On a recent trip deep into the forest, we came across Pak Batyam and his family. They are jelutung tappers in Harapan Rainforest. They have been doing it for generations. As a sustainable activity based on non-timber forest resources, it is entirely in line with Harapan’s conservation and restoration vision. Jelutung is a natural latex that is used in chewing gum. It is sometimes called gutta percha. Jelutung tappers move through the forest, tapping the trees about every three days. If they did it more frequently the flow would dry up. If tapped properly, the trees can keep producing for decades. Some of the trees they tap are more than one hundred years old. Keep going Pak Batyam – there’s still a good market for chewing gum!