Welcome to the Orangutan Information Centre's website. We are a non-profit organisation sponsored by the Sumatran Orangutan Society who are dedicated to the conservation of Sumatran orangutans and their habitat. We promote public awareness of the plight and value of this critically endangered species and its unique habitat through grassroots educational programmes and empower local communities living near the last remaining orangutan habitat to work towards a more sustainable future for their forests.

We welcome any involvement in our efforts to create an environment committed to long-term conservation of orangutan habitat through environmental education. Please feel free to surf our website. Please contact us if you require any more information about orangutans or their conservation status and what you can do to help!.

Biofuels and Orangutans-URGENT Action Alert

Biofuels and Orangutans-URGENT Action Alert The unsustainable harvesting of palm oil for the use of biofuels may put orangutans and their rainforest ecosystems at an even greater risk than ever before. Please take 2 minutes to do this action to help orangutans and rainforests at: http://www.regenwal d.org/protestakt

The European Parliament have now voted on the Biomass Action Plan, but the final decision will be made by the European Commission and is expected around 10th January.

The Parliament have acknowledged that a lack of clear environmental standards and safeguards could have significant negative effects, such as an increase in tropical deforestation and agriculture intensification and biodiversity losses in Europe and abroad, while failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. However, the majority of MEPs voted against import bans against 'deforestation diesel' feedstocks, and for rapid market expansion even before any possibly safeguards are put in place. They also voted to abolish compulsory set-asides in Europe - even though the European Environment Agency and conservation organisations throughout Europe have shown that this will cause a large-scale decline in biodiversity across Europe .

Finally, there are reports that the European Parliament voted to class peat as a long-term renewable form of energy and biomass. Peat has as much or more carbon per tonne as other fossil fuels, and the International Panel on Climate Change states clearly that it should not be classed as renewable energy or bioenergy.

Please tell the European Commission now that they must prevent biofuels from causing ever greater deforestation, biodiversity losses, or evictions and impoverishment of local communities. Unrestrained biofuel expansion will accelerate, not slow down climate change, as peatlands and rainforests across the world are converted to energy crop monocultures and release their carbon in the process. Latin American NGOs are writing to the Commission to tell them that they want food sovereignty, not biofuels for export to Europe . By writing to the Commission now, you can support their efforts, too.

A pre-prepared letter is at: http://www.regenwal d.org/protestakt ion.php?id= 124. However, please note that personal emails would be even more effective and the email addresses of all the relevant commissioners and (cabinet) members of their teams can be found at this webpage. Please forward this alert widely to your networks and contacts.(INCL 01/07)
Orangutan Caring Scholarship 2008
In supporting education, the SOS - OIC (Sumatran Orangutan Society - Orangutan Information Centre), along with OUREI (Orang Utan Republik - Education Initiative) have intiated a scholarship fund for Indonesian students interested in working for orangutan conservation.
This is the third annual set of funds made available by this initiative, for students to pay tuition and conduct field research on orangutans. These students can be expected to become key members of the conservation movement in North Sumatra, and can help inspire others to care for nature and their environment.

The scholarships were open to students from the departments of forestry as well as biology at the University of North Sumatra, the students of the biology UNIMED program, and to the forestry program of STIK Banda Aceh. The programme was open to applications from 30 January 2008 - 19 February 2008. Candidates had to compose an essay that detailed their intended course of study/research. Then, of the ten submitted reports, six were shortlisted and had to give oral presentations on their work to the judge committee (consisting of professors from the University of North Sumatra as well as members of the Indonesian Conservation Authority). From these six the judges had to select four students to be awarded the scholarship.

