Spring break is a wonderful time to explore, learn, and enjoy new experiences. I’m honored to partner with the El Paso Zoo Society to offer exciting and engaging spring break opportunities for kids and parents to enjoy together.
I discussed our keyhole eco garden spring break activity in the previous blog. The second opportunity focused on palm oil, deforestation, and its effects on wildlife and nature.
Why Learning About Palm Oil Is Critical
You might be wondering why I am so passionate about educating kids and parents about the impacts of palm oil.
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of palm oil trees and is sometimes called a “super ingredient” because:
- It’s very cheap to produce
- It doesn’t spoil easily
- It has very little odor or color
- It has very few unhealthy trans fats
These super-qualities helped palm oil become a dominant ingredient, especially in the ’90s when many food companies hoped to replace trans fats to make their products “healthier.” Cosmetic companies were excited to replace synthetic and animal-based chemicals with a plant-based alternatives.
Palm oil production grew quickly, with most of the growth occurring in Indonesia and Malaysia. The world now produces over 75 million metric tons of palm oil yearly. Palm oil (or a derivative) is now an ingredient in up to half of the packaged products in your supermarket. It is also an ingredient in about 70% of cosmetics.
Why should we be concerned about palm oil?
Palm oil production is a significant driver of deforestation. It has destroyed some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, impacting the habitats of many endangered species like the Sumatran rhino, the pygmy elephant, and the Orangutan.
Indonesia lost nearly 25 million acres of forests in the last twenty years. About a third of that area was deforested for palm oil production.
Forests are a precious ecosystem that impacts our entire planet. Wet forests, known as peatlands, absorb and store vast amounts of carbon, which helps protect the environment.
When these peatlands are drained and destroyed for palm oil plantations, all that carbon is released into the environment. Additionally, we no longer have the peatlands to help absorb carbon. So, it’s an immediate and long-term devastation as millions of tons of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
El Paso Zoo Spring Break Activity: Educating About Palm Oil
The goal of this spring break activity was to give kids (and their grownups) hands-on learning opportunities to understand palm oil’s role in climate change and its impact on wildlife. Knowledge is the first step toward making wise choices in everyday life that will positively impact our communities and the climate!
Hands-on learning about palm oil
Our activities took place at the El Paso Zoo event pavilion–an excellent gathering spot for fun and learning surrounded by animals and nature!
We created large display boards outlining how the palm oil industry drives deforestation in Indonesia and contributes to climate change. Our wonderful volunteers engaged participants in discussing the devastating effects of deforestation.
We also had a long list of products that use palm oil–everything from Oreos, chips, and Nutella to shampoo, ice cream, and beauty products. Everyone found at least one thing they use or eat regularly on the list. Most participants were shocked to learn how much palm oil they consume or use daily.
Hands-on activities for kids
The children who participated in the activities made bird feeders with palm oil-free cheerios to take home and feed the wildlife in their yards. This activity helped reinforce the idea that we should be conscious of the ingredients in the foods and items we regularly use because it can significantly impact the wildlife we love.
We also played a fun game to help represent the impact that deforestation has on Orangutans. We placed felt circles of different colors on the grass to represent the trees in the rainforest.
Participants had to jump from one felt circle to the next to get from one area to another. As “deforestation” happened, more and more circles were removed, making it progressively harder to get from one place to the next. This activity helped the kids understand how deforestation impacts animals that rely on trees for food, movement, and other daily activities.
Even if you didn’t get to attend our El Paso Zoo Spring Break events, these are two fun activities you can do at home with your family, friends, and neighbors!
Educational resources for everyone
Knowledge is power, and the right resources can equip people to make thoughtful choices. We compiled several educational resources for everyone.
A brochure compiled all the information about the effects of palm oil on the environment. Palm oil is a sneaky ingredient that can go by many names, so we compiled a list of alternative names manufacturing companies use for palm oil. The brochure also includes a logo to look for when shopping that identifies products that use sustainably-sourced palm oil.
It can feel overwhelming to shop sustainably. Finding the foods or products you need at an affordable price is hard enough; adding the responsibility of checking ingredients for hidden palm oil can feel impossible. So, we provided a QR code for an app that makes shopping sustainably easier!
The app lets you scan the bar codes of items as you shop and tells you whether the item uses sustainable ingredients and processes. It takes the guesswork and label-reading out of the equation. Click this link to download app: https://www.waza.org/news/waza-palm-oil-scan-app/These events and activities aim to make learning and environmentalism fun, practical, and meaningful. I hope you join us for future events! Stay tuned for information about our upcoming El Paso Zoo Summer Camps!
