Rangas for Rangas Fundraiser Wed 21st July 6.30pm

Get into the Spirit and Dress Red Wednesday 21st of July 6.30pm at the Currumbin RSL for a night of laughter and fun for only $20!

Support the RANGAS FOR RANGAS Fundraiser and enjoy some of the best female comedians in the country.

These great women have got together to help save the ORANGUTANS and the rainforest by providing great entertainment and lotsa LAUGHS which we all need.
Funds raised will go to the ongoing replanting program in Sumatra and Orangutan rehabilitation.
Come along for a fantastic night for a fantastic cause.
Thanks
Trace


Media Release: Comedy Ranga
Help stop redheads from becoming extinct by supporting Rainforest Rescue in their bid to protect Orangutans. Mandy Nolan (an honorary Ranga) has invited three of her favourite red headed comics to join in on a riotous Ranga Raising night. Welcome to the stage : Gold FM’s Bridget Daley, Fiona McGary and Katrina Davidson….

As the sexy redheaded lady half of Gold FM’s Breakfast Radio, Bridget Daley has shown she’s willing to go that extra mile for a charity. She’s got her kit off for the Bras for Cancer campaign, she’s abseiled off a building, and now, this big hearted personality is about to get up and perform stand up, something she did very early in her career.

She’s joined by her Producer, stand up comedian Katrina Davidson. By day she’s in a glass box at the controls, by night, Katrina is a kick ass comic. Katrina has worked across Canada in impro and sketch comedy and is a founding member of Montreal ’s They Might be Midgets troupe. She has performed stand up comedy at Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival and has headlined for Vancouver’s Laff Riot Girls and successfully touring British Columbia.
One of the last true comic storytellers, Katrina takes you with her on a journey through her life. A dry wit, a healthy sense of the inconsistencies of life and a dark sense of humour are Katrina’s weapons and she’s not afraid to use them!
Fellow Ranga and comedian extraordinaire Fiona McGary joins the fray to support her furry friends. Fiona has performed as a stand up comeian for over 10 years, both nationally and internationally. She has hit the stage at every comedy venue in the country alongside comedy legends such as Jimeoin, Adam Hills, Arj Barker, Judith Lucy, Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes and a whole host more. IN 2006 she was one of only a dozen comics in Australia to be chosen to audition for The David Letterman Show.

The show will be Mc’d by Ms Mandy Nolan, who’s not a redhead, but has on occasion dyed her hair red and is by nature a rabble rouser and a lover of Orangutans. ‘They’re delicious!’ she jokes. ‘Seriously, put down that Kit Kat and come and have a laugh for the Rangas!’

Gold Coast girl Tracey Courtney has only recently returned from her trek through Burma with the Orangutans, and she’ll be showing some footage on the night.

All profits from ticket sales will go towards Rainforest Rescue: www.rainforestrescue.org.au
Tix are $20 and can be purchased via www.currumbinrsl.com.au or at Currumbin RSL reception 0755347999

True Friends Email

I was recently sent this email anonymously and wanted to share it with you...

True Friends

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veteranarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

The orangatang found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.


They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.

Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.
They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.


Long Live Friendship!!!!!!!

I don't know......some say life is too short, others say it is too long, but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others.......while it lasts!

A Redhead Saving Redheads – Barchinos Fundraiser

A major thank you must go out to all of those who attended and supported the Invitation To "The Orangutan Adventure Trek" I survived the jungle... Fundraiser held at the fabulous Barchino Restaurant, Chairlift Ave Nobby Beach last month!!!
Thank you for turning up to make a difference to the lives of Orangutans and the rainforest.... My apologies for not having replied earlier to everyone. With your generous contribution of time and money we raised funds to replant illegally logged national parks and support the Orangutan Education programs in Sumatra.
40 people attended a screening of a photographic presentation direct from the Sumatran Jungle, observing Orangutans in the wild and my journey through this beautiful land and its people.

