Protecting Rainforests for Wild Orangutans

High in Sumatra's ancient rainforest canopy, an orangutan mother carefully creates a "living bridge" with her own body, helping her baby cross safely between trees. It's just one of countless acts of devotion she'll perform during the 9 years she dedicates to raising her young.

These irreplaceable moments are happening right now in the standing forests we protect – but only where pristine rainforest remains intact.

This Wednesday, July 16th, you can double your impact for these devoted mothers and their babies.

Through GlobalGiving's July Bonus Day, your gift of $100 or more will be matched. The more you give (up to $1,000 or your currency equivalent), the more matching funds we unlock to protect the critical rainforest habitat where orangutan families thrive.

Your donation helps us:

• Protect vast areas of standing rainforest where orangutan mothers can safely raise their young
• Fund frontline conservation teams who guard these precious ecosystems 
• Ensure future generations of orangutans have the pristine habitat they need to survive

The orangutan mothers of Sumatra never give up on their babies. With your help this Wednesday, we won't give up on them either.

Matching starts at 10 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. BST) on Wednesday, July 16th, and lasts for 24 hours.

The impact of your donation will be even greater this Wednesday, so please consider donating this July Bonus Day.

Thank you to everyone who supported our recent Little x Little campaign on GlobalGiving.

Over just 4 days, you helped raise $1,322 to protect wild orangutans and their rainforest homes. Although we didn’t quite hit our target of $1,600, all these funds will still go towards protecting orangutan habitat in North Sumatra.

We know these are challenging times for everyone and appreciate your support. Every donation. Every message. Every social media share. We are all coming together to help create a future where wild orangutans can thrive in resilient rainforests. And it’s good to remember the further reaching effects of your support.

When orangutans thrive, the whole rainforest flourishes

As we enter day 5 of our Big Give Green Match campaign, I wanted to share why your support for orangutans reaches far beyond these remarkable red apes.

Orangutans are keystone species – nature's architects and gardeners of the Sumatran rainforest. Their daily activities shape and nurture the entire ecosystem in ways that benefit countless other species.

How orangutans engineer the rainforest

When orangutans travel through the forest canopy, they:

• Create natural highways that smaller animals use to navigate the treetops
• Disperse seeds across vast areas through their diet of over 500 plant species
• Build nests daily, creating light gaps in the canopy that allow sunlight to reach younger plants
• Prune branches as they feed, stimulating new growth and maintaining forest health

You're protecting an extraordinary web of life

By supporting our work to protect and connect orangutan habitat, you're also safeguarding a remarkable community of other beloved species:

The critically endangered Sumatran tiger – these majestic cats depend on the same intact forest corridors as orangutans. These solitary hunters patrol vast territories that require connected forests to maintain viable populations.

The vibrant Rhinoceros Hornbill – with its distinctive casque (horn) and wingspan of up to 1.5 metres, these striking birds are vital seed dispersers. They depend on large, mature trees – the same ones orangutans prefer – for nesting and feeding.

Among the flora protected is the Rafflesia arnoldii – the world's largest individual flower, which can grow up to one metre in diameter. This extraordinary plant, sometimes called the "corpse flower" for its distinctive scent, is endemic to Sumatra and relies on intact rainforest to survive.

Together, we're safeguarding an irreplaceable natural treasure

When you support orangutan conservation, you're helping protect one of Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems. The connected forest corridors we're working to secure are lifelines not just for orangutans, but for thousands of plant and animal species that call the Sumatran rainforest home.

Thank you for recognising that protecting orangutans means protecting an entire living system that benefits us all.