Feeding Ourselves Sustainably

The Alliance for Tompotika Conservation / Aliansi Konservasi Tompotika (AlTo) is an international partnership of individuals and communities formed to build a better world, starting in one special place: the lands and waters surrounding Mount Tompotika, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States and registered as a Yayasan in Indonesia, AlTo uses innovative conservation strategies and a direct, people-to-people approach to prevent extinction and build a strong and enduring conservation ethic.

Mount Tompotika rises to 1600 meters at the eastern tip of the central peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Considered a sacred point of origin for all three of the ethnic groups indigenous to the area, Tompotika is a showcase of Sulawesi's natural diversity.  Rich in tropical forests and surrounded by coral reefs, Sulawesi is also home to thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. So critical is Sulawesi for global biodiversity, in fact, that a team of scientists in the journal Nature recently ranked it as their number one global priority for conservation investment.

Using sound science and creative methods, AlTo works directly with local Tompotikans and their government on a two-pronged approach to conserving Tompotika's natural heritage: direct, in-the-field conservation programs to protect endangered species and natural areas; and comprehensive conservation outreach and awareness programs that help to spread the word and build a long-term constituency for conservation success in Indonesia.

Effective, innovative, and efficient, AlTo protects endangered species, tropical rainforests, and coral reefs while promoting the dignity and self-sufficiency of local communities in a changing world.  AlTo currently has field programs focused on endangered maleo birds, sea turtles, and a new tropical forest preserve.