Talking Trees

A Blog by John Halkett

Category: Sustainability (Page 3 of 3)

Sole remaining mahogany tree from those planted in 1885.
Sole remaining mahogany tree from those planted in 1885.

Penang mahogany tree

April 12, 2016 /

Just back from working in Penang, Malaysia. This mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) tree is the sole remaining survivor of those planted in the church grounds in1885.

The church, St George The Martyr, is the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia. It was built by convicts brought in from India in 1819. A critical component of the church’s construction was mahogany beams that travelled from India to Penang on the same ship as the convicts.

The church was damaged by Japanese bombing in 1941 and repaired in 1948. It was given national heritage status by the Malaysian Government in 2007, together… Read more “Penang mahogany tree”

Confiscated boat to be disassembled and the timber recycled.
Confiscated boat to be disassembled and the timber recycled.

Disassembling and recycling confiscated boats saves trees

April 12, 2016 /

For perhaps a couple of decades now governments in Southeast Asia, and the Australian Government have been sinking or otherwise destroying boats seized because of alleged people smuggling and illegal fishing activities. The motive behind this action seems to have been to deny perpetrators the opportunity to reuse these vessels for unlawful purposes.

Most of these boats originate from Indonesia and are made from high quality Indonesian or Malaysian hardwood timber. Some contain teak.

To their credit the Malaysian Government has recently permitted confiscated boats to be disassembled,… Read more “Disassembling and recycling confiscated boats saves trees”

Eucalypt group comprised of more than 700 species of trees and shrubs.
Eucalypt group comprised of more than 700 species of trees and shrubs.

Gum tree – world’s most successful tree

March 21, 2016 /

Considering that Australia is the home of the gum tree, compared with other countries, we have been slow in planting our own eucalypts in tree plantations. Although more than 14 million hectares of gum trees have been planted across the world.

Eucalypts account for more than 70 per cent of the trees in Australia’s natural forests and woodlands, growing in a wide range of climates from the hot tropics to near-desert inland plains to alpine snowfields. Evolving from rainforest ancestors, eucalypts have adapted to an environment where nutrient-poor soils are common and a dry environment has become… Read more “Gum tree – world’s most successful tree”

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