A local tour that helps save the earth

	Melanie Blight from the Tour Specialists gets into the swing of planting ‘the right tree in the right place’ after guidance from ARF Conservation Officer, Jolyon Ritchie (back left).

Visitors from all over the world take trips daily from Cairns to our World Heritage Wet Tropics rainforests. But in April a tour-bus full of locals paid their fare and headed north to get down and dirty in the Daintree all in the name of Earth Day.

The group travelled with local tour company Wilderness Challenge, brought together by the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) and the Tour Specialists all with one objective in mind – to give something back to the environment.

“Everyday at work I promote the Wet Tropics as one of the most wonderful places in the world. I want to be responsible for making sure that it stays that way. This tour lets me do something about that,” Melanie Blight of the Tour Specialists said.

“The day wasn’t about making me feel good, although it was very special and a lot of fun, it was about helping the earth, and we all know it desperately needs it. Our rainforests can help in the fight against climate change and the least we can do is help rejuvenate the rainforests by planting these trees.”

The Earth Day tour included was led by a Wilderness Challenge guide, and included a briefing by ARF Conservation Officer Jolyon Ritchie on the eco-system of the rainforest and its’ regeneration process, a bbq lunch, afternoon tea and a refreshing swim – but the latter was only after 100 native trees had been planted on a prime rainforest block owned and protected by the ARF.

Wilderness Challenge and the ARF are now working together on regular tours to the Daintree from Cairns and Port Douglas, which include tree planting on an ARF rainforest block. For more information go to www.wilderness-challenge.com.au or call 07 4035 4488.