Urban and Ginger, the Sacramento Zoo’s lovely Sumatran Orangutans

Read more about Allison and see a truly amazing video.

Allison Boyer’s love for orangutans started when she was 7 years old when she began doing research on primates. Koko the gorilla had made a huge impression on her and she even wrote to her!

Allison began to read as much as she could about all the different kinds of primates and kept coming back to the orangutan. According to her mother, Pam, it was becoming clear that this was to be her one true love. The great red apes were in danger and Allison felt she had to save them.

She asked her mom to help figure out what she could do to stop the rain forest destruction. When she found out about the palm oil plantations she started going through the cupboards in her home and became enraged at how many products contained palm oil. On 7-7-7 her town had a peace day celebration and Allison went to the park and handed out fliers to everyone explaining about the palm oil crisis and how the orangutan was in danger. She began to to tell the kids at school about palm oil and memorized all the foods that contained palm oil so that she would not “accidentally” consume the thing that was killing her friends, the orangutans. All of this still did not seem to be enough so she convinced her mom to start an after school club so she could continue to spread the word.

The Marigold Roots and Shoots Club was born! During the club Allison talked to the kids about the danger the orangutan was facing. They came up with Borneo Bob, a flat orangutan who travels the world in an envelope telling kids about how his home is being destroyed and how they can help. They sent Borneo Bob to 250 schools across the United States challenging kids to get involved and do something about the rain forest destruction. Then all of the kids in the club wrote to companies that use palm oil in their products and asked them to stop, to find alternatives.

For Halloween Allison dressed up as an orangutan and went door to door handing out fliers explaining how palm oil is in candy and that it is destroying the rain forest. She informed over 150 very confused people that night. Allison has been on the local news and in a local paper for her efforts.

She recently helped coordinate a celebration at the Sacramento Zoo for National Orangutan Week. They earned $150 for the orangutans.

In her own town, her school and as well as a couple others raised a combined $506 and adopted 3 orangutans from Orangutan Outreach! They also purchased some Rambuntan trees! The schools that got involved were Emma Wilson, Little Chico Creek and Marigold Elementary, where Allison is in the fifth grade G.A.T.E program.

Little know facts about Allie:
1) She is known at her school and around town as “the orangutan girl”
2) She plans on moving to Borneo as soon as she turns 18 and can get a plane ticket!
3) Read more about her and see a truly amazing video