Green Envoys (1986)

Produced for the International Year of Peace, 1986, this film explores the global spread of Australia's tree species, and the collaborative work of the world's foresters and scientists. The film focuses on two countries with widely different forestry needs and methods - Zimbabwe and China. In Zimbabwe, rural afforestation programs are concentrating on Australian trees which are fast-growing and energy-dense. A village school is growing eucalypts in an effort to meet the community's future fuel needs. In the sub-tropical provinces of southern China, Australian trees dominate the landscape. The film looks at a major joint project between Chinese and Australian foresters to boost the productivity of the country's vast commercial plantations. The film points out that despite Australia's botanic wealth, it now has fewer trees in the ground than any continent except Antarctica, and ends with a plea for the preservation of the country's genetic riches.