The global COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the livelihoods of frontline defenders in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park — a unique rainforest where endangered orangutans, rhinos, tigers, and elephants are struggling to survive. Through the tireless efforts of the local <a href="https://www.natureforchange.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NGO Nature for Change</a>, 28 farmers have banded together to combat deforestation by palm oil companies and grow a "green buffer zone" to protect the extraordinary wildlife and biodiversity of the Leuser ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage site. <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_1600454231937594_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_1600454231937594_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_1600454457792264_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_1600454457792264_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> Many farmers who depend on rubber and fruit trees for income are being hit hard by declining rubber prices and the global pandemic's economic fallout. With nowhere to turn, the farmers are now being preyed upon by palm oil companies to sell their land. We need your help in providing a lifeline to local farmers so they can stand up to Big Palm and continue to commit to protecting the rainforest — one of the last places on earth where orangutans  call home.  <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_1600454572197315_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_1600454572197315_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> In the long-term, Nature for Change has a robust initiative with farmers to plant vast swaths of fruit trees that both safeguard the rainforest and transition farmers to sustainable agroforestry. <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_1600454725139564_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_1600454725139564_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> Every $25 covers a family's living essentials for one week. To meet our goal of supporting all 28 partnering farmers for four months, we need to raise $11,200.  The farmers need this relief package ASAP, and we hope to meet our goal as quickly as possible. The donations help keep the farmers solvent (many of which have ailing rubber trees that no longer provide income) and alleviate pressures to sell their land to the palm oil companies encroaching on the park. Nature for Change (NFC) was founded in 2015 by Darma Pinem, a park ranger, expert orangutan guide, conservationist, and all-around sustainable development visionary from Bohorok, Indonesia.  <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_160045485623597_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_160045485623597_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> He has devoted his life to the protection of the planet's wildlife and nature.  Last year on my trip to Sumatra, Darma taught me a life lesson: "There is still hope. We can't be Superman, but we can all do super things."  <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_1600455387299311_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_1600455387299311_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> Darma is a teacher to so many, my hero, and with my entire heart, I support his cause and mission to protect the Sumatran jungle and build a resilient community. Your donation will not only help the farmers during these dire times but also plant the seeds for future trust and solidarity in a fight that will continue to play out for years to come. More and more farmers in the buffer zone have approached NFC to ask for assistance in switching to this "greener" path.  <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51135962_160045523472048_r.jpeg" alt="51135962_160045523472048_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /> We appreciate all your support, generosity, and for sharing this urgent call for help with your friends and family. <iframe media_type="0" media_id="lSysLSGvmLY" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lSysLSGvmLY/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe>

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Help Sumatran Farmers Save Endangered Orangutans!

Help Sumatran Farmers Save Endangered Orangutans!

Still $8,925 to go. Help us build momentum.