An exciting journey to Malaysia!

I am embarking on an exciting trip to Asia representing the El Paso Zoo. The main focus of this trip is to gain firsthand experience of the Palm Oil Crisis.  As a Zoo Education Specialist, I am excited to learn about the Palm Oil Crisis in Malaysia so that I can communicate this information to our community and beyond.  This is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am looking forward to learning about the changes we can make to help save critically endangered animals and our rainforests.

My first stop will be to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and then on to Kota Kinbalu in the north east part of Borneo on November 19th and 20th. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)'s ninth annual international meeting is held in Kota Kinabalu on November 24. This meeting is the world’s largest meeting on sustainable palm oil with over 800 delegates from over 15 countries attending.

This is the part of the world I will be traveling to.  Keep up with my journey by following this blog!

After the RSPO meeting, we will be visiting Indonesia and Sumatra to personally see the health of the forests and the wildlife in these areas.  Throughout my trip I will be armed with a camera and computer!  I will be posting pictures, videos and posts about my adventures.  I will try to post as often as possible but keep in mind that some of my travels will be off the beaten path and it may be a while until I can get back to internet access.

I am excited to embark on my journey and to share the stories with you through this blog.

Antonia Alvarado

Education Specialist