Imbak Canyon, one of the last virgin lowland rainforests of Sabah, Malaysia, isn't for the faint of heart. DAY ONE 7:15 AM August 13, 2011 - Ian rolls up in with Ishmael in a beefy air-conditioned jungle truck and Daniele and I throw our backpacks in the back. For the first six hours the roads are paved and for the last two through the palm plantations, as bumpy as the surface of the moon. I am sick the entire time anyway and everyone is patient with my vicious heaves. Poor Ishmael is fasting all day long...

One year after cessation of logging in Ulu Segama Malua, timber is still being trucked out of this area under cover of darkness. Late in 2008 it was common to pass 30 or more fully laden logging trucks during the 2-3 hour journey to Danum Valley Field Centre or Borneo Rainforest Lodge. I interpreted this glut as the last binge before the forests in this part of the Yayasan Sabah concession are converted to more sustainable use such as eco-tourism, scientific research or ecosystem services. Now thankfully most tourism...

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and carbon credits sound like a good idea but I’m not sure how much they benefit rainforest conservation. Behind my suspicion lies a concept that I have been aware of for a while but only recently learned that it has a name – ‘additionality’. It’s a new jargon term which hasn’t yet made it into the dictionary. In understanding what it means I was lucky to meet a chap called Mike Packer who patiently and concisely explained things to me. Mike is the founder of a company called...

I have recently read Blessed Unrest in which the author Paul Hawken suggests that a network of ground-up activists, NGO’s and Non-profits has created the largest social movement in history. In addressing three big issues of environment, social justice and indigenous cultures; Hawken asserts that this movement is “restoring grace, justice and beauty to the world”. I immediately recognised that I was a part of this movement and found that the book offers an optimistic assessment of the diversity and usefulness of all involved....

I have learned from several sources that the buffer zone to Maliau Basin is to be logged again. It's unclear as to the extent of the logging but I've been told that it will affect the area around the access road, between the gate and the studies centre. The Maliau Basin Conservation Area Management Plan allows for the buffer zone to be logged once more using reduced impact logging (RIL). So far Yayasan Sabah (YS) have only formally implemented RIL on one small experimental plot near Danum Valley Conservation Area. In the early...