Accor is reforesting the Khao Yai Park and helping create jobs
News
January 2009Accor signed a partnership with Plant-a-tree-today,
an NGO based in Bangkok and specialized in reforestation. The Accor group is going to finance projects of the NGO (...)Progress report
- Approximately 2,000 trees from the nursery have been planted since May.
Accor's commitment
The project is funded from the savings achieved in hotels in Asia (other than Malaysia and Indonesia): every time a towel is re-used by a customer, the hotels pay 50% of the laundry savings to support the project in Thailand.
The project
Khao Tai National Park, located in the center of Thailand and a few hours from Bangkok, is one of the oldest parks in the country. It is a listed UNESCO world heritage site and is host to an extremely rich biodiversity that today is threatened by forest overexploitation.
In partnership with the NGO Plant a Tree Today (PATT), Accor is replanting local tree species in the park. These planting program brings together pupils from surrounding schools along with volunteer visitors. Training courses are organized, and the tree nursery is managed locally so that it creates jobs.
The planting
The seeds are first grown in the nursery for 6 to 18 months depending on the species. This nursery, located in the village of Sap Tai inside the park, can produce 15,000 seedlings a year.
The trees are then planted out between May and October. They are highly varied species, in particular ebony, chinaberry, melaceula and fig.
The local benefits
The project aims to create local jobs through nursery maintenance, maintenance and management of the planting sites and irrigation management.
To this end, forest protection training courses are offered to the local communities of Khao Yai Park.
Our NGO partner in Thailand is Plant A Tree Today
Plant A Tree Today
Plant A Tree Today (PATT) is an association specialized in the development of environmental awareness programs, as well as reforestation projects in partnership with rural communities and schools.
Founded in 2005 by Andrew Steel, Plant A Tree Today operates in many countries including Thailand, India, and Indonesia.
Testimonials
The Plant for the Planet initiative set up by Accor...
The Plant for the Planet initiative set up by Accor shows how the simple act of reusing hotel towels not only saves money but can also generate funds to be used for a greater environmental benefit.
Khao Yai national park is Thailand’s oldest national park and it is under pressure from activities such as encroachment and illegal forest use. PATT’s project hopes to assist in reversing the trend of forest loss by restoring areas of degraded land in the Khao Yai region.
PATT always takes into consideration the local communities, and a greater success in terms of forest protection is achieved when people see the forest as a valuable asset that should be protected and not something that should be destroyed.
Dan ROLLISON, Plant A Tree Today Project Manager
