Forest Stewardship Council Certification Aids Orangutan

Photo By: WWF

With the certification of more than 1,100 square miles of Borneo's rain forest by Forest Stewardship Council, orangutan have a new sanctuary in the forest reserves in the "Heart of Borneo," according to WWF, which created the Forest Stewardship Council, an independent third-party certifier of wood products. FSC-certified wood products come from forests that are managed with wildlife and longterm production in mind; they aren't clear-cut.

For orangutan, which live only on Borneo and Sumatra, protection of forest habitat is key to their survival. Globally rare and considered a critically endangered red list species on Sumatra, and endangered on Borneo, orangutan are most at risk from logging and other development that destroys their forest habitats.

Not surprisingly, given their curiosity and handsome demeanor, orangutan means "man of the forest." When looking to buy wood products, from office paper to furniture, look for FSC-certification to ensure your purchase doesn't harm species like these.

Related: How to Save Forests, Without Planting a Tree

COMMENTS ()