Bangkok--29 Sep--Francom Asia In its effort to offset all of its carbon emissions, luxury property developer Raimon Land is partnering with the Plant A Tree Today (PATT) Foundation to establish a nursery near the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Khao Yai National Park. Located at Sap Tai Centre, just two hours’ drive from Bangkok, the Raimon Land-funded project opened in September, and it will use the nursery to grow saplings to compensate for the company’s carbon emissions. It is also open to other companies looking to reduce their carbon footprints. Raimon Land sales and marketing director, Henri Young, said the vision for the nursery is to establish a facility to provide the foundations for ongoing sustainable reforestation and community development projects in and around Khao Yai National Park. The nursery centre will also act as a training centre for local people and an environmental education facility. "As well as being a very worthwhile venture to be a part of, this is a core Raimon Land to help us to offset all of our carbon emissions in Thailand. With the efforts of the local community together with the Plant A Tree Today Foundation, I am sure it will be a project that will produce excellent results for the country," Mr. Young said. PATT Foundation Thailand Country Manager, Dr Dan Rollinson, added that Khao Yai National Park is an important tropical forest ecosystem, which provides a viable habitat for the long-term survival of over 800 species of fauna, some critically endangered. “Along with supplying trees to organisations for their tree planting projects, the Khao Yai nursery will act as a base for reforestation and research in the local area by providing facilities to discover how to propagate and conserve rare or threatened tree species,” he said. “Ecological surveys will also be undertaken to determine key tree species needed for planting, and the nursery will then produce forest tree saplings for reforestation efforts in the surrounding area.” Pictured from right: At the opening of the nursery are: Mr Boongit Gongthongluk, Director, Office of the President, Population and Community Development Association; Raimon Land Sales and Marketing Director, Henri Young; and PATT Foundation Thailand Country Manager, Dr Dan Rollinson.Khao Yai Nursery ProjectBackground Khao Yai National park is Thailand’s oldest and one of the country’s largest national parks. Located only a few hours drive from Bangkok the park is a UNESCO world Heritage site and is part of the Dong Phayayen — Khao Yai Forest Complex which lies in the provinces of Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Rachisima, Prachinburi, Srakaew and Burirum. The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex spans 230 km between Ta Phraya National Park on the Cambodian border in the east, and Khao Yai National Park in the west. The area contains substantial and important tropical forest ecosystems, which can provide a viable habitat for the long-term survival of over 800 species of fauna — some critically endangered - located within (UNESCO). The mountainous Khao Yai National Park has a history of poaching and unsustainable agricultural practices. Struggling with debt, villagers [have] increasingly resorted to poaching, illegal logging and land encroachment (UNDP) which has had a detrimental effect on primary forest and also led to soil erosion, landslides and flooding. There is a need for forest restoration, reforestation, conservation and education to protect existing forests and create new ones in partnership with local people. PATT’s vision is to establish a nursery to provide the foundations for ongoing sustainable reforestation and community development projects in and around Khao Yai National Park. The nursery centre will also act as a training centre for local people and an environmental education facility.Goals & Objectives of the Nursery The Nursery aims to achieve the following: 1. Provide employment and training for local people - Train local people in nursery management and reforestation - Provide training facilities for workshop 2. Establish a base for reforestation and research in the local area - Produce forest tree saplings for reforestation in the nearby area - Undertake simple ecological surveys of the local existing primary forest to determine key tree species including framework species for planting - Supply trees to other organizations for their tree planting projects - Provide facilities for basic research on how to propagate and conserve rare or threatened tree species 3. Facilitate environmental education initiatives - Serve as a venue for educational activities for school children - Provide a working resource for hands-on programmes For more information please contact: Walaiklao Kumwong Raimon Land Public Relations C/O Francom Asia Tel: 02 233 4338 or 39 Fax: 02 236 8030 E-mail: Kwanrudee Maneewongwatthana Senior Vice President Communications Raimon Land PLC 22nd Floor, The Millennia Tower, 62 Langsuan Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel : +66 (0) 2651-9600 to 4 Fax : +66 (0) 2651-9614 E-mail : [email protected]