The evening was a massive success due to the amazing people who attended, the scrumptious food, the live music and the generosity of volunteers such as Dave, Andy, Murray, Kim, and the fabulous Barchinos staff.

A warm thank you to Dave and Emma for their bravery in putting themselves up for Auction.

All proceeds $1500 raised through the auction and also the raffles of prizes so generously donated by

• 10 ANTS Jewellery 171 Surf Parade , Broadbeach.
  Evohe Skincare, Burleigh Heads
  Thai I Am Restaurant, Miami (Coles complex).
  That's Amore, Miami village shops
  Indian Delights 2098 GC HIGHWAY Miami

from the evening were gratefully accepted by Rainforest Rescue's replanting project in Sumatran national park that has been illegally logged.

PS: Did you know that I am about to launch Orangutan Education Treks for school students 12 to 15years! These adventures will give them the grass roots experience in Sumatra.... with the Orangutans, the habitat and the Indonesian school kids which will change their lives and therefore help to ensure the future of not only the continued existence of the precious Orangutan species but the future of our world’s environment.

Love Tracey

Tristan’s Endorsement

"My name is Tristan and I live in Ballart..

I was a part of the Orangutan Adventure Trek.

The trek was a WONDERFUL experience.

It provided me with the "courage" to achieve my goals in life.

You not only get to trek in a rainfotest, but to trek through a JUNGLE of beauty and great wilderness, meet animals you have never seen before.

I would recommend the trek to people around my age,because it is a lifechanging experience.

Tristan New 13 years.
May 19th 2010

How gorgeous!!!!!

Tristan wants to become an Archeologist when he grows up.

Love this kid!!!!

Trace

Adventure Trek Video

Prologue to the Adventure Trek

Once being touched by the magic of the Sumatran Jungle and the intimate exposure to orangutans in the wild, my life has changed forever.

Trekking through the dense, thick, lush all pervading organic breathing Jungle... I am made very aware of my smallness amidst this haven that was created for its 8,500 species of animal and plant life. Not for me; the "invading human" wanting to catch a glance of what the Jungle has to offer.

The yin and yang is that ecotourism supports the locals and will put an end HOPEFULLY to illegal logging in National Parks, Is this my pie in the sky dream?? Yes it is!
Reality reared its ugly head when we visited the Palm oil village on the last day of our tour and met with a school in the village.

The education programs Rainforest Rescue fund, go into these schools; teaching the babies that the rainforest and orangutans are a good thing.. necessary and natural. These children have been brain washed by growing up around palm oil tree plantations, watching their parents remain poor, struggling and buying their own water!!!!! We try to educate them to the harsh reality that Palm oil trees deplete the soil COMPELETELY...

The silver lining to this story is the replanting program. Rainforest rescue have poisoned 500 ha of illegally logged forest, replacing this area with fast growing natives. 6 to 8 orangutans have been spotted returning to the area. A MIARCLE!

We need to nurture, save and protect this land. Keeping orangutans in sanctuaries and creating dependent orangutans is not the answer. We need land to release these beautiful intelligent loving creatures into... there is not much land left.

Rainforest rescue are doing Amazing work so please consider donating to the cause.
75c a day will pay to have a local fed and a tree planted.

Hati senang

Happy heart

With Love

Tracey

Gold Coast Bulletin: Paradise Magazine Supports Barchinos Fundraiser

Paradise Magazine Acknowledgement and Thanks

She trekked through the dense jungle of Sumatra, from 400ft above sea level to 1000ft, in 93 per cent humidity but Tracey Courtney discovered the pain had plenty of gain when she came across this touching pair of orangutans. The mother and baby along with what remains of the wild orangutans, are endangered thanks to big corporations replanting the jungle with palm oil trees used for confectionery, potato chips and packaged foods.

Tracey will hold a fundraiser, including a slide show of her jungle trek, at Barchino Restaurant, Nobby Beach, this Thursday April 22, at 6.oopm. Monies Raised will go to Rainforest Rescue, http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/

REF: Vanessa Jones Paradise Magazine Article pg 7 April 17-18 2010

Barchino's 'Date a Hottie' Fund Raiser

I have arrived safe and well from my 11 day trek through the Sumatran Jungle. This has been a life changing experience for me.


