Whether we are conscious of it or not, our lives depend greatly on the health and well-being of the world’s forests. For our daily needs, forests provide clean water to consume and clean air to breathe, and continue to offer mankind countless health and livelihood benefits. Despite their value to our lives, forests are continuously under threat of deforestation from fires, floods, pests, and more commonly, human actions.

This is where a community's role in forest preservation is greatly needed. Despite today's fast-paced world, there are numerous steps we can all take to slow down or prevent deforestation, to help preserve forests. Small actions such as reducing the consumption of products that create waste or providing green, open spaces in one's own home are just two examples of ways we indirectly help protect the environment.

As a member of the local communities in which it works, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation strives to maintain forest stability through orangutan conservation. Why orangutans, you might ask? Well, in contrast to all the creators of forest degradation, orangutans are the often unsung heroes of reforestation. By conserving orangutans, the keepers of Borneo’s forests, we help preserve these forests and the biodiversity within them.

Together, we need to make a more concerted effort to preserve our forests! International Forest Day, which falls on 21 March annually, is a timely reminder for us all. With this year’s theme ‘Forests and Health’, let’s give back as much as we have taken from the forest. We cannot continue to borrow and steal from future generations. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the forests of the world are preserved for our children’s children.

Text by: Communications Team, BOS Headquarters, Bogor, West Java