Conserving Intact Rainforest for Orangutans

Our newest project partner in Sumatra is Nature for Change. Based near Bukit Lawang, on the edge of Leuser National park, Nature for Change works with communities living in and around the park's buffer zone. The land that makes up the buffer zone is often used for small rubber and oil palm plantations, and farmers who plant a few fruit trees in addition to their main crop often find they lose the majority of the fruit to orangutans and other wild animals. One of Nature for Change's initiatives is to encourage more of a polyculture system - by planting a greater number and diversity of fruiting trees, farmers will lose a smaller proportion to wildlife and will no longer feel the need to protect their crops by injuring or killing animals who enter their plantations. In this way, cultivated land can also become more of a 'green corridor' for animals, as they will no longer be in danger if they leave the national park and enter the buffer zone around it.

The wildlife of Leuser National Park is also threatened by wildlife trafficking, hunting and illegal logging. With such a large area to patrol, government resources are overstretched and it is difficult to protect the entire park area. Nature for Change will also provide training and support for community patrols to become a ‘living fence’, shoring up the borders of the park with regular monitoring and reporting to help clamp down on illegal activities. Along with their education programmes for children and adults, a community library, and training in permaculture and the marketing of non-timber forest products such as honey, the organisation’s holistic approach is helping to build a sustainable future for Leuser, its wildlife, and its people.

Nature for Change co-founder, Darma Pinem, says, “The involvement of non-governmental institutions and the community will certainly build strength and shared awareness of the importance of GLNP conservation. The community will learn a lot of new things that can support their lives and the continuation of their next generation.”

Thank you for helping us to support projects like this and keep Sumatra's forests standing.

As you know, the cultivation of palm oil, an ingredient found in up to half of packaged food products on supermarket shelves, has led to the loss of vast swathes of rainforest in the countries where it is produced. In Sumatra, the palm oil industry has had a devastating impact on the forest habitat of orangutans, elephants, tigers and rhinos. The solution is not to boycott palm oil, however. It's a productive crop and has helped lift millions of Indonesians out of poverty. Instead, we need to help the industry become sustainable by creating demand for deforestation-free palm oil. 

When our friends at Chester Zoo in the UK came up with the concept of Sustainable Palm Oil Cities, we thought this sounded like a great way to engage people in taking positive action for wildlife and rainforests. We were delighted to help them kick off the first Sustainable Palm Oil City campaign in Chester in 2017 and cheered them on when they achieved Sustainable Palm Oil City status in March 2019. Now we're launching the campaign in our hometown, Oxford. We have high hopes that Oxford can join together as a community, committed to sustainable palm oil and therefore delivering real conservation impact.

By striving for change in our own community, we know we can make a difference in Sumatra by creating a demand for sustainably-produced palm oil. This will stop the chainsaws and bulldozers and keep Sumatra's precious rainforests standing. 

Thank you for being part of our global team of people who want to make a difference.

Links:

• Learn more about palm oil.