We saw and experienced Orangutans in the wild! They were so close I could literally reach out and touch them.

We trekked through the most beautiful jungle that is currently being destroyed by greedy and selfish manufacturing companies who wish to replace the natural habitat of not only my beloved orangutans, but also thousands of other precious species that are each an integral part of the earth's eco system, with Palm Oil trees which only serve the interests of commercialism and exploitation.

If you had a choice between having your favourite confectionary, pototo chips and packaged foods in the short term in your pantry, or the preservation of the rainforests of the world for the long term survival of our planet - which would you choose?


To find out more, become actively invloved, or just enjoy a great night out that has a purpose, join me at

Barchinos Cafe

Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach

Thursday 22nd April

6.00pm

The evening is 'By Donation' (so its what you can afford - every little bit helps) and in return you will enjoy.. comedy, great photos with fascinating stories, and I will be raffling off 2 Gold Coast Hotties to date!

All funds raised will go to Rainforest Rescue projects in Sumatra

If you have any enquiries, suggestions, or contributions call me ASAP


Tracey M: 0410738273

Queensland: Seeing red over Orangutans

On Tracey’s return from Sumatra there was no rest for the wicked!
No sooner than she hit Australian soil she was running staight into the studios of the ABC campaigning her heart out
Click on the link below to listen to her broadcast and comment on the amazing and eye-opening things she had to say
Queensland: Seeing red over Orangutans

Day 1. Adventure Trek

Friday 5th March Day 1. Adventure Trek: I'm going on a Jet Plane!
I can't believe It! I am about to embark on a life long mission heading off to the Sumatran Jungle in Indonesia, to see Orangutans in the wild for the first time

I fly out today.
I will try and get to a computer as often as I can to twitter http://twitter.com/redredhead and blog my adventure so you will get a first hand report on what is actually happening over there and how we can help.

Many Thanks
I love my raincoat from ANACONDA in Ashmore and my denalli trekking shoes... man am I Pumped bring it on!!! Thankyou to Anaconda for donating the shoes the raincoat the hat the balmkie the shorts the shirts... Oh and my soxs!!!! good onya Ananconda they love Orangutans too XXX http://www.anaconda.com/

You can Still Donate
This is a dream come true for me you know a Bucket list.. but Orangutans are my bucket list!!!! If you still feel like you want to contribute to The Orangutan Adventure Trek and creating a sustainable future for the loc...asl people through conservation, please donate to www.everydayhero.com.au/tracey_courtney
 I will be hosting film nights and a presentation of the Trek when I return [see The Burning Season Entry]

Wish me luck!

All About Rainforest Rescue

My personal passion for over 4 years has been to actively help save the endangered Orangutans of Sumatra, so I leapt at the opportunity when I discovered Rainforest Rescue.

So impressed am I with the work Rainforest Rescue are doing, I decided I would give all my available time, energy and resources to help raise funds for their many worthwhile projects.

  Armed with nothing but my wits and gratefully accepted donations, I am about to embark on "The Orangutan Adventure Trek" with 13 others, to fulfill a lifetime dream and raise ongoing funds for this amazing organisation.

I thought I would include a short excerpt from their website here to give you an idea as to why I have become the Gold Coast Representative Fundraiser and hopefully inspire you to help me spread the word and increase their support

Do something 'good for you' today and take a minute to read about this awsome group of people and what they aspire to achieve

Love

Tracey

'the Redhead'

www.rainforestrescue.org.au

Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation that has been protecting and restoring rainforests in Australia and internationally since 1998 by providing opportunities for individuals and businesses to Protect Rainforests Forever.

Our projects re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance and restoration programs, as well as purchasing and protecting high conservation value rainforest and preserving its biodiversity.

