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Wildlife Wednesdays: Disney Plants Three Million Trees in Endangered Tropical Forest

In April, in celebration of Earth Day, we shared updates on the Disney Parks Blog about the Disney Kids and Nature Celebration at the Walt Disney World Resort, which included the world premiere at Downtown Disney of “Chimpanzee,” Disneynature’s newest film. Conservation has been a key pillar of the Disneynature label from the start, and all four films have empowered filmgoers to help make a difference.

Disney Plants Three Million Trees in Endangered Tropical Forest

Through donations tied to opening week attendance, Disneynature “Chimpanzee” will protect 129,236 acres of chimpanzee habitat, educate 60,000 schoolchildren about chimpanzee conservation, and care for orphaned chimpanzees; “African Cats” protected 65,000 acres of savanna in Kenya; “Oceans” established 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas; and “Earth” funded the planting of three million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, as part of The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign.

This update is to share the great news that we’ve just planted the last of the three million trees. I wish you all could have been standing with me, along with 40 Brazilian students, as we planted those trees. It really brought to life the impact of what the Disneynature film “Earth” made possible, thanks to those who went to see the film opening week, purchased the DVD opening week, and participated in various Disney programs supporting this initiative. Preparing to plant the trees was a process that took several years—first seeds for the trees had to be harvested and cleaned, then the saplings were nurtured for two years before they could be planted. Now that the trees are planted, they will be monitored and given care for another three to five years.

See the Endangered Golden Lion Tamarin at Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s most endangered tropical forests. It is home to 60% of Brazil’s endangered species, and many of these amazing animals are found nowhere else on Earth. They include the golden lion tamarin, a small endangered monkey, which guests can see at Rafiki’s Planet Watch when they visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom. To learn more about Disney’s conservation efforts, please visit www.disney.com/conservation.

Check out these other posts from the Wildlife Wednesdays series:

Comments

  • You guys give back so much! Its truely inspiring! That guy is cute. What type of animal is he? And whats his name? Thanks!

  • Thank you for all you do for others! Helping the environment is essential to preserving our blessed earth! And helping those who can not help themselves is so magical in itself. My six year old little girl wants to be a vet and she wants to work at Animal Kingdom! Thank you for being her inspiration!

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