TRAVEL FREE! CARBON
FREE!
North by North East is pioneering a new program
to cut carbon while assisting environmental protection and community
development through partnerships with local NGO’s &
universities!
North by North East is a small company based
on a simple principle - we continuously innovate to create high-quality,
responsible tourism products that offer mutual benefit and respect
for our guests and host communities.
As part of this company-wide philosophy and
to show our commitment to World Environment Day held on 5 June,
we are now working with The
Plant-A-Tree-Today Foundation (PATT) to
provide our guests an easy and convenient way to offset travel
carbon emissions through projects that benefit our host communities.
PATT initiatives have far reaching effects
beyond simply planting trees to absorb carbon, as they work
with experienced and reputable implementing organisations to
restore degraded forest areas, provide economic sustainability
to rural villages and establish long-term educational programs.
One exciting, new initiative is the Forest
Restoration for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education in cooperation
with Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT). In Phetchaburi
province, WFFT is operating a Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) in
a forest degraded by selective logging. This project will re-introduce
essential native tree species to facilitate natural regeneration.
The restored forest will then provide the perfect setting for
gibbon rehabilitation, and allowing the animals to return to
a life in the wild.
The project will be implemented at the WFFT
wildlife rescue centre. The centre is located behind Kao Look
Chang Temple in Phetchaburi province, approximately 160 kilometers
south of Bangkok.
Another important project is a nursery established
and managed by the Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU)
from Chiang Mai University. This provides the ideal context
to study the reproductive ecology of northern Thailand’s
indigenous forest tree species, as well as learning how best
to propagate for planting to restore degraded forest ecosystems.
FORRU has already met many of its original
research objectives and therefore serves a vital function to
further the cause of forest ecosystem restoration. The main
aims of the nursery over the next 3 years will be to:
i) research to propagate and conserve rare or threatened tree
species;
ii) educational activities for local school children;
iii) training on FORRU concepts to other regions of Thailand
and neighbouring countries;
iv) facility for student projects;
v) forest tree saplings for field experiments and
vi) trees to other organizations for their tree planting projects.
The project that is closest to our hearts is
tree planting and forest conservation at Noen Thong village
in Buriram province in north-eastern Thailand, or Isan (home
to North by North East). The village consists of 61 families
and has a total population of 378. The main occupation of villagers
is rice farming. Next to farming, villagers are also involved
in mushroom cultivation, cotton weaving, animal raising (cows,
buffalos, pigs and chicken) and general contracting. Average
annual income of the villagers is 12,000 THB ($350 US) per family.
This is an integrated environmental, economic development, and
education project in cooperation with The Population and Community
Development Association (PDA), the most diversified NGO in Thailand.
PDA began by providing family planning services and has since
grown to include primary health care, HIV/AIDS prevention, education,
promotion of income-generating activities, and development of
small-scale rural enterprises, forestry, environmental conservation,
water resource development, sanitation, gender empowerment and
democracy promotion.
This project will:
1) empower community members to work together, prioritizing
activities based on identified needs and setting a plan for
implementation
2) establish a village development committee and village youth
council
establish a village bank, with training support, to manage credit
for income 3) generating activities and to encourage savings
practices.
North by North East is pleased to partner with
PATT in such important work. PATT, a UK registered charity with
an operational office in Bangkok, was formed in 2005 with its
mission to react to problems caused by deforestation worldwide,
raise awareness of environmental issues and the role forests
play, take action against climate change, educate children on
these issues and to PLANT MORE TREES.
For more information on Travel Free!
Carbon Free! opportunities please visit the PATT website or
contact a North by North East travel expert:
The
Plant-A-Tree-Today Foundation
North
by North East Travel Services
Tel: +66 (0) 4251 3572
Fax:+66 (0) 4251 3573
e-mail: info@ north-by-north-east.com
Web site: www.north-by-north-east.com