Spreading the Word

Spreading the Word

Do you have a school project about primates or primate conservation? Are you setting up an informational or fundraising booth about primates and primate conservation at your school fair? Have you wondered about how you can help raise awareness for primate protection? Not sure of where and how to begin? Many kids ask us for ideas, so we’ve created these suggestions.

Project Ideas for How to Spread the Word
about Primate Conservation

GETTING STARTED:

Explore the Primate Species Profiles page to select the primate group that will be the focus of your project. Choose one that captivates your interest or one that deserves attention due to is endangered status.

View the Our Cousins in the Canopy video for the primate group you’re interested in or any of the videos about primate conservation.

View the Primates…in a Nutshell videos for the primates that interest you.

After selecting your primate or primate group from the Primate Species Profiles page, click through to its “genus” page, where you’ll find a comprehensive list of species within that group. You might be surprised by the number of species found in a single primate group. Pick the species you want to focus on, and click to access its Primate Species Profile page, where a wealth of information awaits you.

Now the fun begins!

CREATE A DRAWING, PAINTING, COLLAGE OR OTHER VISUAL ART FORM

PRIMATE PROFILESCreate a drawing of a primate species using pencil, charcoals, color pencils, or paints. Or, create a collage of primates and the other animals with whom they share their habitat. If you like, include the name of the species, its conservation status, and the reason for that status. You can use one of the photos from our Primate Species Profiles as a model. For most species’ profiles, you’ll find three photos on the Primate Species Profile page. There’s also a map of where they live. That might help inspire your artwork, too.

CREATE A POSTER, INFOGRAPHIC, OR OTHER GRAPHIC ART FORM

Using a photo or photos of a primate species, create a graphic or infographic that shows its conservation status and why the species is at risk—or not—and other information about where the primate lives, what it eats, it special physical or behavioral adaptations for it environment…whatever information is pertinent to your project. You might include information about people or organizations that are working to protect the species.

You can create your graphic or infographic on a poster board by downloading and printing photos, doing your own lettering with markers, and creating your own overall design. Be creative!

Or you can create beautiful digital infographics that you can easily share on social media with Canva’s free app at www.canva.com. We created some samples here to give you an idea of what they might look like. But use your own creativity!

Hint: Graphic designs and infographics look great on social media, and they help you to spread the good word about what everyone can do to help your chosen species. More about social media in a minute!

CREATE A VIDEO, SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION, PODCAST, OR OTHER MEDIA ART FORM

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Create a short video using your phone, camera, your computer’s video creation software, or use an online video app, like we do. We use Canva, WeVideo, and Vimeo. They each offer free video creation software packages that include access to some photos, video clips, music, and sound effects, or you can import your own too. Or just start recording yourself on your phone.

Talk about the species’ conservation status, why the species is at risk—or not—and other information about where the primate lives, what it eats, its special physical or behavioral adaptations for its environment…whatever information is pertinent to your project. You might include information about people or organizations that are working to protect the species.

Check out our YouTube channel to get ideas from our videos. But be sure to create your video in your own style. It could be a video of you talking about the species, photos with your voiceover, or videos and photos with text and music.

Or create a slideshow presentation with your own pictures, words, music, and maybe even a voiceover. You might already have presentation programs on your computer. You can also create presentations and videos in Canva, like we do.

WRITE AN ESSAY, STORY, BLOG, POEM, SONG, SPOKEN WORD, OR OTHER WRITTEN OR VERBAL ART FORM

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Here are some ideas:

    • Describe the ape, monkey, or prosimian species, including where it lives, how it lives, the Conservation Status, and the threats that the species faces. Explain why the species is at risk—or not—and other information about where the primate lives, what it eats, its special physical or behavioral adaptations for its environment…whatever information is pertinent to your project. You might include information about people or organizations that are working to protect the species.
    • Create a written narrative, essay, or blog about the primate species that you selected and why it is endangered. 
    • Or write a poem or a haiku that includes the same information.
    • Or, using the same information, create a song or Spoken Word to share with your class or friends.
    • And please share it with us too at [email protected]! We might just post it on our social media networks.
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USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT YOUR PEOPLE TO YOUR PROJECT

Now that you know what you know, what are you going to do with that information? Sharing what you’ve learned makes a compelling story or project into an action item!

Post your project on social media. Let your social media friends know what you’ve learned through your essay, presentation, blog, video, graphic design, song, spoken word, podcast, painting, drawing, collage, poster, or infographic. Tell them what they can do to save primates and their habitats. Let them know about how much they can learn from New England Primate Conservancy’s website!

You may inspire someone to take action on behalf of your chosen primate species. Even small actions make a big difference. Millions of people adjusting their daily habits in small ways create BIG changes in the world.

TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS, CLASSMATES, TEACHERS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED

Everyone needs to know what’s at stake. 70% of primate species are threatened by extinction. All threats are due to human activities that result in habitat loss. That means that every species in your chosen primates’ habitats is also at risk. Let your people know what is lost when we lose species and their habitats. And let them know that everyone can make a difference, either to help or to make things worse.

You may inspire someone to take action on behalf of your chosen primate species. Even small actions make a big difference. Millions of people adjusting their daily habits in small ways create BIG changes in the world.

Your Actions Can Make a Difference!

Click the button below to find out how.

FIND OUT HOW!

HELPFUL RESOURCES

Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2025. You may freely view and use this lesson and videos for educational purposes.