I'm "Swimming the Channel" (in a pool- 21 miles or 1,400 lengths) for the Sumatran Orangutan Society. I'd like to raise money for their campaign to buy a palm oil plantation in Indonesia which would be turned back into rainforest (hooray!). I'm sure you're all as alarmed as I am at seeing the deforestation that is taking place for palm oil in Indonesia and the impact this has on orangutans. The piece of land the charity wants to buy is a long thin strip which would protect the eastern border of a conservation forest (the Leuser Ecosystem) where endangered orangutans, elephants, tigers and rhinoceros live. It would protect that forest from further deforestation for palm oil as well as from poachers. Replanted forest takes about four years to grow and to start being used by animals again. Local communities would be involved in the project. 

Lots of students and staff from my school, Wyvern College, are taking part in this swim to raise funds for the Sumatran Orangutan Society. Each of us is setting a personal challenge and we are swimming during the autumn term, up until Christmas. If we raise enough money together, part of the new forest (a substation for replanting) could be named after our school. This would keep our students connected with that part of the world, taking an interest in its future and sustain awareness around palm oil and deforestation . We need £1,000 to do this, so your gift would also contribute to that aim.

As consumers, it's difficult to know what to do about palm oil, I hope you feel this campaign is worthwhile and something you would like to be a part of. Thank you for visiting my page.

Liz