NUSA DUA

Conrad Bali, the plush hotel on the beach at Tanjung Benoa, has just planted 500 mangrove saplings at the neighbouring Tengkukung Beach as part of its 2010 environmental programme.

The trees were provided by the Bali provincial forestry office for the local community in support of the coastal conservation efforts.

Conrad general manager Michael Burchett said: “The team members at Conrad Bali felt strongly about playing a part in conserving the lovely beaches where Conrad Bali is situated.

“The planting of the mangrove trees will aid in the preservation of the coastal environment in Bali and also ensure the sustainability of the people and communities that live here.”

Mangrove trees are of major ecological and cultural importance to Bali and the local community and help protect coastal areas from erosion and storm surges especially during cyclonic weather – southern Bali occasionally experiences heavy weather from the northern edges of West Australian Indian Ocean cyclones – and tsunamis.