Why
Why we need the Rainforest Conservancy
Rainforest is rare and precious, valued for its animal, bird and plant diversity, and as a cool retreat from a complex and stressful modern life. For some people visiting rainforest is a spiritual connection to Mother Earth, to others a mental health therapy, to others still, a wonderous aesthetic experience. Nurturing rainforest, or even just a few rainforest plants, in around homes and where people live has a cooling and comforting effect, creating and sheltering a home. If it burns at all, rainforest has much more embodied water, giving protection from wildfires.
So the question “Why” is not about whether there should be more rainforest. The question “Why”, is “why a Conservancy?”
Through a Conservancy, ordinary people are supported to do what they can to help rainforests recover. The various motivations, skills and knowledge of different people can be brought to bear, assisting with practical regeneration activities, or with building a knowledge base, or planning progress into the future, securing resources & funding and promoting & encouraging others elsewhere to take up rainforest recovery.
Benefits and Values
The benefits and values of the Rainforest Conservancy are environmental and social, personal and community, immediate and long-term as visualised in the Mind Map below
Regeneration Progress
Another reason “Why” is that we know it can work. At Mount Irvine, areas cleared early last century, but then left undisturbed, have been reclaimed by adjoining rainforest over the course of just 50 years. Active replanting, protection and watering can accelerate the reclamation of these areas by rainforest, and connect up pockets of rainforest to create a more sustainable forest and habitat.
Mt Irvine in 1969 and 1984. Revegetation in the upper portion of the cleared area, and in the central section of the ridge between 1984 and the present day.
