Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 Holds Tree Planting Ceremony

The Rainforest World Music Festival held a tree planting ceremony yesterday, July 7th, 2011, which is part of the Greening Project. The event took place at Damai Central with the participating of Sarawak Tourish Board CEO, Dato’ Rashid Khan and various government officials, including YB Madam Sharifah Hasidah, representing the Minister of Tourism Sarawak; Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) General Manager of Protected Area & Biodiversity Corporation (PABC), Mr. Wilfred Landong; Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Manager, Mr. Haji Wanliz Osman.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the Tree Planting Ceremony for the Greening Project in conjunction with the Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 which kicks-off tonight,” said Mr. Khan in the opening remarks. “As you may already know, Rainforest World Music Festival along with the Borneo Jazz Festival in May have over the years become a worldwide phenomenon and are a testament to how far Malaysia has come in attracting the world’s best performers.

Both festivals have garnered much global acclaim, meaning that they are great occasions to showcase the best of what Sarawak has to offer the world as much as they are an opportunity for Sarawakians and the many visitors we expect to come here to be part of a cultural and musical extravaganza.”

Greening the festival is an essential goal for Rainforest World Music Festival organizers. “It also means lots of resources spent on making them the best to stand up to global scrutiny and an influx of visitors from all over the world and lots of carbon monoxide emissions in getting visitors to the festivals,” continued Mr. Khan. “Ladies and gentlemen, Sarawakians are proud to have the world’s oldest tropical rainforests and they along with our efficient sustainable forest management are valuable tourism assets and a legacy we are but custodians of.

The Greening Project we have undertaken in partnership with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation and the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) today represents the opportunity for all of us to come together as one and to cultivate amongst East Malaysians that Borneo’s greenery is one of its most precious national treasures and the tree-planting that our efforts today go some way to balancing the carbon footprint from Rainforest World Music Festival. This initiative also extends to the use green products and practices at our festivals. Even our Rainforest World Music Festival website is hosted by a green eco-friendly web-hosting provider!

Sarawak Tourish Board are proud to be associated with such esteemed institutions such as SFC and SEDC, who themselves have been championing such green initiatives for years along with enhancing sustainable forestry, strengthening community relations and development to improve the socio-economic standing of rural East Malaysia.

Together, we have a unique opportunity here today to make a lasting contribution to the environment and the people and though we are honored to share this with all of you, it is our shared responsibility to Sarawak that others too not only enjoy the fruits of our labor and continue our work.

We would like to thank all the staff at SFC and SEDC for your support and enthusiasm through the years. Special thanks also to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation for supplying the saplings for today’s planting. Today, we aim to plant 1,000 seedlings in the hope that one day, this program will pave the way for a generation of young people with ambition, passion and compassion for the environment who will grow with the trees that we plant today and in turn, safeguard our ‘green treasure’ for their children’s children.

We hope to count you amongst our number at the Rainforest World Music these next few days where renowned performers and fans from all over the world come together to celebrate world music amidst a lush, green tropical paradise. Let’s show the world that we intend to keep it that way for generations to follow.”

After the presentation, the dignitaries, some of the musicians scheduled to perform at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2011, and others present were encouraged to plant and water some of the trees.

According to Mr. Wilfred Landong of the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, species planted include various types of native hardwood and ornamental trees, such as dipterocarp, belian, selangan batu, meranti sarang punai, meranti majan, hapur pukit, rain tree, tecoma, bunga tanjung and ubah.

The concerts and workshops at the 14th Rainforest World Music Festival begin today, July 8th, and will run until July 10th. This inspiring musical and cultural celebration of contemporary and traditional world music takes place under the imposing shadow of Mount Santubong, and in the midst of a virgin rainforest at the edge of the South China Sea. As well as evening performances on the main stage, there are afternoon workshops, lectures, jam sessions and smaller concerts.

For more on the festival go to www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com.

Read the whole Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 series:

• Interview with Dato’ Rashid Khan, Advisor to the Rainforest World Music Festival
  
• Jammings Begin at Rainforest World Music Festival 2011
• Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 Holds Tree Planting Ceremony
• Rainforest World Music Festival Kicks Off at Kuching Waterfront
• The Workshops Are the Heart of the Rainforest World Music Festival
• The Wondrous World of Leweton Women’s Water Music
• Sounds of Malaysia and Global Beats on July 8th at Rainforest World Music Festival 2011
• European Innovators and Merengue Fire on July 9th at Rainforest World Music Festival
• Grand Finale at 2011 Rainforest World Music Festival
• Post Rainforest World Music Festival: On to Kuching
• Post Rainforest World Music Festival, Encounter with the Orangutans