Schon seit Jahren interessiert sich Morgan für Orang-Utans und die Kollegin von Jane Goodall die sie erforscht hat: Biruté Galdikas. Biruté Galdikas war fünfundzwanzig, als sie in den Regenwald Borneos reiste. Wie Jane Goodall wurde auch sie vom britischen Anthropologen Louis Leaky ausgewählt, um in Indonesien, dem einzigen natürlichen Lebensraum der Menschenaffen, eine Orang-Utan Studie durchzuführen. Seither setze sie sich, allen Gefahren zum Trotz, für den Schutz dieser Menschenaffen ein. Besonders der Raubbau am Regenwald um Platz für Palmölplantage zu schaffen, setzten den Organ-Utan Population zu.
Und Palmöl ist fast überall enthalten, weiß Morgan. Gemeinsam mit ihrer Roots & Shoots Gruppe hat sie ein Projekt gestartet um auf die Probleme die mit dem Palmölboom verbunden sind zu informieren.
Neben 60 anderen SchülerInnen präsentierten Morgan und Kate gemeinsam mit ihrer Roots& Shoots Gruppe ( Evgeny, Alex und Nathiele) von der American International School Vienna ihr Projekt über Orang-Utans bei der Sience fair im Lycée Français de Vienna.
Wie es dazu kam erzählt Morgan selbst: “I am from a town called Swarthmore in Pennsylvania, a state in the United States of America and I am twelve years old. My friend Madeleine loved Orangutans and invited me to her Birthday Party at Philadelphia Zoo where she had donated money to help care for them. At her party I saw the Orangutans and had an immediate connection with them, they were so amazing and human like. After the party I began to look at Orangutans on the computer, facts, articles , images and one day I found out about palm oil, only vaguely though.
I researched palm oil and found out many things but I never did a project or tell anybody about my ideas. I was the only who knew, aside from my family. In fifth grade I moved to Vienna and learned even more about palm oil. I did a persuasive essay on it, but I still only got it vaguely out and all boys did was tease me about my loved for Orangutans and the earth.
I decided to adopt an Orangutan. Her name is Cory Marder and she lived on Borneo in the Orangutan International Foundations Center. I helped pay for her medical care and her life style. When I got into sixth grade I joined Jane Goodalls Roots & Shoots and was super excited. I told everybody about Cory and I told them about palm oil. I do not think my message really got across to all of the club but after most of the girls quit we went more into palm oil.
Mrs. Dietrich told us about the science fair and that it would be a good project for Roots & Shoots, so we created a project were we told people all about palm oil. We hope many people understand now how important it is to know about palm oil.” Morgan McErlean
Wir freuen und über so viel Engagement!