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Goodall to be at charity gala for forest fund

By Chen Qide (China Daily Shanghai Bureau)
Updated: 2010-07-16 17:00

Shanghai Roots & Shoots (SRS) plans to sponsor a charity gala at the JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai on September 26 to push forward its million-tree project in China.

The gala will contribute proceeds to the tree-planting project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2014, said SRS Director Zhong Zhenxi.

"The project aims to help the country fight desertification and reduce carbon dioxide emissions," Zhong said.

SRS was funded by the Jane Goodall Institute in 1999, which was founded by the world-renowned primatologist and conservationist for which it was named. It launched the tree-planting project in 2007 and has planted 400,000 trees in Inner Mongolia, 91.3 per cent of which have survived, Zhong said.

"We will plant 200,000 more trees next year as a key part of our effort to reach the target of planting the remaining 600,000 trees by 2014," she said. "The target calls for an additional investment of 15 million yuan, a hard nut to crack."

In support of the event, JW Marriott will invite patrons of its restaurants and lounges at six hotels to contribute up to 5 per cent of their food and beverage check. The promotion runs through September 26, when the hotel will present the charity with all funds contributed, said Yue Xuefei, marketing manager of JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai.

The gala will feature live entertainment, an auction and a keynote speech made by Goodall to look back at the remarkable changes the world has seen in the last 50 years. She will also discuss the role global citizens must play in the next 50 years to ensure a better planet and future for generations to come, Zhong said.