Informational Exhibit Poster: Orangutans and the Effects of Palm Oil

Plantations

Client: Smithsonian National Zoological ParkProduct: Exhibit PosterPresentation by: Kate Bouchard (blorthog@uw.edu)Julia Granfors (granfj@uw.edu)Travis Fuller (twf5@uw.edu)Eliza Wild (ejwild@uw.edu)Yuqi Du (yd5@uw.edu)

Overview

● Our client and product

● Orangutan biology

● IUCN listing

● Palm oil biology

● Sustainable palm oil

● Stakeholders

● The Product

Our Client ● Smithsonian National Zoological Park

○ Located in Washington D.C○ The National Zoological Park is part of the

Smithsonian Institution.● Orangutan Exhibit

○ Great Ape House and Think Tank ○ Orangutan Transport System (O Line)○ Six orangutans ○ Iris

● Product○ Educational and informational poster about

palm oil and orangutans● Cheryl Braunstein

○ Manager of exhibit planning and development at the National Zoo

Biology● Species

○ Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus)■ Three subspecies

○ Sumatran (Pongo abelii)○ ~50 years old

● Habitat○ Waterways, lowlands○ Forest canopies

● Diet & Tools○ 50% fruit; 50% sap, fungus○ Tool Users: umbrella, sticks

● Behavior & Reproduction○ Arboreal ○ Cheek Pads & Throat Sacs○ Gestation, newborn○ Raised by mother (7-9 years)○ Longest childhood of any ape

IUCN Listing

Bornean Orangutan

Population: ~45,000 - 69,000

Endangered

Main threat: habitat loss

Sumatran Orangutan

Population: ~7,300

Critically Endangered

Main threat: habitat loss

Global Orangutan Distribution

Palm Oil Plantation Clearing RainforestBornean Rainforest

Palm Oil● Edible vegetable oil derived from the fruits

of the oil palm tree● Grown in the tropical belt

o Originated in Western/Central Africao 90% from Indonesia and Malaysia

● Very high oil yield & fast growingo Low cost to commercial food industry

● Used in thousands of productso Foods, beauty products, biodiesel

Habitat Loss● High demand for palm oil from

Indonesia & Malaysia● Large amounts of rainforest

deforestation for oil palm plantations

● Threatening vital habitat for many endangered specieso Orangutans, Sumatran tigers,

pygmy elephants

Sustainable Palm Oil● Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

o Created in 2004o Cannot destroy areas with significant biodiversity or fragile

ecosystemso Protects cultural areas for local communities

● Currently 18% of global palm oil is certified● Over 2,000 members

o Full list of members at rspo.org

Stakeholders● Unskilled workers

○ Workforce is mostly foreign, uneducated, and inexperienced

○ Employees receive:■ Company provide housing■ On-the-job training and classes■ Treated water, electricity,

medical/accident insurance■ Education for children of workers■ Performance based pay component

○ Overall positive change to livelihood○ Negative impacts:

■ Lack of time■ Increase in daily expenses

Stakeholders● Independent growers (smallholders)

o Live in recently established villageso Average oil palm plantation: 3.59 hectares, 20 yearso Previously subsistence farmers of rice and fisho Benefits of managing a plantation:

Increase in wages Decrease in labor required Flexible hours May hire more employees

o Possible negative impacts: High dependency on income

Stakeholders● Affected neighbors

o Land-based resources lost by conversion to oil palmo No consultation about plantation establishment

Native claims are not legally recognizedo Negative impacts:

Drop in fish stocks● River pollution● Substantial economic losses● Increased labor burden (travel)

Loss of access to forest resources● Decreased hunting● Decreased availability of non-timber forest products (herbs, fruits)

Loss of cropland● More reliant on natural resource based activities● Change in traditional food consumption patterns

o Positive impacts: Improved road access Increased job opportunity

Poster Design

Focus Points● Draw visitor attention

● Keep that attention

● Create a message they will share

Poster Design

To start things off…

Environmental feel

Family friendly/Jungle theme

Poster Design

Next…

To catch the visitor’s attention

Poster Design

Then…

Adding information and images

Poster Design

Finalizing stages

use of questions, images, simple yet informative language

References Andriani, et al.The Local Impacts of Oil Palm Expansion in Malaysia (2011): n. pag.Http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/WPapers/WP-

78Andriani.pdf. Center for International Forestry Research. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.Brown, E., & Jacobson, M. (2005). Cruel oil: How palm oil harms health, rainforest & wildlife. Washington, D.C.: Center for Science in the

Public Interest.Butler, R. (2005, January 1). Largest area of tropical forest, by country. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation_forest.htmlGilbert, N. (2012). Palm-oil boom raises conservation concerns. Nature, 487(7405), 14-15. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from

http://www.nature.com/news/palm-oil-boom-raises-conservation-concerns-1.10936Kirk, Karin. “Teaching Environmental Issue.” Affective Domain. N.p., n.d.Lam, M., Tan, K., Lee, K., & Mohamed, A. (2009). Malaysian Palm Oil: Surviving The Food Versus Fuel Dispute For A Sustainable Future.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13(6-7), 1456-1464. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from ScienceDirect.Masilamany, J. (2013, March 1). For Peat's Sake. Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/01/for-peat’s-sake/Poku, K. (2002). Small-scale Palm Oil Processing in Africa (Vol. 148). Food & Agricultural Organization.Rosenthal, E. (2007, January 31). Once a Dream Fuel, Palm Oil May Be an Eco-Nightmare. The New York Times. Retrieved February 16,

2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/business/worldbusiness/31biofuel.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=e653a375e67e8e49&ex=1327899600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0

RSPO- About Sustainable Palm Oil. (2014, January 1). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.rspo.org/consumers/about-sustainable-palm-oil

Skinner, B. (2013, July 18). Indonesia's Palm Oil Industry Rife With Human-Rights Abuses. Bloomberg Business.Verheye, W. (2010). Growth And Production of Palm Oil. In Soils, Plant Growth and Crop Production (Vol. 2). Eolss Company Limited."Meet the Orangutans." - National Zoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015."Exhibit." S: Great Apes and Other Primates. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Questions?