Magagascar Giant Palms On Verge Of Extinction

Dominica

People too regularly think that natural palm thatch is environmentally friendly, just because it’s compostable. The truth is, by the time it’s sprayed with layers of pesticide and flame retardant chemicals every couple of years, it’s not even a healthy compost material. The truth is the natural palm thatch industry and palm industry has pushed unique species of palms in Madagascar to extinction or near extinction.

Look, of the 204 known palm tree species in Madagascar, a whopping 98 percent of them don’t grow anywhere else in the world. The species are so unique that they have been exploited. Construction and thatch roofing have caused significant damage to the ecosystem of the island. Look, exploited plants are not the greener option. One of the key points of green building is sustainability. Commercial demand for these beautiful building materials has become unsustainable. That’s just one reason why Endureed thatch is the better option. To learn more about why Endureed is the greener option, read this previous blog post. Then, read this one.

In Madagascar, 83 percent of the native species are on the brink of extinction. A mere 30 mature Tahina spectabilis (a species of gigantic palm found only in the Analalava District of northwestern Madagascar) remain according to fairly recent reports. It could be even fewer by now. These beauties only once in their lifetimes. All of these palms are vital to the island’s ecosystem. Black lemurs spends most of their time eating fruits of the Dypsis madagascariensis. When that’s extinct, it could easily take the island’s lemur with it.

Choose our environmentally friendly synthetic palm instead of natural palm. Please! It will look just as lovely. Plus, it will stay lovely for decades, unlike natural palm. Check out our Dominica shingles from our Regions. They perfectly replicate the look of palm thatching from this area.

Endureed Synthetic Thatch

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