Save a Rainforest Projects

Rainforests support half of the species of life on Earth and absorb vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. The biodiversity provides vital ecosystem services upon which all of humanity depends.

Rainforest Rescue identifies and purchases rainforest at risk of development and protects it forever by converting properties into Nature Refuges and removing all development rights. By protecting rainforest before it is destroyed, we maintain the carbon in the trees. The release of carbon into the atmosphere is a major contributor to Climate Change.

Indonesia Plant a Rainforest Project

Orangutans are only found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia where their survival is threatened by illegal logging and the establishment of oil palm plantations.

Our project is helping to rehabilitate rainforests in the Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra, restoring vital Orangutan habitat and empowering local communities to protect and improve their environment and surrounding forests.

Other Plant a Rainforest Projects

Every second the earth loses an area of Rainforest the size of two football fields with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries.
Rainforest Recue's Plant a Rainforest Project replants previously cleared areas of rainforest and establishes habitat for the plants and animals endemic to the specific ecosystem, which protects its precious biodiversity.

This biodiversity maintains our atmosphere and establishes the ecosystem upon which all of humanity depends, including rainfall generation and climate regulation. Rainforests also hold the key to new medicines of benefit to humankind.

Big Scrub Restoration Project

Booyong Remnant

The Big Scrub was once the largest expanse of subtropical rainforest in Australia. Today less than 1 percent remains as fragmented remnants scattered across 75,000 hectares between the towns of Byron Bay, Ballina and Lismore.

As the Big Scrub remnants are the most diverse ecosystem in New South Wales it is of vital concern that they be nurtured and cared. The remnants contain a rich diversity of flora and fauna, supporting more than 300 species of trees and shrubs.

At least 38 threatened species of flora and 61 species of fauna are found in the remnants. Their high conservation value is reflected in the inclusion of the thirty-two largest remnants in the Register of the National Estate, "the places we should keep". Lowland Subtropical Rainforest is also listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.

to discover more and read about all the other rainforest rescue's current projects just go to the website http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/

so you know they are real!
Company Info

Rainforest Rescue is an Australian Company Limited by Guarantee, managed by a Board of Directors who contribute their service on a voluntary basis.

Our auditors are Wappetts and Partners, Chartered Accountants.

Our ABN is 61 086 885 154 and our ACN is 086 885 154.

Staff: We currently have three full time staff, several part time staff and the support of many volunteers.

Publications: The Rainforest Rescue hardcopy newsletter is published annually and is made available to supporters. Our email newsletter is issued monthly.

Income: Rainforest Rescue is supported by donations from individuals, philanthropists, business sponsorship and foundation grants. We do not receive government funding.

We aim to keep management expenses as low as possible thus ensuring that your donation results in the maximum benefit for rainforest conservation.

Givewell, an organisation that provides a comprehensive research service for informed giving has profiled Rainforest Rescue and its performance on financial management. For further information please visit our profile on the Givewell website http://www.givewell.com.au/details_name.asp?txtOrganisation=RFR

Rainforest Rescue is also profiled in the book, The Good Giving Guide by Lyn Amy and Mary Pearce published by Penguin Books in 2008.

“BUT WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?”

Palm oil costs the lives of about 50 orangutans every week and its cultivation is a major cause of global warming.

In February 2007 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called the situation a state of emergency in a new report, “Last Stand of the Orangutan”. According to the UN, ”The natural forests of Sumatra and Borneo are being cleared so fast, up to 98 per cent may be destroyed by 2022”. These forests are the last viable habitats for the orangutan species.

ORPHANED BY PALM OIL COMPANIES

In the time it takes you to read this report another orangutan may have died as a consequence of the rapacious drive by multi-national palm oil companies to get rich regardless of the environmental consequences. Orangutan experts predict that these extraordinary animals will be extinct in the wild within 20 years.

What Can I do About it?

