Taman Raja is a conservation area set aside within a plantation area consisting of more than 16,400 hectares in Jambi province, Sumatera. Almost 60% of the area is identified as having high biodiversity and social value. To completely understand these values, SMF initiated biodiversity and social-economic studies, including a review of traditional sources of livelihood for the people in the local communities.

The studies confirmed that the forest area provides habitat for a number of critical species including the Sumateran Tiger, the Clouded Leopard, the Sun Bear, the Hornbills and the Rhinoceros. The forest also supports the indigenous communities in the area, who hunt for survival, and rely on forest resources such as fruits, wild resins, honey, bamboo, rattan and rubber.

The study also showed that altering the land use of the forest could directly threaten it's biodiversity and its role in the lives of the indigenous people who depend on it.

Based on those results, SMF and its partners initiated and funded the formation of a Working Group (WG) consisting of Forest Service in province and local level, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Sumateran Tiger Foundation, Center for Law and Decentralization Policy Study, Mitra Akademika Consultation Forum, Jambi University, and several community groups. This WG is responsible for developing the management plan for conservation and protection of the Taman Raja Area.

The main objective of SMF and its partners is to ensure the protection of forest biodiversity and to empower local community whose lives rely on the forest resources, to manage the area in sustainable ways. Another long term goal is to utilize the conservation area for ecotourism and provide research and development opportunities to contribute to the development of educational programs on the ecosystems of tropical forests.