Project Stream: Environmental Science
Suitable for: Environmental Science, Sciences and related fields

Location: Medan, Sumatra

Organisation Overview:

Yayasan Sumatera Hijau Lestari (YSHL) is an Indonesian non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring Sumatra’s critical ecosystems while strengthening the capacity of local communities to manage their natural resources sustainably. YSHL operates across the Gunung Leuser landscape—a globally important biodiversity hotspot and UNESCO World Heritage Site where iconic species such as Sumatran elephants, tigers, orangutans, and rhinos still persist. In its work, YSHL integrates environmental conservation with community empowerment, partnering with villages, government stakeholders, and international organisations to address conservation challenges in ways that are practical, culturally appropriate, and grounded in local knowledge.

At the heart of YSHL’s approach is a community-centred model of conservation that combines education, field-based monitoring, and empowerment initiatives. Through programmes such as the Community Conservation Mentorship Initiative (CCMI) and Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, YSHL builds environmental awareness, strengthens local conservation leadership, and supports practical interventions that reduce pressures on forests and wildlife. The organization also conducts applied field research, wildlife monitoring, conflict mitigation, and sustainable development activities designed to foster long-term coexistence between people and nature in the Leuser buffer zones

Project Background:

This program is entering its third year of implementation in Besitang, North Sumatra, in collaboration with the International Elephant Project (Australia). The project is situated in and around the buffer zones of Gunung Leuser National Park, a globally significant conservation area that supports critical populations of Sumatran elephants and tigers.

In villages such as Aras Napal, increasing wildlife–human conflict has been reported, particularly involving elephants and, to a lesser extent, tigers. These conflicts are largely driven by habitat fragmentation and land-use change, which have brought wildlife into closer contact with agricultural areas. Elephants frequently enter community farmlands, causing crop damage and economic losses for local households.

YSHL works closely with local communities, conservation partners, and private sector stakeholders to better understand patterns of wildlife movement and conflict hotspots. Community-based mitigation strategies are being explored and tested, including land-use adaptations and non-lethal deterrent approaches. Alongside this, systematic monitoring of elephant groups is conducted to improve understanding of population dynamics, movement corridors, and overall wellbeing.

As the program progresses, there is an ongoing need for structured data collection, analysis, and applied research to support evidence-based conflict mitigation and long-term coexistence between communities and wildlife.

The Project Objective

The objective of this internship is to support YSHL’s wildlife–human conflict mitigation program by contributing to field-based monitoring of elephant populations, spatial mapping of wildlife movement and conflict areas, and applied research on strategies to reduce negative interactions between communities and elephants and tigers in Besitang.

General Responsibilities:

Student responsibilities are grouped into three main task areas:

1. Field Monitoring

• Participate in field-based monitoring of Sumatran elephants (and opportunistic observations related to tigers) in Besitang and surrounding buffer zones.
• Assist YSHL staff, local community members, and partners (e.g. PT Rapala) in motorbike-based patrols to identify areas frequently used by elephants.
• Observe and document signs of wildlife presence such as tracks, dung, damaged vegetation, crop incursions, and movement corridors.
• Support monitoring activities aimed at identifying conflict-prone locations between wildlife and community farmland.

2. SMART Patrol & Spatial Data Collection

• Record field observations and evidence of elephant movement using GPS-enabled tools and the SMART Patrol application.
• Assist in mapping elephant pathways, crossing points, and conflict hotspots onto digital maps.
• Support basic organisation and verification of patrol data collected during field activities.
• Contribute to comparing current spatial data with previous monitoring records to identify changes or recurring patterns over time.

3. Wildlife Identification & Elephant Population Data

• Support elephant identification data collection, including documenting elephant group composition (adult males, adult females, calves/juveniles).
• Assist in estimating group size and noting observable indicators of elephant health and wellbeing.
• Contribute to identifying trends in elephant population dynamics, such as indications of population growth or decline, based on available monitoring data.
• Support basic documentation of observations that inform long-term monitoring and conflict mitigation strategies.

In addition to field-based tasks, students are expected to conduct desk-based research on wildlife–human conflict (with a focus on elephants and tigers) and contribute to practical, evidence-informed recommendations to support YSHL’s ongoing work.

Interns are encouraged to have prior knowledge of the SMART application or GPS usage before starting their internship.

Please note that this position description is subject to change. Further details on the project and its outcomes will be provided closer to the internship start date.