Oh, the places we go and the lessons we learn when we travel. It seems that we never stop learning when we do travel, nor do we stop wandering this never-ending path. With so much exploration we set out for ourselves, the lessons we learn along our journey stick with us long after we return home.
I thought I had learned so much about the palm oil industry before I travelled to Sumatra this year. So much so, that I consciously refrained from buying products associated with palm oil use as best as I could. I thought I was doing “my bit” in decreasing demand so as to help in the race to save Sumatran Orangutans from extinction. By the time I reached Gunung Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra, I learned even more with the help of The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme and the mammoth undertaking of their program.
By the time it was time to leave, I was left with a heavy, overhanging feeling that so much more is yet to be done. Even still, I felt compelled to share my experience in witnessing these precious beings before the irreversible occurs.
What remains so foreign to me – as a traveller and as a human being – is the way and rate in which our world is being reduced to next to nothing. Species are disappearing faster than I can travel the distances to witness them or help. My hope, during this lifetime, is to see the Sumatran Orangutan populations survive, rejuvenate and flourish again before they disappear completely. I don’t want to see photos and memories as the only surviving proof of one of our closest relatives ever living on this planet with us.
I’m ever-so appreciative to Places We Go for sharing this special experience with you all.
I urge you to spend a few minutes reading my guest post to learn more about these beautiful relatives of ours and how you can do your bit to help.
