produce in emissions if you caught
a flight from Singapore to Moscow.
So if we want to reduce the amount
of CO 2 in the atmosphere, and thus
slow (potentially even reverse) climate
change, a useful contribution would be
to plant more mangrove trees.
There are other significant benefits
to planting mangrove forests, too. Their
entwined roots create a physical barrier
which can protect fragile coastlines from
tsunamis and storm damage, and they
make for a fertile breeding ground for
fish. A healthy mangrove forest offers
numerous employment opportunities
for local people, in addition to being
beneficial for the environment, and so
Myanmar has committed to providing
the Worldview International Foundation
with a further 14,000 acres of damaged
mangrove forests for restoration.
New villages are being built along
the coastline here, a testament to the
confidence local communities have now
that their mangrove ecosystem has
been restored.
Restored ecosystems offer all manner
of possibilities for the development
of sustainable tourism, and the Thor
Heyerdahl Climate Park is certainly
capitalising on this to raise public
awareness of the importance of
mangrove conservation, and to create
a sustainable income stream for local
communities. Along the coastline small
hotels and resorts are popping up, such
as Sunny Paradise on Ngwesaung Beach
(www.sunnyparadiseresort.net). It is
also possible to stay inside the Climate
Park in affordable homestays, and in
guest rooms at the field office.
Having a regional attraction like
the Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park draws
visitors away from established tourism
hubs like Yangon, five hours’ drive away,
and the larger beach resorts further
north along the coast, and thus ensures
that the economic benefits of tourism
are spread more widely amongst the
population. With an extensive, beautiful
mangrove forest to explore, travellers
not only get to learn about the special
mangrove ecosystem, but can also
kayak, birdwatch, fish, and hike. The
bird-watching opportunities are ever
increasing as the number and varieties
of birds nesting and fishing amongst
the mangroves grows.
To date, much of the funding
required to reforest the Climate
Park has come from international
foundations and corporate sponsors
such as Starboard, Sundt Air, and
Pegasus Helicopters. But recognising
that travellers themselves are
increasingly aware of their carbon
footprint, and concerned about their
impact – especially when they fly –
Worldview International Foundation
has partnered with Ecofriend, a new
initiative geared at educating tourists
about their environmental impact, and
encouraging them to do something
positive about it.
Ecofriend calculates how much CO 2
you will emit, using a simple algorithm,
and how many mangrove trees would
have to be planted to offset that
emission. “Tourism can be a huge force
for good,” explains Ecofriend’s co-
founder Dr Bremley Lyngdoh, “but it has
to be sustainable. If the CO 2 emissions
of every flight are offset voluntarily by
the travellers themselves, we will be
able to significantly reduce the amount
ofCO 2 in the atmosphere, and thus slow
the rate of global warming.”
Recognising that it isn’t necessarily
viable for travellers to visit the Thor
Heyerdahl Climate Park in person to
plant their tree, travellers can pay
Ecofriend USD12 for each tree they’d
like to have planted on their behalf.
The money is used by the Worldview
International Foundation to plant a
seedling, and to ensure it is protected
throughout its 25-year-long lifespan.
Ecofriends, as supporters are
known, are welcome to visit the Climate
Park to see their tree. The organisation
is also in the process of introducing
imaging software so that users can type
in the GPS coordinates of their tree,
and watch it grow remotely. Dr Lyngdoh
hopes that Ecofriend will ultimately be
able to plant 500,000 mangrove treeshow does it work?
When you fly, your journey
produces CO 2 which causes
global warmingYou can make your journey
carbon neutral by offsetting
your emissions with EcofriendUse our calculator to work out
your journey’s carbon footprintPurchase enough trees to
offset your emissions. One
tree planted would offset a
return flight from London to
Moscow in economy class,
for exampleEcofriend will plant the
mangrove trees for youCheck in and see how your
trees are growing at any time!
Visit http://www.ecofriend.world