My name is Sarah and I am raising funds for The Orangutan Project, a not-for-profit Australian organisation whose mission is to save the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan species from extinction by conserving the rainforest and reintroducing displaced orangutans into the wild. I am delighted to have the rare opportunity to visit the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem in central Sumatra, where I shall see for myself the amazing work being done by TOP and its partners. 

Bukit Tigapuluh is a remote and wild place. In the 1830s the local population of Sumatran orangutans became extinct, but thanks to the world's most successful orangutan reintroduction program, over 200 red apes now live in the Bukit Tigapuluh area. The field stations are not easily reached: only highly modified four-wheel drive vehicles can negotiate the roads. Indeed, the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem is a far cry from the places most tourists visit to view orangutans. Serious scientific research and conservation work are being carried out in the field stations and surrounding rainforest, and I am keen to observe the daily challenges of a dedicated group of orangutan specialists. I don't doubt that I'll find the Bukit Tigapuluh experience physically and mentally demanding, but also immeasurably rewarding. As a condition of going on this trip, I am required to make a donation of $2,500, separate from the cost of travel, to The Orangutan Project. All the money raised on this site goes directly to TOP. For more information about this excellent organisation, please visit www.orangutan.org.au