A critically endangered species can be helped - it just takes a few trees

The Bornean orang-utan is an animal on the brink of extinction and both the IUCN and CITES list it as a critically endangered species∗. The wild population is estimated at about 50,000 and it is the official state animal of Sabah in Malaysia. The destruction of the orang-utan habitat due to logging, mining and forest fires has been increasing rapidly since the mid 1990’s. A major factor has been the conversion of vast areas of tropical rainforest to palm plantations for the production of palm oil. Some UN scientists believe that these plantations could lead to the extinction of the island’s orang-utan by as early as 2012. Much of the planting activity is illegal, occurring in national parks that are officially off limits to loggers, miners and plantation development. Trees4Good operates in areas that are most affected by this illegal activity, and is actively helping to reduce the problem.

It’s often seen as an easy solution to say ‘stop logging the rainforest’ but the local people live in poverty and need the income to exist. Often logging is the only way for these people to make enough money to survive. Trees4Good gives the people in these areas an income that does not involve destroying the rainforest but the crucial factor is that this income is sustainable. Our plantations allow the indigenous people of Borneo to keep and farm their own land productively and legally and help them to become more economically stable. The trees you plant through Trees4Good are preserving the environment and helping the orang-utan to survive for future generations to enjoy. It’s a win/win situation - and you can help by planting a few trees.