We are working to restore vital orangutan habitat that has been destroyed by illegal oil palm plantations within the Gunung Leuser National Park. We're seeing some really exciting results, with lots of wildlife starting to return to the restored areas of forest - including orangutans, elephants, sun bears, gibbons, leopard cats and many endangered bird species. We work with the local people, empowering, educating and encouraging them to become guardians of their forests and wildlife.
Over the last 25 years, almost half of Sumatra's forests have been lost or degraded, including vast tracts of the Gunung Leuser National Park. These forests are vital for the survival of orangutans and other critically endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, elephants and rhinos, and around four million people depend on the Leuser Ecosystem for crucial ecological services.
Replanting damaged forests restores lost habitat, and engages local people in protecting the park in the future. We set up organic tree nurseries and forestry centres near degraded forest areas, and provide reforestation training for communities. This project focuses on rehabilitating degraded land within the Gunung Leuser National Park, planting hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings.
With less than 14,600 left in the wild, Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered and could be the first Great Ape species to become extinct if we don't act now to save them. Their rainforest habitat is being lost at an alarming rate. As well as restoring damaged land, this project will bring environmental awareness, education and training to local indigenous communities, who then become the guardians of the forests.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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