Ecosystem Restoration Australia Project #9790

Protect a Rainforest

by Rainforest Rescue

Project Report | Nov 2, 2026
Our Biggest Land Acquisition Yet!

By Cesar Barbosa Garcia | Engagement Coordinator

Satellite view of the two new Oxbow properties.

Our Biggest Land Acquisition Yet! 1 in Every 5 Hectares of the Daintree Oxbow Is Now Under Conservation Protection

Rainforest Rescue has just completed its largest land acquisition ever: 91.3 hectares in the Daintree Oxbow, joining the Daintree River to the Oxbow wetland in a contiguous floodplain corridor.

Combined with our existing property at 110 Cape Tribulation Road, we now protect more than 121 hectares in this landscape. One in every five acquirable hectares of the Daintree Oxbow. 3 of the 14 properties that make up our vision for a restored wetland plus rainforest are secure!

It’s a milestone years in the making, and it changes what’s possible for the Oxbow’s recovery.

WHY THE OXBOW MATTERS

The Daintree Oxbow, anchored by the steadily deteriorating McDowell Swamp, is listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia, and its vegetation communities are listed under national environment law. It’s a rare mosaic of river, wetland, mangrove and rainforest, and it’s essential habitat for the Southern Cassowary, one of the most iconic and threatened large birds on Earth.

The area is also a potential stopover for migratory shorebirds, with species like Latham’s Snipe and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper travelling through the region, using wetlands like the Oxbow as a refuelling stop on journeys spanning thousands of kilometres.

For decades, much of this landscape has been fragmented by cleared cane paddocks, cutting off the river from the wetland and the wetland from the forest. That’s the fragmentation these new properties begin to repair.

And again, somehow, it’s still listed as it once was: One of Australia’s Important Wetlands.

Fortunately, we have a plan to make that statement true again.

WHAT'S ON THE NEWLY PROTECTED LAND

Our Land Manager, Ariel, has walked the new acquisitions and shared what makes them special:

"This 10.6ha portion of the Oxbow is the most ecologically intact area of the wetland, with many old remnant trees. Mature trees with high habitat importance include Melaleuca quinquenervia, Syzygium angophoroides, Syzygium hemilamprum, Dillenia alata, Ficus virens, Ficus drupacea, Ficus destruens, Ficus benjamina, Cryptocarya hypospodia, Beilschmiedia obtusifolia, Normanbya normanbyi, Melicope elleryana, and Nauclea orientalis.

“The 78ha of former cane paddocks will be planted with approximately 200,000 trees, with species selected for site conditions, the main constraint being impeded drainage and seasonal inundation.

“This acquisition and planned planting will connect the intact wetland forest to the banks of the Daintree River, massively increasing resources for birds and bats, and begin a new chapter in our mission to rejuvenate the lower Daintree flood plain and Oxbow landscape.”

IN SHORT:

10.6 hectares of intact wetland forest, largely untouched
2.6 hectares of intact mangroves and other vegetation
78 hectares of former cane paddock. Cleared, flood-prone, and no longer viable for agriculture, now ready for ecological recovery

That last point matters greatly. Much of this land sits below three metres in elevation and floods regularly, which is exactly why it was marginal for agriculture, and exactly why it will regenerate quickly once replanted. Restoring it will improve water retention across the floodplain, re-establish fish passage through the wetland, and rebuild a nursery ground for aquatic species in the Oxbow and, ultimately, the reef beyond.

ROOM TO GROW

For our CEO, Branden Barber, the milestone solves a problem that’s constrained Rainforest Rescue’s restoration ambitions for years:

"The challenge with the whole strategy has always been how to balance getting tree production up to max, so we can get restoration activities up to max, when we didn’t own land that could be restored,” Branden says. “It was a real estate problem. Now we’ve solved that problem.”

For the first time, our Daintree Native Nursery has the room to grow and plant at the scale it was always capable of, 150,000 trees a year.

A reminder to us that trees are, and have always been, the answer.

THERE'S MORE TO COME

One in every five hectares of the Daintree Oxbow is now protected. That’s a milestone worth celebrating. It’s a solid foundation, but it’s not the finish line.

But we can picture it.

And with your continued support, we’re able to pursue further Oxbow properties, continuing the work of reconnecting rainforest, wetland, river and reef across this extraordinary landscape.

Thank you for making this possible.

Land Manager Ari, surveying the Oxbow properties.

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Jul 20, 2026
From Problem to Opportunity

By Cesar Barbosa Garcia | Engagement Coordinator

Intact wetland areas show potential for the Oxbow

Three months ago, we shared the news that change was finally beginning for the Daintree Oxbow.

Today, we're delighted to share that, thanks to the generosity of supporters in Australia and around the world, that momentum has continued to grow.

Together, our recent Oxbow appeal raised more than AU$910,000, helping Rainforest Rescue continue one of the most ambitious restoration projects in our organisation's history.

