Green Hands USA: America Volunteers

I love using the Firefox web browser -- it's easy, fast, stable and free. Now I have one more reason to like it: The Mozilla Foundation is helping to save endangered lemurs.

The latest version of the browser, Firefox 3.6, is code-named Namoroka -- named after Namoroka National Park in Madagascar, which is home to eight species of endangered lemurs.

The Mozilla Foundation is supporting the work at Namoroka Park, and they hope their users will make donations to do the same. As they put it, "At Mozilla we foster a healthy ecosystem of communities that promote the ability to freely access, modify and distribute software and creative works. These ecosystems create a digital commons; a shared space, shared resources or network of ideas, applications and products that are free to use." With that in mind, they want to promote natural ecosystems, too.

To accomplish all of this, Mozilla has is teamed up with the Madagascar Fauna Group to help Madagascar balance its need for wildlife and nature conservation with the needs of its rapidly growing population. "Our goal for supporting the lemurs of Madagascar is $10,000. This money will be used to help the MFG achieve its mission of saving Malagasy lemurs and lemur habitats by connecting them to the powerful tools of community and collaboration that exist on the web."

If you've gotten as much value from using Firefox as I have, or if you just want to help support this great eco-initiative, consider making a donation. Some very needy little primates will thank you.