Angsana management team set records and become Hero2s

	Mark Slimmer, General Manager, Angsana Resort & Spa, plants tree number 1083 of 2000 made possible by the resorts' 'Hero2' contribution, watched on by Jacinta Allen, ARF and Shawn Huddy, Wilderness Challenge.

Leaving behind their beach side property at Palm Cove, the management team of Angsana Resort and Spa, Great Barrier Reef traveled in December with local tour company Wilderness Challenge to the World Heritage Daintree rainforest to help the ARF plant the first 1000 of 2000 trees sponsored by the luxury resort.

General Manager Mark Slimmer led the ten strong management team in the planting.

“Angsana Resort and Spa, Great Barrier Reef, is part of the worldwide Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts Group. The group has a Corporate Social Responsibility program that is extremely proactive with a variety of initiatives.  One such initiative is its’  ‘Greening Communities’ program through which every resort in the group has committed to planting 2000 trees in 2007,” Mr Slimmer said.

“After research, we decided we wanted to work with the Australian Rainforest Foundation and felt that the Daintree was an appropriate area for us to plant the trees considering its World Heritage status and relationship to tourism in our region.”

An ARF block on the corner of Cape Tribulation Road and Turpentine Road was chosen for the planting with preparation work carried out by ARF officer Adrian (Golly) Watson. Assisted by ARF staff and Daintree resident volunteers the team planted a record 1083 new trees in just over 1hr and 10mins before enjoying a BBQ lunch at the ARF’s Daintree Community Conservation office.

“We were delighted to work with the ARF in achieving our ‘Greening’ goal and hope to work with the organisation on further plantings and projects in 2008,” Mr Slimmer said.

Find out more about becoming a Hero2 at www.hero2.net.au