s songs and some of our very best underwater video as well. The two nearest villages Pintu Kota Kecil and Pintu Kota Besar are populated with the families of small-scale fishermen. We would like to contribute to a learning center with a small library and a computer with a USB modem for internet access. If many generous people give a modest contribution, the learning center will soon be within reach! If you wish to contribute financially or offer specialized help with of any of these projects, please email info@lembehresort.com. The warm and welcoming people of North Sulawesi, as well as the glorious natural resources here, make Lembeh such a special place. Please keep an eye on our website for updates on the progress of these and future projects.

PROJECT REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS VOLUNTEERS

HANDLINE FISHING

A type of fishing commonly used by local fishermen in Lembeh Island. This ancient fishing method utilises a single baited hook and is one of the most sustainable methods of fishing available today.

Cleaning up the Strait

Smooth sailing on the way to one of our adopted beaches to conduct our weekly beach-cleanups.

Colors of Pintu Kota

Our neighbouring villages of Pintu Kota Besar and Pintu Kota Kecil are filled with small but colourful houses. The people of Lembeh are incredibly proud of their heritage and we do what we can to protect it for future generations to come.

Join us

Visit LembehFoundation.com to find more information on how you can become a volunteer too.

The Generation of tomorrow

Education is key to a future which preserves and protects nature.

Untouched

17.500 islands make up the nation of Indonesia, a vast amount of these islands are still unaffected by heavy industry. These  communities live with minuscule carbon footprints.