Now more than ever tree conservation is high on the priority list for saving the planet and landowners across the country are preparing their paddocks for reforestation.
Byron resident Madeleine West a.k.a. Neighbours’ ‘Dee Bliss’ has taken to her heart the importance of tree planting Australia wide, and has founded Help Home Heal. Her plan is to create empowering community projects to support people seeking asylum to put down roots and give back to bush fire crisis communities.
Ms West has recently aligned with the efforts of Rainforest 4 and Reforest Now, two Mullumbimby based not for profit organisations devoted to rainforest conservation and tree planting in Far North New South Wales. Their aim is to plant 100,000 rainforest trees and help restore The Big Scrub. Part of their project is to raise $1million which works out at $10 a tree, to research, find locations, propagate seedlings, plant them and ensure the trees and plants survive the first three years to maturity.
Celebrity status can encourage action
Ms West understands that her celebrity status can be utilised to encourage the community to do something daily to help heal the planet – she will join other members of the community volunteering her time at the next tree planting day in the Byron Shire Hinterland on Sunday.
Ms West says this is a call out not only to the local Byron community but those visiting. ‘Come along and plant trees with me. You will feel great knowing you have done something positive and proactive for our global home. If you cant come along to plant we would love you to donate dollars for trees.’
‘Like so many others I was bereft after the devastating fires across Australia subsided. Coming to terms with the catastrophic loss of forest cover, habitat and biodiversity in our environment spurred me on to do something proactive, so it seemed natural that through my porthole #helphomeheal, spruiking tree planting events would follow along with my support of disadvantaged groups in the community like refugees. ‘
Ms West says the target of planting 100,000 trees is very achievable with diverse community support. ‘It will go a long way towards reclaiming 99% of regional rainforest lost – not only to fires – but to logging, agriculture and urbanisation over the past 100 and more years.’
Join Madeleine at this weekend’s planting which is on Sunday March 8, from 10am to midday at Cromwell Farms, 191 Sheaffes Road, Goonengerry. For information on donating $10 a tree or the next tree plant visit: www.rainforest4.org. To find out more about HelpHomeHeal, visit Instagram: www.instagram.com/helphomeheal.
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