PEOPLE

The orangutan shares its forest home with people who rely on the forests for their livelihood and the priceless and essential ecological services it provides.

Our collaborative approach with local and international communities ensures the long-term viability of our programmes and our mission: a safe future for orangutans, forests and people.

Education

Our education team in Indonesian Borneo run regular education and awareness raising events with students from local high schools and universities. These events allow us to connect with the next generation of nature’s caretakers and promote agency in young people to protect their home and their futures.

In the UK, we also host talks and lectures with schools, universities, societies, and other organisations to amplify the global importance of orangutan and tropical rainforest conservation. Our Rainforest Education Pack is aimed at Key Stage I and II and freely available to use. Download here

Additionally, if you are interested in having us visit your place of education or employment to discuss our work, please contact us.

Sustainable Livelihoods 

In order to protect orangutans and their habitat it is crucial that we engage with local communities and promote sustainable livelihood projects, which encourage sustainable forest use and greater local participation in forest management decisions.

One example of this is our Ecobags initiative which sources planting bags made with nipah palm leaves from women in communities around Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. We work with logging concessions, community forests and oil-palm plantations to provide training to develop skills and technical expertise in best management practices. Ultimately, helping to reduce the risk of conflict between people, orangutans, and other wildlife.

Research

The Foundation are proud to offer student bursaries every year for research projects relating to orangutans, wildlife, and tropical forest conservation.

Not only do they provide the opportunity for Indonesian students to gain experience in field research, but the data they collect provides invaluable insights into the habitats we work in and helps us to make more informed decisions in our programmes.

We also manage Pondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station in Tanjung Puting National Park which is a site of National Importance.