Orangutan Outreach
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Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/OrangutanOutreachachWillie Smits
Conservationist
By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans -- and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems.
Why is Willie Smits a positive thinker?
He kept an open mind and uncovered solutions that helped the local economy and fought back against the clearcutters by establishing viable plantation operations...
Barbara Fredrickson prescribes "Positivity":
Dr. Barbara Fredrickson gives you the lab-tested tools necessary to create a healthier, more vibrant, and flourishing life.
She discovered that experiencing positive emotions broadens people's minds and builds their resourcefulness in ways that help them become more resilient to adversity and effortlessly achieve what they once could only imagine.
With Positivity, you’ll learn to see new possibilities, bounce back from setbacks, connect with others, and become the best version of yourself.
About Willie Smits
Willie Smits has devoted his life to saving the forest habitat of orangutans, the "thinkers of the jungle."
As towns, farms and wars encroach on native forests, Smits works to save what is left.
Full bio and more links
Willie Smits
Conservationist
By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans -- and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems.
About Willie Smits
Willie Smits has devoted his life to saving the forest habitat of orangutans, the "thinkers of the jungle." As towns, farms and wars encroach on native forests, Smits works to save what is left. Full bio and more links
Willie Smits restores a rainforest on TED.com
Willie Smits
Conservationist
Homepage: Masarang Foundation Nonprofit: Orangutan Outreach Twitter: @redapes
TED Speaker
Personal profile
Willie Smits has devoted his life to saving the forest habitat of orangutans, the "thinkers of the jungle." As towns, farms and wars encroach on native forests, Smits works to save what is left.
Why you should listen
Willie Smits works at the complicated intersection of humankind, the animal world and our green planet. In his early work as a forester in Indonesia, he came to a deep understanding of that triple relationship, as he watched the growing population of Sulawesi move into (or burn for fuel) forests that are home to the orangutan. These intelligent animals were being killed for food, traded as pets or simply failing to thrive as their forest home degraded.
Smits believes that to rebuild orangutan populations, we must first rebuild their forest habitat -- which means helping local people find options other than the short-term fix of harvesting forests to survive. His Masarang Foundation raises money and awareness to restore habitat forests around the world -- and to empower local people. In 2007, Masarang opened a palm-sugar factory that uses thermal energy to turn sugar palms (fast-growing trees that thrive in degraded soils) into sugar and even ethanol, returning cash and power to the community and, with luck, starting the cycle toward a better future for people, trees and orangs.
What others say
“This man has dedicated his life to saving the world, and for this he earns our deepest respect.” — Jean Kern, Ode
Willie Smits’ TED talks
20:42
How to restore a rainforest
559K views Mar 2009
Willie Smits on the TED Blog
See all
Orangutans and palm oil: What's the connection?
March 5, 2009
In Willie Smits’ powerful TEDTalk, he describes his work to re-grow the rainforest in Indonesia — a triple-bottom-line effort that can benefit the local economy, the local orangutans and the green heart of the forest. The TED Blog asked Smits’ associate Richard Zimmerman, the director of Orangutan Outreach, to expand on the orangutan story: In […]Continue reading
Biology
Read all about Willie Smits' 20-year tale of hope
March 3, 2009
Willie Smits works at the complicated intersection of humankind, the animal world and our green planet. In his early work as a forester in Indonesia, he came to a deep understanding of that triple relationship, as he watched the growing population of Sulawesi move into (or burn for fuel) forests that are home to the […]Continue reading
A 20-year tale of hope: How we re-grew a rainforest: Willie Smits on TED.com
March 3, 2009
By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans — and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems. This bold plan drew a standing ovation at TED2009. (Recorded in February 2009 in Long Beach, California. Duration: 20:42.) Get involved with […]Continue reading
Quotes from Willie Smits
A natural forest is multilayered. Both in the ground and above the ground it can make better use of the available light, it can store more carbon in the system, it can provide more functions.
20:42
Willie Smits
How to restore a rainforest
TED2009 • 559K views • Mar 2009
Inspiring, Jaw-dropping
Why you should listen
Willie Smits works at the complicated intersection of humankind, the animal world and our green planet. In his early work as a forester in Indonesia, he came to a deep understanding of that triple relationship, as he watched the growing population of Sulawesi move into (or burn for fuel) forests that are home to the orangutan. These intelligent animals were being killed for food, traded as pets or simply failing to thrive as their forest home degraded.
Smits believes that to rebuild orangutan populations, we must first rebuild their forest habitat -- which means helping local people find options other than the short-term fix of harvesting forests to survive. His Masarang Foundation raises money and awareness to restore habitat forests around the world -- and to empower local people. In 2007, Masarang opened a palm-sugar factory that uses thermal energy to turn sugar palms (fast-growing trees that thrive in degraded soils) into sugar and even ethanol, returning cash and power to the community and, with luck, starting the cycle toward a better future for people, trees and orangs.
What others say
“This man has dedicated his life to saving the world, and for this he earns our deepest respect.” — Jean Kern, Ode
Willie Smits’ TED talks
20:42How to restore a rainforest
559K views Mar 2009
Willie Smits on the TED Blog
See all
Orangutans and palm oil: What's the connection?
March 5, 2009
In Willie Smits’ powerful TEDTalk, he describes his work to re-grow the rainforest in Indonesia — a triple-bottom-line effort that can benefit the local economy, the local orangutans and the green heart of the forest. The TED Blog asked Smits’ associate Richard Zimmerman, the director of Orangutan Outreach, to expand on the orangutan story: In […]Continue reading
Biology
Read all about Willie Smits' 20-year tale of hope
March 3, 2009
Willie Smits works at the complicated intersection of humankind, the animal world and our green planet. In his early work as a forester in Indonesia, he came to a deep understanding of that triple relationship, as he watched the growing population of Sulawesi move into (or burn for fuel) forests that are home to the […]Continue reading
A 20-year tale of hope: How we re-grew a rainforest: Willie Smits on TED.com
March 3, 2009
By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans — and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems. This bold plan drew a standing ovation at TED2009. (Recorded in February 2009 in Long Beach, California. Duration: 20:42.) Get involved with […]Continue reading
Quotes from Willie Smits
A natural forest is multilayered. Both in the ground and above the ground it can make better use of the available light, it can store more carbon in the system, it can provide more functions.
20:42Willie Smits
How to restore a rainforest
TED2009 • 559K views • Mar 2009
Inspiring, Jaw-dropping
