Giving back
FRONDS FOR ORANGUTANS
Establishing a green circular economy and supporting Melbourne Zoo
Do you know who loves the green fronds we prune from Canary Island Date Palms? Orangutans! We’re so happy to be able to provide fronds to Malu and Gabby at the Melbourne Zoo whenever we can, in turn diverting them from green waste.
Malu (21 years old) and Gabby (35 years old), enjoying a delivery of fronds. Image credit Melbourne Zoo keeper team.
HOW IT BEGAN
One day, we received a call from a zookeeper at Melbourne Zoo, asking if we had any fresh green palm fronds to spare. As it turns out, orangutans love palm fronds — they use them for food, shelter, and even as tools, weaving them into nests or shielding themselves from the rain.
Naturally, we jumped at the opportunity. Green fronds aren’t chipped into mulch like trees but instead get sent to green waste, so giving them a second life with the orangutans felt like a much better use.
A big thank you to the wonderful zoo team, who are always happy to help unload the truck, and to the orangutans, for reminding us just how valuable even a single frond can be.