Legacies have always been an important source of income for Fauna & Flora International (FFI) – and over the years have helped them to conserve many species and habitats threatened by extinction. However, one gift in particular is helping to secure a better future for one of the planet’s most iconic species – the Endangered Bornean Orang-Utan.
In 2011 FFI received a legacy gift of £75,000 from the Will of a supporter who asked that their donation be used for the benefit of Orang-Utans – FFI's Asia-Pacific team responded by developing a plan that would provide long-term-security for their Orang-Utan conservation programme as well as greatly expanding its area of work – creating a more positive outlook on the future of this magnificent creature.
The gift is being used to fund three vital areas of work in Borneo;
- Reducing the threat of hunting by working with the indigenous and local communities to expand the Orang-Utan Protection and Monitoring Units that patrol the parks where this species are found, and raising awareness of the need for their conservation within schools and local communities
- Preventing and mitigating forest fires – a major threat to the Orang-Utan’s fragile habitat. This is a new area of work which has been made possible by the legacy gift. It will see the Orang-Utan Protection and Monitoring Units undergo training in the prevention and mitigation of fires. These teams will also deliver a programme of awareness raising amongst local communities to reduce the threat and impact of fires
- The final objective is a Habitat Viability Assessment. The government of Indonesia has introduced ambitious targets to release all Orang-Utans, currently cared for in rehabilitation centres, back into the wild by 2017. Unfortunately, getting a secure and viable forest area for release sites is difficult. FFI will be securing key forest areas and assessing their viability and carrying capacity as a release sites for Orang-Utans.
This gift has been an enormous act of faith in FFI’s ability to carry out effective and innovative conservation work, their lean, efficient approach means 95p in each pound of this gift will be directed to conservation efforts. What’s more, thanks to this gift they no longer need to draw on core reserves to carry out this vital work.
In recognition of this generous gift, the Director of the National Park where the work is taking place has offered to name the base camp of the new Orang-Utan Protection and Monitoring team after the family of the FFI legacy donor – recognizing the impact that they will have on the conservation of this important species.
Gifts in Wills continue to be an important part of FFI’s fundraising and make so much of their work possible – and with this channel of giving increasing it is enabling us to carry out ever more vital conservation work on priority projects, helping to bring more species back from the brink of extinction.
Image: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI
