We are so proud to be partnered with Rutgers University, sponsoring a doctoral student team that conducts ecological research on wild orangutans in the peat swamps of remote Indonesian Borneo. The Rutgers team is gearing up for their second twelve month field season in Borneo and wanted to outfit their team & Indonesian forest assistants with premium waterproof gear! We'd say they came to the right place!
Did you know Indonesian Borneo has lost approximately 100,000 orangutans in less than twenty years? Borneo is an island divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world. How cool is that?! But sadly, it has seen dramatic deforestation in recent years, as its lush jungles are converted into palm oil and paper pulp plantations.
Very shortly our gear will make the long trip to the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in Indonesian Borneo. The Rutgers team there is dedicated to protecting the orangutans of Borneo and their habitats from poaching, logging, the pet trade, and more. This work is so important and we wanted to be sure these teammates and their gear stayed safe and dry on this trip. We can't wait to share project updates with our readers periodically over the next twelve months!
Photo credit: this beautiful flanged Borneon male was captured by Rebecca S. A. Brittain, a Rutgers University Ph.D. Student with the Department of Anthropology
