Doku is located at the gateway of a 20,000 hectares land bank and also Borneo’s national forest reserves. There are also approximately 100,000 deforested hectares in close proximity destined for agricultural use. The degraded portion of Doku’s land was destroyed by logging, palm oil, rubber tree plantations, fruit orchards and vegetable farms. Chemical runoff has negatively impacted soil, ecosystem, groundwater quality, coastal landscapes, coral reefs, and ocean life – including fish populations which are a major protein source for Malaysia. Doku’s research team will be able to witness what a healthy micro rainforest should look like when biodiversity and thriving ecosystems are intact, and also how starkly different the contrast is where deforestation and unsustainable farming techniques have been deployed for decades. This living framework allows Doku to observe the whole ecosystem, from the soil to microorganisms, fungi, flora, and fauna, in a pure, symbiotic state. And the adjacent protected natural rainforest allows Doku to embark on extensive research in partnership with local universities on germplasms and other microorganisms, for more understanding of these native species’ genetic makeup, providing valuable information for conservation, ecosystem restoration, and protection. Information collected here will be used on their degraded land to develop and create abundant, healthy food forests and restoration systems.

Doku’s advocacy is to plant bamboo to restore microclimate and to plant vetiver grass to recharge ground water. Their work is focused on smallholder palm oil plantations on the island of Borneo. These smallholders are encouraged to turn organic by the government policy. Through this policy the goal is to bring in diversity to regenerate the soil microbial life. Since 2009, Doku has witnessed a positive change through the organic matter from the bamboo leaves dropping on the ground resulting in increased earthworm population and soil microbial and fungi life. Vetiver grass they have planted is recharging ground water and further contributing to the biodiversity below and above ground. Through healthy soil structures they are seeing a reduction in water run off which is reducing the degradation of Borneo’s coastal areas.