Flight of the Gibbon Strives to Increase Forest Coverage in Thailand

Flight of the Gibbon is searching for new sites in Mae Kampong for its 2016 tree planting initiative, following the successful tree planting event in 2015. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) April 02, 2016 - Deforestation has for decades been a big issue in Thailand. Vast swathes of forest were cut down in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with very little thought for the consequences. The area covered by trees actually increased in the five-year period from 2010 to 2015 as plantations increased, but there's still much to be done in encouraging diversity and thus in providing a suitable habitat for the nation's indigenous wildlife.

Last June, Flight of the Gibbon held a very successful tree planting event. We believe it's the most important thing we can do to preserve and rehabilitate local ecosystems. It's also important to make sure the trees thrive, so recently we went to check on the progress of our young saplings.

After assessing the planting area, our Director of Conservation, Mr Demis Galli confirmed that about 80 to 90% of the trees had survived the first dry season. He commented: "I was relieved to see that the vast majority of saplings were doing well. It makes me optimistic for the future."

Considering we experienced a drought which had minor effects on their growth, this is good news. Usually we would carry out tree aftercare for about three years, after which the trees should be well established. By this point, they should be able to overcome most adversities related to weed competition and drought.

New planting plots for 2016

Flight of the Gibbon is now selecting new degraded forest areas to be restored or rehabilitated. We work in and around Mae Kampong and its village chief showed us a forested area that's in need of attention and that will no longer be used for farming. Flight of the Gibbon has chosen this area for our annual activity where we will be planting about 5000 indigenous trees.

We are also looking into restoring another area located near Mae On cave where there is one of the few, if not the only, macaque populations left in that area. We are expecting to plant mostly fruit trees there in order to increase the primates' food supply.

About Flight of the Gibbon
Flight of the Gibbon was started in 2007 by a group of nature-loving friends inspired by the rescue and rehabilitation of a pair of sick gibbons they found abandoned in a locked cage in the northern Thailand rainforest. Today Flight of the Gibbon is a leading global eco-adventure tour operator and one of the top eco-tourism attractions in Thailand, thrilling customers with spectacular rainforest ziplines that are among the longest and highest in the world.

Our Mission

Flight of the Gibbon connects people with Asia's nature, history and bygone stories while conserving nature and traditional livelihoods. Flight of the Gibbon is remembered as a once-in-a-lifetime experience with uniqueness, mystery and surprise that visitors taste, smell, see, hear and feel.

http://www.treetopasia.com

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