The 25th anniversary of a rainforest restoration project has been celebrated with a stunning comparison video of efforts to restore a former sugarcane field.
The NightWings Rainforest Centre — a wildlife sanctuary, bat hospital, and education center in Queensland, Australia — has been running the Rainforest Rescue program for a quarter of a century, encouraging community groups to get involved with rewilding efforts to restore wildlife habitats.
Marking the ninth year of the organization's Annual Community Tree Planting event, a July video shows just how much growth has been achieved at the charity's headquarters, a lowland habitat that is now a thriving tropical rainforest.
"From everyone at Rainforest Rescue, we express our deepest gratitude to all who made the Tree Planting Day such a success," the organization said in a caption on its YouTube page (@rainforestrescueau). "Beyond this, we extend our thanks to those who have and continue to support Rainforest Rescue in protecting and restoring the Daintree Rainforest. The best time to make a difference, is now."
NightWings owner Annie Schoenberger also performed an original poem at this year's event, which was played over the top of the video.
"For the rainforest's future, we stand as one; guardians of nature, until time is done," it read. "So come join us now, in this noble endeavor; to plant, to protect and cherish forever."
According to OneEarth, tens of thousands of trees have been planted since 2015, including 150 varieties. These act as a habitat for bird and bat species and also support insects and lizards. The publication noted that the restored rainforest is home to some plants and animals that are found nowhere else on the planet.
In addition to helping animals and allowing for valuable carbon absorption — helping to suck harmful, planet-warming gases from the Earth's atmosphere — the replanting project has also resulted in local water quality improvements around the Great Barrier Reef, an essential coral ecosystem.
This just goes to show the importance of forests. Unfortunately, irresponsible practices related to urban development, fast fashion, and agriculture are resulting in deforestation across the globe.
That's why supporting responsible businesses is so essential to the health of our planet. By showing a consumer appetite exists for sustainable, environmentally friendly products, we can encourage a shift in the way major retailers create and sell that will benefit us all.
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