Our own Krista Bernard loves riding and saving rainforest. She recently spoke with Jo Joyce from ABC North Coast about some of her world riding experiences and what she thinks people will have in store for them if they join our Ride for the Rainforest Fundraising Adventure in Sri Lanka 2011. The cycle challenge will take place in February and Krista is inviting people to join her and a small group to visit our rainforest project in Sri Lanka, plant trees on site, and help to raise funds to contribute toward the protection of this vital ecosystem. Particpants will also have the chance to visit temples, an elephant orphanage and relax in the historical beachside town of Galle.

‘…Krista says the trip is not just about raising money. It’s also about what the participants will get out of the experience.

“I would hope that a trip like this would change someone’s life,” says Krista.

“I think that being out on a bike in the middle of nature with incredible sights and smells and sounds and senses all around would just invigorate people; break them out of their daily thoughts, their daily gripes… and just get them to wake up to the beauty of life.”…’

To read more of the article, click here.

Click here if you are interested in the Ride for the Rainforest adventure in Sri Lanka

Click here to visit Krista’s website

Rainforest Rescue is launching its campaign to save Christmas from unwanted gifts. Published results of a survey commissioned by eBay show that nearly one billion dollars is spent on unwanted Christmas gifts each year! Rainforest Rescue is providing a solution to the problem of unwanted gifts at Christmas. Our special rainforest gifts don’t cost the earth and will help save the planet from climate change and preserve our precious biodiversity.

Purchasing a Plant a Rainforest gift will see a rainforest tree planted for your friends or loved ones in the Daintree rainforest. In the last two years in the Daintree, Rainforest Rescue planted 19,000 trees – that is 6 hectares of new rainforest!

Purchasing a Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever gift will help us to purchase our 14^th property in the Daintree, and enable us to protect this special piece of rainforest from development into perpetuity.

You can also help rescue a Sumatran Orangutan from extinction with an Orangutan Habitat for Survival gift. Our project in Sumatra focuses on protecting the habitat of the last remaining Sumatran orangutans from illegal logging and clearing.

If you would like to support us to purchase and protect the Cloud Forests of Ecuador, then our Ecuador Save a Hectare gift is for you. With your support, we can link the Cotacahi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and the Mindo Nambillo Reserve, providing an essential rainforest corridor for the endangered plants and animals that live there.

“More and more people are reassessing what Christmas is all about. Consumerism and materialism – owning more things – is not adding extra value to our lives.” Kelvin Davies, Rainforest Rescue CEO.

Most people know the feeling of receiving a gift that they don’t need or want. Give your loved ones a gift that won’t cost the earth and help protect rainforests forever. Visit www.rainforestrescue.org.au

Rainforest Rescue long term supporter Wendy Johnson has made a movie about the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia.  Rainforest Rescue has been instrumental in purchasing 10 properties in the Daintree and is about the buy the 11th property, which will be protected forever under a conservation agreement.

“There are another 200 rainforested properties we could purchase so that residential development in the area is kept to a minimum” said Jeni Cavanagh, long term supporter and Administration Manager of Rainforest Rescue.

Watch Wendy’s movie here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wU2kytIXhQ

By Julie Olsen

Explore a little of the ‘Big Scrub‘ from Byron Bay to Lismore. Julie Olsen unearths a treasure trove of local rainforest delights. If you’re into rainforest, Byron Bay and Lismore offer the perfect base from which to explore the little-known beauties of northern New South Wales.

Get ready to be swept off your feet as you meander along cute country roads between Byron Bay and Lismore. Read the rest of this entry »