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Flight of the Gibbons, Fight Against Illegal Deforestation Continues

September 23, 2016

Flight of the Gibbon has successfully completed yet another two Tree Planting events with a further 14,000 Tree's begin planted near Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Chiang Mai, Thailand - August 2016, saw the successful completion of the joint initiative between Flight of the Gibbon, Chae Son National Park and the local community. 3000 trees were planted near the village of Pa Miang on the Chiang Mai/Lampang border.

The event was well attended by members of the village, National Park personnel and staff from Flight of the Gibbon. The aim of the initiative is to maintain watershed areas and to reforest areas that had previously been illegally cleared.

Khun Pichai, Head of Chae Son National Park, expressed his satisfaction with the event, saying: "We're pleased with the impact this event has had on the park and local community, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Flight of the Gibbon on future projects. This conservation initiative is a joint effort, which relies heavily on the support of the local community."

More success for FOTG's tree planting initiative

After the event Flight of the Gibbon staff had the opportunity to inspect trees planted earlier in the month during a similar planting event. They found the trees in excellent condition. Plans are in place for regular maintenance to clear weeds and fast-growing invasive species; this is expected to happen in October.

A parallel initiative to reforest areas of Pha Thai National Park, two hours east of Chae Son in Lampang province has been equally successful thus far. This area is well known for its cavern system with impressive stalactites and stalagmites as well as a stunning turquoise lagoon. Above ground, the verdant slopes of the park are scattered with tumbling waterfalls and its thick forest is home to troops of macaques, skittish Muntjac deer and wild boar.

Trees are crucial to an ecosystem's viability

Unfortunately, many of the surrounding areas have been heavily deforested to make way for corn plantations. This is having a negative effect on water retention, causing stream and river levels to drop significantly. The threat of landslides has increased due to the lack of forest cover. On Sunday 28th August, Flight of the Gibbon started to plant 11,000 trees over an area covering fifty rai. In addition to the obvious benefit of reducing the likelihood of soil erosion, the increase in biodiversity will be of benefit to the many species that make their home here.

Khun Piramate, Head of Pha Thai National Park said: "We want to preserve Pha Thai National Park for future generations, with this reforestation initiative being one of the keys to our long-term conservation strategy. It is important for the community to instill these values in the younger generation, as a way to demonstrate the importance of our invaluable natural resources."

FOTG remain fully committed to future planting

FOTG remain fully committed to future tree planting in both areas. They are committed to supporting the local communities and National Park service and passionately believe that projects such as this which involve close cooperation between all interested parties have the best chance of success. They hope that next year's tree planting events will be just as successful as this year's - and there's no reason to believe that won't be the case. Watch video from these events on the Flight of the Gibbon YouTube channel.

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 the number one eco-tourism attraction 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.

Contact Information
Contact Person: Dan Wallace
Phone Number: +66-053-010-660
Email Address: dan@treetopasia.com

http://www.treetopasia.com

Source: http://www.1888pressrelease.com/flight-of-the-gibbons-fight-against-illegal-deforestation-c-pr-598330.html
 
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