Environmental Education
Through our environmental education and outreach work, we help communities to become more aware of the value of the rainforest ecosystem, and to be more motivated to campaign for its protection. We run several environmental education and capacity-building projects with local people living near the last remaining orangutan habitat:
Schools
Our partners in Sumatra, the OIC, developed the environmental education curriculum taught in schools in North Sumatra. We have visited over 350 schools and reached approximately 15,000 students throughout the region.
Our education team are experts at communicating environmental information in an engaging manner. They use practical activities such as paper recycling and composting, as well as presentations, workshops, conservation camps, books and films on wildlife and habitat conservation.
We also conduct conservation education training for teachers in Sumatra to build their capacity to communicate environmental messages, using orangutans as flagship species for rainforest conservation. Teachers are in a powerful position to inspire the next generation to value and protect their environment.
The OranguVans
The OranguVans are mobile environmental libraries and conservation cinemas. The vehicles travel around North Sumatra and Aceh, visiting local communities and schools. We provide free access to books, hold discussions and debates, show environmental films and give presentations on orangutans and the importance of conserving their habitat.
Our mobile conservation cinema screens films produced in the local language to raise awareness about issues such as illegal logging, the pet trade, and the dangers of disturbing the rainforest ecosystem.
Environmental cinema
In partnership with the Great Ape Film Initiative, we show films about the value of forests and biodiversity, and the negative impacts of deforestation on both people and wildlife. We screen films with positive messages, so that the audience feel empowered to get involved in protecting their unique forests and biodiversity.
Film screenings increase environmental awareness, and also lead to increased support for conservation and greater engagement in finding and supporting local solutions.
One local community was so strongly affected that they requested our assistance to create their own film as a response, entitled Dear Mr. President, to present their conservation concerns directly to the Indonesian president. Environmental film screenings have now become a regular element of our environmental education and outreach activities. 
They are also the greenest movies you'll ever see, being pedal powered, which provides electricity for a projector, DVD player and speaker system!
Scholarships and Apprenticeships
A scholarship scheme has been running since 2006, in conjunction with the Orangutan Republik Education Initiative to support much-needed study into orangutan ecology and conservation in Sumatra for Indonesian university students. To date, four-year scholarships have been awarded to 23 students. Recipients have become key members of the conservation movement, going on to work in biodiversity and habitat protection across Indonesia. The OIC also offer a unique opportunity for students to embark on apprenticeships, preparing and inspiring the next generation of Indonesian conservationists to work towards a sustainable future for their forests.
Islam and Conservation
We have trained Islamic community leaders and teachers in Islamic schools to include conservation in their regular sermons and classes, and produced a guidebook of Islamic teachings related to the protection of the environment. The book has been distributed to mosques, Islamic community organisations, and Islamic schools around the Gunung Leuser National Park.
Environmental E-Learning
We have established two Conservation Digital Opportunity Centres (CDOCs) in Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan. Open six days a week, our team runs courses for local people in computer use, internet use, graphic design, and information and research on conservation and ecology. The centres are popular destinations for the local communities, and also include libraries with books and resources on conservation. As a part of this programme, we have also equipped our OranguVans with mobile internet enabled laptops, so that we are able to bring these resources to remote villages.
Watch a short film about the OIC's work to combine information technology with environmental education.