FOR THE PROTECTION OF UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY: THE TARKINE RAINFOREST

For decades, ORTOVOX has been known as an absolute merino specialist. The South German brand sources its fine fibers from sheep farmers in Tasmania who share the brand’s philosophy concerning sustainability and responsibility – and therefore follow the strict animal and nature protection requirements laid out in the ORTOVOX WOOL PROMISE. Over the years, Tasmania has become a second home for ORTOVOX. The team was therefore shocked when their attention was drawn to an environmental offense of a kind that might be expected in the Amazon, but hardly in Australia.

In Northwest Tasmania lies one of the most pristine and uniquely diverse ancient forests in the world, covering an area of almost 700,000 hectares – the Tarkine. Today, this 60-million-year-old rainforest is under severe threat from large-scale clearances for the mining and timber industries. The protection of regional uniqueness is one of the central ambitions of ORTOVOX’s sustainability strategy – both at home in the Alps and on the other side of the world. That’s why the South German brand has now committed itself to protecting the Tarkine.

ACTIVE SINCE 2012 FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE TARKINE —THE BOB BROWN FOUNDATION

Tasmanian Bob Brown is one of Australia’s most important environmental activists. For years, the Bob Brown Foundation has been battling against the rapid destruction of the Tarkine. In addition to its political activities, the Foundation organizes and finances local projects and protests. For every order purchased from the online store and not returned, ORTOVOX is donating 5 euros to the Foundation. The unique wilderness of the ancient forest has served as the inspiration for two of our t-shirt styles. For every Tarkine t-shirt we sell, 5 % will go to the Bob Brown Foundation. What’s more, we are donating 10,000 euros to support the development of the Tarkine Trails app. It promotes soft tourism in the region, in order to create alternative jobs for the loggers, among other things.

AN INNER VOICE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Portaledge inventor and climbing legend John Middendorf emigrated from the USA to Tasmania. The teacher and family man was urged by his inner voice to act: He wants to protect one of the last wild places on earth for future generations. Activists use John’s portaledges to hang in trees to prevent them from being felled. He’s done this himself seven times. ORTOVOX supports this environmentalist with equipment and clothing.

Beaufront isn’t just one of the largest sheep farms in Tasmania, it’s also one of the most respected – and that is thanks to the leadership style of Julian and Annabel von Bibra. They believe that animal and human welfare and their appreciation of both their employees and their sheep are what drive their farm’s success. „The Tarkine represents a stunning area of Tasmanian wilderness, a large scale sanctuary for the rich diversity of creatures and plants that were here before us, a huge carbon sink, largely untouched by humans, that offers the opportunity to remain a pristine environmental bank for centuries to come. These areas are rapidly disappearing and as we „develop“ them for our short term gain we deplete our future and the futur of our environment and ultimately the planet. Let’s pause and think beyond our need for immediate gratification and expansion and preserve this jewel fort he nourishment and indeed survival of ages to come.“

FOR THE PROTECTION OF UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY: THE TARKINE RAINFOREST

AN INNER VOICE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

SAVE THE TARKINE I ORTOVOX