Modern Zoos, Orangutan Habitats, and Palm Oil Solutions with Amy Robbins

I am so excited to talk to Amy Robbins, a self-declared “jack of all trades, master of none,” but honestly, an incredibly impressive person.

Amy is the Deputy Curator of Mammals at Auckland Zoo and the founder of the Sumatran Ranger Project. She has been working with animals and finding innovative ways to help them for decades, and it is an honour to share her story with you.

In this episode, she shares:

• How she got into the zoo industry
• Why modern zoos are important and how they are actually helping
• Her conservation efforts and work with communities
• The innovative habitat design for orangutans that Auckland Zoo has developed
• The Sumatran Ranger Project and how it is making a difference
• Why she is leading sustainable tourism and conservation adventures
• Her experiences and opinions on the palm oil industry
• The app you can use to track and control your palm oil consumption

Key Quotes:

"Whatever we do, consume, and use has an impact."

"You have to work with these communities. And it can't be me as this white girl coming in saying you should do this. It's me being well-connected... But the people doing the work, the real conservation heroes, are those on the ground, working day in and day out."

"We sit there and talk about these incredible animals that live in trees and how well they're adapted for life in the trees, and yet a lot of zoos still provide environments where orangutans have to live on the ground."

More about Amy and the episode

Check out the Sumatran ranger project website, the Palm Oil Scan app.

Also check out the Eden Reforestation Project.

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