Greenfleet is delighted to meet His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales during his Queensland tour next month.
On 6 April, The Prince of Wales will travel to Bundaberg, attending a community festival celebration at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, to be hosted by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
"I am delighted His Royal Highness will be able to hear firsthand stories of the brilliant resilience and recovery of Bundaberg, which has triumphed over its share of adversity in recent years," said Ms Palaszczuk.
"I am proud that our work with Prince Charles’s charity, Prince’s Trust Australia, to help threatened loggerhead turtles has caught His Royal Highness’ attention and prompted his visit to Bundaberg," said Wayne Wescott, Greenfleet CEO.
During this visit, The Prince will meet with representatives of the Low Glow Collaboration, including Greenfleet, The Prince’s Trust Australia and the Walt Disney Company (Australia). Greenfleet will have the opportunity to share details about our work to support the survival of the loggerhead turtle hatchery on Mon Repos beach, which is the largest on the Australian eastern seaboard, and the natural environment of the Bundaberg region.
The genesis of the Low Glow initiative began with the Remember The Reef campaign established in 2015 by the Walt Disney Company (Australia) around the release of Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory. The campaign involved a donation to Greenfleet that would facilitate the planting of 10,000 trees to provide habitat, improve water quality for the reef and sequester carbon dioxide. Guided by The Prince’s leadership in environmental sustainability, The Prince’s Trust Australia joined Greenfleet and the Walt Disney Company (Australia) to form the Low Glow collaboration.
In 2017, Greenfleet planted 80,000 native trees in the Barolin Nature Reserve, bordering the Mon Repos Sea Turtle reserve. The trees are growing into a ‘green curtain’ to help shield light pollution from the city and protect turtle species.
Greenfleet CEO Wayne Wescott said that The Prince’s visit was significant as it highlights the global community support for the local turtle population. "Mon Repos is internationally recognised as a critical place in the loggerhead turtles’ journey around the world, which is why we’re so passionate about ensuring their future here," Mr Wescott said.
"Around 30,000 people come to Bundaberg each year to see the turtles nesting here, so saving these animals has benefits for the local community and economy as well as the environment. It’s a win-win."
In 2018, Greenfleet will extend the reforestation project at Barolin, with a further 5,000 native trees going into the ground; and the Low Glow collaboration will continue to actively engage the community to measurably reduce the light glow around important turtle sites in Queensland.
2018 is the International Year of the Reef, and The Prince of Wales has been at the forefront of efforts to improve coral reef health and resilience in light of the threats these valuable ecosystems face from climate change, over fishing, land-based pollution and direct physical damage. The Prince will also visit a coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef.