Your Donation

To keep the RAFT project going, we need to collect donations from sympathetic people like you who understand the importance of the work we do. We are looking after tracts of virgin forest in an area where over 96% of the original forest has been destroyed.

The forest fragments under our care are immensely valuable because they tell us what the ancient forest was like. But they are also valuable because they contain the biodiversity of that original forest and, should forests start to regrow and spread, then the seed banks of these forest fragments that we are caring for hold the potential for future development. This is why we are conserving these forests.

Many organisations and individuals have contributed to our work and we are grateful to all of them. We would especially like to mention the following: The Bromley Trust, San Diego Orchid Society, Thames Valley Orchid Society, Cheshire and North Wales Orchid Society, Larry Bracewell, Rosemary Butterfield, Georgina Lynn, Dusha Hayes, Maren Talbot, Dr. J M Stokes and many others.

How is your money spent?

• We need to maintain three houses so they are in a suitable state for the many visitors, botanists, bird watchers and orchid enthusiasts that we receive.
  
  
• The roads need continual work and their efficient drainage need to be kept up. One tropical storm can destroy a road that has not been looked after properly and will then take weeks of work to recover.
  
  
• The forests need to be policed and to do that we need to have a forest ranger who can patrol and know when intruders are around.
  
  
• The paths through the forest and along the mountain ridges need to be cut at least twice yearly so visitors can walk unimpeded. Failing to keep the paths open can result in a sudden growth of impenetrable bamboo.

How much of my Gift is used?

Any gift that you make is acknowledged by the RAFT treasurer and sent to Brazil as it is needed. THERE ARE NO PAID STAFF MEMBERS and therefore no money is lost in administration. All the work is done voluntarily so all donations are used with the maximum efficiency. You can give with the confidence that your donation will do exactly what you want it to do - preserve endangered rain forest.

Special Appeal

Our old and trusted Kombi, bought in 1999 partly with a generous donation from Maren Talbot, is showing signs of age. It is vital we have a safe and dependable vehicle to ferry visitors along the bumpy dirt roads of the outback to see pockets of original forest and the rare orchids growing there.

We calculated that our current Kombi has traveled over a quarter of a million passenger kilometres over the last year, made up of:

Add to this ferrying 100 tons of Eucalyptus wood from sustainable forestry and you begin to understand the stresses the vehicle has undergone. If this were all on tarmac the wear and tear would not be so severe, but being on dirt roads, often over boulders and in deep ruts formed after heavy rains, the engine, springs, shock absorbers, tyres and bodywork have all suffered.

In order to maintain our high level of efficiency and reliability for all our visitors, we need to replace our trusty vehicle.

And we need your help.

Please send your cheque, made out to "RAFT", to:

Dr Richard Warren
Chairman of Trustees, RAFT
Gray Lane
Barnard Castle
County Durham DL12 8PD
United Kingdom