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Become a WWF guardian

Butterfly feeding on rainforest flowers © iStockphoto

2008 Guardians Appeal – Heart of Borneo

In 2008, WWF urgently needs your support to help us protect one of the oldest and most precious rainforests on earth, the Heart of Borneo – home to the endangered orang-utan. Every day, vast tracts of the orang-utans' forest habitat are being destroyed for commercial palm oil plantations. In the last ten years orang-utan numbers have fallen by up to 50%. In another ten years, large tracts of forests on Borneo may no longer be able to sustain them. Ten years after that, the orang-utan could be extinct in the wild.

We urgently need your support to stop this prediction from becoming a reality.

We have already made great progress. We have been instrumental in ensuring an historic declaration between Borneo's three governments to conserve almost a third of the island (an area about the size of the UK). Now it is essential that we implement plans to protect the forests that are home to the orang-utan and support 6% of our planet's total biodiversity, including plants that could hold the secret to fighting some of the worst human diseases. In order to do this we need to raise £250,000 this year and we are entrusting our Guardians to help us.

A gift from you could help us to restore this precious rainforest and save the orang-utan from extinction.

  • £1,000 could help plant and restore two hectares of rainforest and help rebuild one of the last refuges of the orang-utan

  • £1,700 could buy two motorbikes, so that WWF supported wardens can tackle illegal logging and wildlife poaching on the ground

  • £2000 will buy two new boats with outboard engines – vital for the transport of orang-utan research officers and ranger along the Kinabatangan River into the Heart of Borneo

  • £5,000 could pay for ten hectares of forest corridor to be restored with additional tree planting – vital to preserve the orang-utans’ range and its ability to breed successfully

  • £10,000 could pay the cost of one field officer for a year, helping the Malaysian government to develop their own conservation programmes

  • £15,000 could purchase a 4x4 truck, needed to maintain a conservation presence in this tough terrain

Mother & baby orang-utan, Central Kalimantan, Borneo

By becoming a Guardian, you will help us raise the money we need to protect the rainforest and the orang-utans. Each Guardian donates £1,000 or more per annum. In recognition of this generous support, WWF Guardians receive a number of special benefits and privileges:

  • An exclusive annual Guardian information pack; 
  • A field update specific to the appeal you support;
  • Invitations to special WWF events;
  • Global Environment News - our newsletter published exclusively for our most committed supporters;
  • The opportunity to take a Seeing is Believing trip where you can experience WWF's work in action;
  • Personal contact with a WWF Guardians Manager; and 
  • A unique Guardian bronze panda pin.

Become a WWF Guardian

Read more about why WWF is working in the Heart of Borneo and how the Guardians can help, by downloading our Guardians Programme brochure. (This is a large PDF file - 7.7 MB).

Apply today

To become a WWF Guardian today, download our pledge form.

If you have any further queries please contact Leila Lloyd, Guardians Manager on +44 (0)1483 412401 or email llloyd@wwf.org.uk