Fair trade trees

Greenify UF sold a fantastic 64 trees at their school fair-trade Christmas Fair - which will go towards restoring forest cover and providing essential habitat for Sri Lanka's endangered species.

The trees we are going to plant all have special properties...

The bark from Hal trees (Vateria copallifera) can be used to arrest fermentation, its fruits and flowers are edible and the resin makes a good varnish.

Dorana (Dipterocarpus glandulosus) produces a special oily resin. It is believed this resin was mixed with the paints used for Sigiriya’s Fresco’s - which has kept them as colourful today as when they were first painted over 4,000 years ago.

Na (Mesua Nagassarium) is the national tree of Sri Lanka. The whole plant is medicinal, pollen and seeds can be made into an ointment and put on the skin to help heal broken bones. Its flowers are also used in temple offerings.

Nawada (Shorea stipularis) has special resin that can be used for incense and the bark stops fermentation.

And last but not least, the gum from Hora trees (Dipterocarpus zeylanicus) is used in traditional medicine.

But most importantly, these trees provide a home for rainforest animals.

Ride for the Rainforest

A group of dedicated cyclists from the UK are taking on the challenge of cycling across Sri Lanka, to raise funds for Rainforest Rescue.

Organised by the adventure company Desert Venture, the 10 day trip takes the riders from Sri Lanka’s high-tea country down to the southern coast, starting in 20th February, 2010.

The adventure starts in Kandy exploring the botanical gardens, before moving towards Nuwara Eliya through dramatic hill-country tea estates. Cyclists then climb through extraordinary indigenous vegetation to Horton’s Plains National park before descending through the deep valleys. The riders emerge at the Castlereagh reservoir and climb again to the Peak Forest Reserve. The journey continues with a tumultuous descent to pastoral lowlands of vibrant paddy fields. A day of rest is taken on the edge of Sinharaja rainforest at Surya Kanda, where Rainforest Rescue staff will meet the group to take a gentle trek through the forest and explore why conserving Sri Lanka’s forests is so important. The final stretch of cycling is downwards, towards Galle and the sea for a few well-deserved days of relaxation.

Desert Venture has a history of organising socially responsible adventure holidays – having supported Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia. Having chosen to support Rainforest Rescue in Sri Lanka, the sponsorship money will be put towards two programmes:

• Our Rainforest Corridor programme restores vital rainforest habitat
• Our Rainforest Ranger programme provides fun, environmental education opportunities for children

This venture would not be possible without the support of our partners Rainforest Concern in the UK, who are helping the project by managing the fundraising and sponsorship process.

To find out more contact:
Vanessa Buxton from Desert Venture (VanessaBuxton@kimberleyhall.co.uk)
Visit www.desertventure.org