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Biotropica also provides financial support to Solutions par Marovo, a Solomon Islands based organisation supporting local educational programs.

Khwankhao Sinhaseni

Khwankhao Sinhaseni (Kim) is the Forest Restoration Research Units (FORRU's) chief field researcher. She has been working with FORRU-CMU (Chiang Mai University, Thailand) since August 2007, when she completed her master's thesis "Establishment of Natural Tree Seedlings in Forest Restoration Trials" with FORRU. At present, she is responsible for research and maintenance of FORRU-CMU's planted plots at Ban Mae Sa Mai (to demonstrate evergreen forest restoration) and Huay Tueng Tao reservoir (to demonstrate deciduous forest restoration). Biotropica Australia are sponsoring Khwankhao's position at the research unit for the remainder of 2011.  Biotropica Australia wish Kim all the best in her future teachings and studies.

For more information please go to our updates.

TREAT Sponsorship

Biotropica Australia sponsors the TREAT (Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands) quarterly newsletter production and distribution. Biotropica Australia is proud to be supporting such an important local community group.

TREAT is a community based tree planting group operating mainly on the Atherton Tablelands. It was formed in 1982 with the principal objective of encouraging people to plant native rainforest trees. Membership numbers have increased as more and more landowners with farms or urban gardens feel the need to plant native trees for a variety of reasons – such as the rehabilitation of degraded lands, improvement of water quality, provision of windbreaks, the restoration of forest remnants, rebuilding wildlife corridors to enable wildlife to move freely or, just to enhance the landscape. TREAT members work voluntarily throughout the year with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Restoration Services Lake Eacham Nursery, rearing trees to rebuild the framework of the tropical rainforests of the Atherton and Evelyn Tablelands.

Over the past 20 years, over half a million native plants have been propagated and planted. Production involves seed collection and preparation, the rearing of seedlings and the care of the young trees until they are ready to be planted out. TREAT volunteers not only plant trees, they design and manage complex projects, supervise and monitor implementation and provide annual progress reports to agencies providing financial support; they are also involved in a number of other related activities, such as monitoring wildlife populations, studying vegetation changes and running school awareness programs. Operating within priority frameworks set by Integrated Catchment Management Committees and government bodies, TREAT works with government and non-government agencies, landowners and other community groups.

Lewis Marshall

Biotropica Australia has sponsored Lewis Marshall since 2010 in his endeavours to win and break records in the field of cycling.  Lewis has featured in a number of articles in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin and the Gladstone Observer as a result of the great winning form he has displayed over the years.  Lewis’s commitment to training and hard work is something Biotropica Australia is proud to be associated with.

Lewis Marshall's outstanding form in the Australian Cycling Titles
Lewis represented Queensland in October 2011 with an outstanding display of competitive cycling at the recent ‘Cycling Australia Masters Road National Championships’ held in Ballarat, Victoria.

Lewis won Gold in the Road Criterium and came 4th in the Time Trial.  Lewis scored the most points overall to win the Champion of Champions.

Lewis also represented Queensland in ’Australian Masters Games’ in Adelaide.  Lewis won Gold in the Road Criterium and Gold in the Time Trial.  In the track events held at the Super Dome, Lewis won Gold in the Individual Pursuit, Scratch Race and Silver in the 500m Time Trial and Sprint events.

Lewis Marshall Awards
Lewis outstanding achievement in cycling has been recognised by Cycling Queensland who nominated Lewis in the Queensland Awards ceremony at Chifley Lennons Brisbane in November 2011. Lewis was nominated in two categories – Senor Master Male Road and Senior Masters Male Track. Lewis came away with the award for Senior Masters Male Road – a very proud moment for Lewis and Biotropica.

Lewis has been awarded '2012 Senior Sports person of the year' in Gladstone on Australia Day. A proud moment in Lewis career. Lewis hard work and dedication to his sport has won him many titles in the 2011 year and this hard dedicated effort was recognised with the accolade of '2012 Senior Sports person of the Year'.

To read the Gladstone News article about Lewis's achievement at the Queensland Cycling Awards ceremony, please click here. Or to read the article on his Australia Day award achievement, please click here.

Lewis with his Senior Masters Male Road 2011 award.		Lewis Marshall, Bundaberg Cup 2010		Lewis receiving his Gold Medal at the 2011 Brisbane Masters in the Scratch Race Event

Solutions par Marovo – Building capacity in the Solomon Islands

Sustainable management of tropical forest resources in developing countries remains an elusive goal with few exceptions.  Education is part of the process – without learning, people’s ability to recognise and develop more sustainable approaches remains untapped.  In this respect the Solomon Islands is little different, with forest logging and conversion of logged areas to oil palm remaining a serious threat to the country’s rich biodiversity.  Faced with these threats, local people are often poorly equipped to make decisions which may have far-reaching environmental and cultural implications.

On a recent visit to the Solomon Islands, Biotropica directors Nigel Tucker and Tracey Marshall returned to Marovo Lagoon in Western Province and were disappointed to see the extent of current logging and forest conversion around the world’s only double barrier reef lagoon, a site which had been considered for World Heritage listing prior to the civil war of the late 1990’s.  Serendipity prevailed and the directors learnt of Solutions par Marovo – a local non-profit organisation managing the Marovo Scholarship Scheme. This scheme administers funds which sponsor the educational needs of promising Marovo students wishing to complete secondary education.  Biotropica is pleased to support such initiatives and has now committed to a long term sponsorship arrangement which the directors hope to expand in the coming years.