By Geof Webb | Rainforest Rescue Team
Dear Friends
With support from our donors, we have now planted 49,061 trees in the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest region in Northern Queensland, Australia.
Less rain than expected so far this season meant hand-watering the seedlings we planted at Lot 46 Cape Tribulation Road. We dug almost 3,000 planting holes in one week and planted more than 1,300 trees just as rains finally arrived to help the trees get established.
Seed collection
But the lack of rain also enabled us to collect lots of fruit for seeds and we now have about 20 new species in the nursery. We are growing enough seeds for our forthcoming plantings. Almost as quickly as our nursery team builds new benches and cages for the seedlings, they’re filled with new seedlings, which is great news.
Clearing
Clearing rubbish and removing invasive weeds is essential. Dealing with rubble, car wrecks, old tyres and the remains of disused buildings is hard work. We removed all the rubbish at Rosewood Road using heavy earth-moving equipment, jack hammers and even an oxy-acetylene torch on a steel-reinforced concrete slab to make way for replanting.
Camera traps
We have also installed nine camera traps at Lot 46 to capture wildlife as they return to the rainforest. We know from our work with the Orangutan Information Centre in North Sumatra that wildlife does return and we look forward to sharing pictures with you soon.
New vehicle
We recently purchased a four wheel drive vehicle to enable us better to travel in the rough terrain and carry water and tools. We are now in the process of having it branded ‘Rainforest Rescue’ so locals and visitors alike are more aware of our presence and work.
Moving forward
We hope for lots of rain this wet season to establish our new seedlings. We intend to finalise the purchase of Lots 17 & 18 Forest Creek Close, which are adjacent to Lot 16, by April. With your continuing support, this will allow us to create an important wildlife corridor in this area and protect this rainforest forever.
Can you please donate to help us continue our work to buy back and restore rainforests?
By Erryn Stephens | Fundraising Manager
By Erryn Stephens | Fundraising & Communications Manager
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