This time of year beckons us to see the world in wonder – the elaborate holiday displays, the way cold air appears to literally take our breath away, the delight of bright lights reflected in the wide eyes of children. In the spirit of holiday enchantment, we share two of Borneo’s many remarkable wonders.
Borneo is one of the wildest places left on the planet. But the rate of deforestation on this island in the clouds threatens the existence of animals and plants that have long captivated the human imagination, helped mitigate climate change, and may contain cures to some of humankind’s most devastating diseases.
To help prevent that loss, Avon has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in their work to tackle deforestation in Indonesia, which includes Borneo and Sumatra. Half of the funds we raise through the sale of Avon Hello Green Tomorrow merchandise worldwide support WWF’s critically important work toward restoring the tropical forests of Indonesia.
The Orangutan
The word “orang-utan” means “forest person.” It’s no wonder these animals have mesmerized humans – they are our closest living relatives. Yet in sharp contrast to the more than seven billion people on the planet, only 20,000 orangutans are left in the wild, found only on Borneo and neighboring Sumatra. To learn more about the plight of orangutans in Borneo, check out this TED talk by Willie Smits, whose work to provide sanctuary to injured and ailing orangutans led to an incredible and successful large-scale ecosystem restoration project. 
WWF has created a fun quiz, Find Your Inner Animal, which includes these and other animals unique to Borneo. After you take the quiz, you can “adopt” your inner animal.
The Dipterocarp
Remember the endless hours of childhood entertainment spent tossing maple tree seeds that twirled back down to the ground like helicopters? Only a handful of trees in North America disperse their seeds this way, but in Borneo, there are 267 species of a tree called Dipterocarp, which means “two-winged fruit.” Unfortunately, Dipterocarp forests have been decimated by commercial logging and fires to clear land for palm oil plantations. In addition to working with WWF on reforestation, Avon is doing its part to help reduce this devastation through its Palm Oil Promise. To help protect these fascinating forests from illegal logging, you can take the WWF’s pledge to Choose Good Wood and Save Our Forests.