A great deal!
be more aware of what you buy inthe supermarket

Even though these products contain palm oil or palm oil derivatives, the labelling isn’t clear. Consumers have a right to know if the oil used in a product is contributing to the destruction of rainforests and the slaughter of wildlife. Insist on knowing if the vegetable oil used is palm oil from Indonesia or Malaysia and if it has been grown sustainably. Food manufacturers can find other ways of making these products however we can’t find other ways of making orangutans.As palm oil is used in many of the items you buy in the supermarket, use your power as a consumer to do the following:

The relevant companies have verified that all of the products displayed as at 3/4/07 contain palm oil or a palm oil derivative.


1. Demand that food companies label their use of palm oil – you have a right to know what you eat.

2. Urge supermarkets and other manufacturers to STOP using palm oil from destructive sources NOW, to switch to environmentally and socially responsible sources and seek out healthier alternatives to palm oil.

3. Write letters to the Government and request they make labelling of palm oil compulsory.

4. Write to the Indonesian Ambassador urging Indonesia to STOP the clearing of primary rainforest on Sumatra and Borneo NOW.

Palm oil is used in…

ice cream • chocolate • biscuits

chips • margarine • crackers

cooking oil • toothpaste • soap

detergents • cosmetics

to find out more go to http://www.palmoilaction.org.au/

"A Redhead Saving Redheads"- How it all began

Growing up in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney with an uncle who had a travelling dog and monkey show: Gold Coast resident Tracey Courtney ( me) fell in love with primates and their personalities....

"Coco the chimpanzee was the star of the show and made a family member. Coco roamed the house, helped himself to the Coco Pops in the pantry (hence his nickname)"Coco!". He also joined the boys at the Centennial Hotel in Woollahra for an afternoon beer and a cigarette! That began my love affair with monkeys and their relatives orangutans.

After watching a disturbing documentary on Orangutans and their plight in Indonesia over 4 years ago, I cried my eyes out.! I could not believe what was going on as I like most people had no idea! 5 football fields a minute of pristine rainforest destroyed and logged.The lives of Orangutans, Elephants and Sumatran Tigers threatened and extinction imminent.

Phone a Friend

I then rang a friend and said.. "I have to do something about this tragic situation and give the Orangutans a voice on the Gold Coast!" we talked about it at length and decided that people need to be educated and informed about this atrocity.. all because we consume potato chips, soaps, chocolates, biscuits and cosmetics containing Palm oil!!! Products that contain Palm Oil and the manufacturers that supply them are the curse!

Finding a Lifeline

I scoured the net found an Australian Organisation protecting and saving Orangutans and their habitat and she has been unstoppable ever since. Rainforest Rescue are a well regarded non-profit organisation, who tirelessly protect and save rainforest and its ecosystem in Daintree, Sumatra, India and Ecuador.

So impressed am I with the work Rainforest Rescue are doing I decided I would give funds raised to their projects.

The Orangutan Adventure Trek

Tracey is about to embark on "The Orangutan Adventure Trek" with 13 others, to fulfill a lifetime dream and raise ongoing funds. "I will be trekking in the Sumatran Jungle for 4 days 6 hours a day. When I spot my first Orangutan I think I will be so moved by their awesome prescence..... I will definitely cry!!

We are camping by the Bohok River in tents for 4 nights and I was told we have to urinate in the river..... the reason being.. tigers can smell it and are then attracted!!! YIPES!!!!

We then visit the rehabilitaion program set up by Rainforest Rescue, for the local people, creating an economy based on conservation.

Our project is employing local people to restore land and protect forest.

Conservation is the answer.

National Parks are being logged and cleared.. corruption is the major problem.

Caught On Film

On her return from Sumatra, Tracey (a redhead herself) will be holding Film Night fundraisers around the Gold Coast, Sunshine coast and Northern NSW area.

Look for the Blog entries in March 2010 that will give you all the details 

My legacy is to leave this planet knowing that I assisted saving a rainforest and an Orangutans life.

Tracey can be contacted at tracey@rainforestrescue.org.au or leave a comment here and have your say

With love
Tracey
'The Redhead'