International Internship is an organization based in Australia that provides internship and intensive study programs for students from various fields of study in Indonesia. This program establishes an arrangement for Indonesian students through partner universities to serve as “internship buddies” for Australian students participating in the program. The organization then directs the students to undertake internships at various organizations or institutions in Indonesia.
I had the opportunity to become one of the “internship buddies” and was placed at the Yayasan Orangutan Sumatera Lestari - Orangutan Information Centre (YOSL-OIC), North Sumatra, Indonesia. The main focus of our internship was GIS-based rainforest mapping to assess orangutan habitat suitability. In addition to building relationships with international students, this internship experience far exceeded my expectations. I gained extensive knowledge about the endangered Pongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan), including its distribution and the causes of its endangered status, while also gaining hands-on experience in intensive restoration efforts.
Our internship program included both field activities and office work. The most interesting and memorable field activity was an immersive three-day camping experience in the Selamanya Hutan area. There, we explored forest restoration and regeneration practices, the use of thermal drones for wildlife observation, monitoring animal movements using camera traps, and mapping orangutan nest locations using GPS.
We also visited a second restoration site, Cinta Rajah III, to observe the application of phenology and plant nursery practices in monitoring and improving forest regeneration. We then used the data obtained from GPS tracking for the final mapping of orangutan habitats using ArcMap 10.8 and ArcGIS Pro software, as well as MaxEnt analysis to understand the factors influencing habitat suitability for orangutan rehabilitation.
Credit: Wilmar Fatiha Ahmad
FISIP USU PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM
Medan, October 9, 2026