Is it their iconic reddish-orange hair, impressive size, or their innate ability to build and utilize tools? One thing is for sure, there is something about orangutans that has intrigued us for centuries. They make their home in the remote rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo and yet their history, family structure, adaptations, and behavior make them so relatable to our everyday lives. This month's Land Sea & Air answers all sorts of orangutan questions. Why are they reddish-orange in color? How many babies do they have? Why are they endangered and most importantly, how we can help protect them and the places they call home?

Engage students to learn more about orangutans while sharpening their critical thinking skills.

Did you know orangutan conservation can begin with your shopping list for the grocery store? Learn more...

Teachers use a diverse array of tools to help with their instruction.  Check out some orangutan conservation tools to use in the classroom and at home.

The SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards provides school and community groups with a monetary award, national recognition and some well-deserved fun at one of our parks.

Explore how the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is helping orangutans in Indonesia.

Palm Oil Plantations Causing Rapid Decline in Orangutan Populations
Throughout Indonesia is a growing need for orangutan rescue, rehabilitation, due to the expanding development of palm oil plantations. These plantations produce palm oil, a product used in numerous household food items such as breads, crackers, chips, margarine, cereals, cosmetics, and soaps. As land is cleared for these plantations, orangutans are losing land, food and breeding opportunities. And as their livable space diminishes, orangutans are increasingly coming into contact and conflict with humans. The non-profit SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has partnered with the Orangutan Foundation International to help support the Orangutan Care and Quarantine Center. This facility provides care for orphaned and injured orangutans through rehabilitation and reintroduction in safe and protected Bornean habitats.

What you can do...

Certified Forestry
Certified forestry products assures consumers that their wood purchases come from forests whose products are harvested in a manner that conserves biodiversity, limits degradation to soil and water supplies, and supports local communities. Several organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance provide certified forestry certification to products that comply with global sustainable forestry standards.

Sustainable Palm Oil
When reading product labels, if it contains palm oil, palm kernel, palmitate, or other derivatives of the word, there is an opportunity to help protect endangered orangutans by purchasing products that contain sustainably-harvested palm oil. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an association that promotes the growth and use of sustainable palm oil. Companies that are members of RSPO assures consumers that their palm oil purchases come from forests whose products are harvested in a manner based on economic, social, and environmental viability.

For more information on this project and other orangutan conservation projects, please visit the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Conservation Fund website (see immediately below).