For everyone who has supported our Protect a Rainforest project through GlobalGiving over the years... Thank you. Every contribution has helped build the experience, partnerships and momentum that have brought us to this extraordinary moment.

From Problem to Opportunity

For more than seventy years, much of the Daintree Oxbow was asked to be something it was never meant to be.

Nationally significant wetlands were drained. Rainforest was cleared. Floodplains became sugar cane fields. Yet despite decades of change, the landscape never truly lost its ecological heart.

Today, what was once considered a problem has become one of our greatest restoration opportunities.

For the first time, neighbouring landholders across this remarkable floodplain are willing to sell. Instead of remaining fragmented between multiple owners, there is now a genuine opportunity to reconnect rainforest, wetlands and waterways into one living landscape once again.

This is exactly why Rainforest Rescue exists.

Our mission has always been to purchase high-conservation-value rainforest properties and protect them forever. The Oxbow represents the next chapter of that mission, not simply protecting isolated parcels of rainforest, but helping restore an entire ecosystem.

Looking Beyond the Numbers

The AU$910,000 raised through our recent appeal is an incredible milestone, but the real story lies beyond the number itself.

What it really means is habitat coming back. Waterways given a chance to heal. A long-dormant fish nursery with a future. Refuge for birds, frogs, turtles, cassowaries and so much more life. A healthier Daintree River. Benefits that flow all the way to the Great Barrier Reef.

As we've often said throughout this journey: What happens in the Oxbow is felt far beyond it. That has become even clearer with every step we've taken.

The Work Continues

Protectig the Daintree Oxbow will not happen overnight.

There is still so much more to do. We need to keep working with landholders, keep working through the planning process, keep building the restoration pathway, and keep planting until the forest has the strength to take over.

And it is only possible because people like you believe damaged places can recover if we give nature the chance.

Thank you for standing with us, not only through this appeal, but through years of supporting rainforest protection across the Daintree.

Together, we are helping turn one of Australia's most significant restoration opportunities into a living example of what long-term conservation can achieve.

See the Oxbow for Yourself

We've recently released a short film that captures both the beauty of the Daintree Oxbow and the extraordinary opportunity now before us. If you have a few minutes, we'd love for you to watch it via the linnk below and see why this landscape means so much to our team.

Every piece of rainforest we protect begins with someone believing it was worth saving. Thank you for continuing to believe in our work.

Cattle would likely replace cane unless we act

Actively working on the land in the lower Daintree

Links:

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Apr 5, 2026
Change Is coming...but not fast enough

By Cesar Barbosa Garcia | Engagement Coordinator

Daintree Oxbow Aerial

Recent developments in the Daintree have marked an important step forward for rainforest restoration, but also highlight the challenges that still remain.

At the end of March, Douglas Shire Council made a decision on Rainforest Rescue’s proposal to restore the Daintree Oxbow floodplain—an area of nationally significant wetland and former agricultural land.

The outcome was a partial approval.

This means that restoration can now begin in some areas of the Oxbow, allowing native rainforest to be replanted on parts of the landscape. At the same time, other areas were not approved for restoration, reflecting ongoing tensions between traditional land use and emerging conservation opportunities.

Why This Matters

This decision represents real progress.

For decades, large areas of lowland rainforest in the Daintree have been cleared, fragmented, or converted to agriculture. Now, as industries like sugarcane decline in the region, there is a rare opportunity to return these landscapes to functioning ecosystems.

Rainforest restoration at the Oxbow has the potential to:

Reconnect rainforest, wetlands and mangroves
Improve water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef
Create habitat for threatened species
Support a new, nature-positive local economy

Even partial approval allows this work to begin, demonstrating what is possible.

From Protection to Restoration

Rainforest Rescue’s Protect a Rainforest project focuses on purchasing high conservation value rainforest blocks and protecting them forever.

This work has already helped secure dozens of properties and restore critical wildlife habitat, reconnecting fragmented ecosystems across the Daintree landscape.

The Oxbow represents the next evolution of this approach—moving from individual property protection to landscape-scale protection and restoration.

Building Momentum: Lot 3

At the centre of this vision is Lot 3, a key floodplain property within the Oxbow.

Securing this site will:

Protect a critical link between rainforest, river and mangroves
Enable large-scale restoration to begin
Safeguard habitat in perpetuity

Thanks to the support of our community, we are now around one-third of the way towards our $987,000 goal to purchase and protect this property.

Looking Ahead

The recent council decision shows that change is possible—but it also makes clear that progress takes time.

Rainforest Rescue will continue working with landholders, partners and decision-makers to expand restoration opportunities across the Oxbow and beyond.

At the same time, we remain focused on what we can do right now: securing land, protecting it forever, and restoring rainforest wherever possible.

Thank You

Every step forward—whether it’s a land purchase, a restored hectare, or a policy shift—is made possible through your support.

Together, we are not only protecting rainforest, but helping shape what its future can be.

We’ve attached a link to our 2025 Annual Report if you’d like to explore the broader impact of this work.

Links:

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