Does our lifestyle affect this island?
Where is home for those orangutans unable to return?
Are the habitats of houseplants and ornamental orchids threatened?
From which forests do imported wood, plywood, and wood pulp come from?
Among the ingredients listed on the products you use daily, do the words “palm oil” often appear?
When we discover that these are all related to Borneo’s environmental issues, can we remain aloof?
As forests disappear, wildlife habitats shrink, making them more vulnerable to external threats. Additionally, their reproduction and migration are also restricted. In the past, people living in tropical forests gathered and hunted in a sustainable manner. However, due to the demand and high profits for these wild animals and plants in the global trade, as well as advances in gathering and hunting skills, have exacerbated the challenges that local wildlife face in terms of survival and population persistence.
Paphiopedilum sanderianum
Known as the ‘Queen of Paphiopedilum’, it is now rarely seen in its original habitat due to illegal activities.
by Ching-Chen Shen
Was Taiwan once ranked the third largest country in the world in terms of number of orangutans?
In the 1990s, there was a demand for exotic pets, with more than 1,000 orangutans smuggled into Taiwan, mostly from the forests of Borneo. For every pet orangutan that survived the trip to Taiwan, 5-10 died during transport or were shot. Although young orangutans are friendly and affectionate, once they grow into adolescents and adults, they become very strong. As such, they are often abandoned or caged. Many orphaned orangutans are currently housed at the Pingtung Rescue Center and their journey home is long and difficult.
Orangutan in a cage
by Ching-Chen Shen
Palm oil, extracted from oil palms, is in half of all products sold in supermarkets?
Due to the unique properties and wide range of uses of palm oil, it is not difficult to find it in crispy pastries, rich chocolate, smooth margarine, and dense ice cream. In addition, if you look at the list of ingredients in soaps, cosmetics, cleaning products, and toothpaste, you are sure to find palm oil. Palm oil has silently infiltrated a major part of our lives.
How many of these diverse products are made with sustainably produced palm oil?
Large-scale oil palm plantation
by Adobe Stock
It cannot be denied that Taiwan imports vast quantities of wood products from Malaysia. These can be large in size, such as those used to construct outdoor pavilions and decks, plywood used in interior design, furniture, and shutters. Or, these can be small in size such as copy paper and toilet paper. In all these can be seen shadows of Borneo’s forests.
A home that exudes warmth due to the use of wood is truly desirable, but can we make better choices when purchasing wood and related products?
Anthoshorea bracteolata
(A digital image from a sample of the NMNS collection)
For use in furniture and construction materials
IUCN Red List Categories: Endangered
by Meng-Ying Tsai
Finally, can those of us living in Taiwan think about “the real distance” between us and Borneo?
Geographically speaking, it is ca. 2,644 kilometers.
Or, this distance is the iridescent houseplants displayed on a wood table.
Or, it is the food in our cupboards, the soap and cleaning products in our bathrooms and kitchens, and the skin care products and cosmetics on our dressing tables.
Or, it is the orangutans at the Pingtung Rescue Center who can never go home.
Perhaps, we can find new ways to take action!
National Museum of Prehistory
Center of Austronesian Culture in National Taitung University
Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, MOA
Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, MOA
Fengshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch, Agricultural Research Institute, MOA
Xianglin Community Development Association, Manzhou Township, Pingtung
Taiwan Architecture & Building Center
2024.05.03 - 2024.11.15
The 1st Exhibition Gallery；
The Sunshine Pathway
National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS)
The Society of Wilderness (SOW)