On 10 April 2008 the judges selected the following winners for the Orangutan Caring Scholarship Fund of 2008: 1. Nurzaidah Putri Dalimunte for Sumatran orangutan habitat alteration and its effect on parasitology from the University of North Sumatra - Biology 2. Mhd. Marliansyah for The role of local people in orangutan habitat conservation from University of North Sumatra - Forestry 3. Fifi Willyanti for The orangutan as a motivator for forest conservation from the University of North Sumatra - Biology 4. Tetty Fransisca Panggabean for Dear orangutan, unfortunate orangutan from UNIMED - Biology. The students were awarded 1 million rupiah per year for tuition fees, 2 million rupiah in total for field research expenses, and 500,000 rupiah for expenses associated with writing the final thesis - for a total of 6,500,000 rupiah each.

The Orangutan Caring Scholarship has grown from its initial inception - whereas in 2006 only 1 person was granted the award (from the forestry department at the University of North Sumatra , and in 2007 just 2 were awarded. (one each from forestry and biology at the University of North Sumatra). In addition, this year, the Scholarship fund received a gracious gift in the form of the funds for one additional scholarship to be awarded this year - with the fifth winner being Sidahin Bangun for The orangutan will survive if there is the land to do so from the University of North Sumatra - Biology department.

These students will be awarded for their efforts, and surely they will go on to contribute much to orangutan conservation. We are proud to be assisting Indonesians to further their education and also towards helping them conduct studies for their own country's conservation; and we are especially proud of the winning students!.
STUDENTS FROM 17 KABUPATENS in NORTH SUMATRA FOLLOWED THE COMMEMORATION OF FLORA AND FAUNA DAY 2007 IN MEDAN
Nowadays, many campaigns of environment were conducted by non-government organizations. In the commemoration of National Flora and Fauna Day 2007 on November 5th, the Body of Regional Environment Impact Control (BAPEDALDA) together with SOS - OIC designed an activity of Environment Students Camp.

The Camp was followed by students from 17 kabupatens in North Sumatra. They are Kotamadya Tanjung Balai, Kotamadya Kisaran, Kab. Samosir, Kotamadya Siantar, Kab. Phakpak Barat, Kab. Nias Selatan, Kab. Tobasa, Kab. Labuhan Batu, Kab. Taput, Kotamadya Binjai, Kab. Serdang Bedagai, Kab. Tapsel, Kab. Langkat, Kotamadya Sibolga, Kab. Tapteng, Kab. Simalungun, dan Kab. Madina.
The ceremony was officially opened by the Governor of North Sumatra, and in this chance, represented by the head of the Body of Regional Environment Impact Control (BAPEDALDA), Mr. Prof. Dr. Syamsul Arifin, S.H., M.H. and Vice Rector I University of North Sumatra Mr. Prof. Dr. Sumono. Upon the theme of "Save the Flora and Fauna, Save the Earth", the camp was successfully conducted.

Approximately 21 environment organizations participated in this commemoration by following the environment exhibition as the source of information for the participants of camp. 154 participants of camp (29 school-boys, 66 school-girls and 59 teachers) were divided in to groups. The school-boys were divided into 2 groups of Desa Beo Nias and Orangutan Sumatera while the school-girls were divided into Desa Bunga Kenanga and Bunga Anggrek Tien Soeharto. Various activities conducted were the film screenings, presentation of environment by the staff of the Body of Nature Resource Conservation, interactive discussion and games.

Besides that, the participants were encouraged to love their environment more during the competition of environment quiz and environment song competition. However, the participants were more enthusiastic when they planted trees in Medan Zoo. Each kabupatens also submitted their indigenious plants to be palnted in Medan Zoo Park "This activity is conducted by SOS -OIC together with the Body of Regional Environment Impact Control (BAPEDALDA) This is an effort of enhancing the self-awareness of the students regarding the nature conservation" stated Mr. Indra Kurnia, as the event-coordinator.


SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN SOCIETY - ORANGUTAN INFORMATION CENTRE (SOS-OIC)
Jl. Sei Bengawan No. 72 Medan 20121, Sumatera Utara - Indonesia Telp/Fax +62 61 4156451