Propagate and Plant: Cassowary Conservation

This year, Rainforest Rescue planted over 13,000 trees, and in 2023 we aim to increase that by over 100%! This increased output is essential in helping to mitigate climate change and restore more rainforest, and this is only possible because of your strong support.

MORE RESOURCES

As a major boost to our restoration efforts, the recent employment of Sigrid Wilkens as Assistant Land Manager ensures that Rainforest Rescue Land Manager, Justin McMahon, is able to continue with the same success rate in both planting and maintenance of seedlings, but at a greater pace and higher volume.

Siggy has a particular interest in soil testing and carbon loads, with credentials to suit, holding a degree in Physics/Nano Technology and Honours in Eco Toxicology.

We’ve also been moving ahead on our desire to employ staff from Jabalbina Aboriginal Corporation and are very pleased that 3 positions have been fully funded by a Partnering Philanthropic Foundation!

One of these employees – a Jabalbina Horticulturist – has been working at our current nursery. When the new nursery is fully operational, we intend to hand over the current nursery to Jabalbina. We have also hired another part-time seed collector and an additional Nursery hand.

Angela Mateo, our current Seed Collector, is continuing to do excellent work in obtaining a high volume, and genetically diverse, array of seeds. Angela collects these from neighbouring and far-away rainforest properties, thus ensuring the health and integrity of the seedlings that we grow and plant.

MORE RESTORATION

This year we introduced regular community tree plantings at a second restoration site, Tranquility on the Daintree—a restoration project in Upper Daintree that could see the return of 120 hectares of cattle grazing pasture back into rainforest.

On average 15 people have been showing up to these monthly events, with 1,000 trees planted each time. The events have been so successful that we will continue to hold them next year.

"It’s been so great to regularly meet with locals passionate about restoration, and so many inspiring conversations, stories and ideas are being shared. This has been a cornerstone in raising awareness for our organisation." ~ Sigrid Wilkens

The last few weeks have brought extreme heatwaves to the region. This has posed many health and safety risks to the crew working on the land, as we’re having to work extra hard to ensure young, freshly planted seedlings can survive the unusually hot & dry conditions. Fortunately, our seedling survival rates are stronger than ever with the introduction of a new irrigation system and hydro auger:

“The hydro auger has not only reduced the amount of labour needed to get trees into the ground, during extremely hot weather, it’s also increased their survival rate. As a hole is liquefied into the soil, this provides an already well watered environment for the young plant to thrive in. Any mulch or debris on the ground can also be blasted straight through, and surrounding weeds can be cleared with this method, saving time and labour. We couldn’t have planted so many successful seedlings without this!.” ~ Sigrid Wilkens

MANAGING THE WEEDS

Weed management continues to be an ongoing task, with warmer weather causing Guinea Grass to take off at both NightWings and Tranquility. Some weeds, such as Blue Top are relatively harmless and if present in the soil is left untouched, as Justin says: “It is better to have something growing there than nothing at all”.

Even Guinea grass, one of the more aggressive weeds, has a silver lining as, once dead, will fall to the ground and act as a very useful mulch, slowing down germination of further weeds and helping retain soil moisture.

The strategic planting along Norris Road at NightWings, down to the wet zone/wetlands has almost been completed. Once these trees start to grow, they will begin to act as a windbreak to reduce the spread of weed seed from the neighbouring property, protect young seedlings from effects of wind damage and retain the soil’s moisture from drying winds.

With this effective wind break/weed management solution well underway, we will be reaping the benefits next year and the upper area of NightWings will be complete. The lower area of NightWings contains an underwater spring and as such, a special ‘wetland’ area will be created, with plans to begin this in 2024.

MONITORING BIODIVERSITY

The wildlife has been plentiful across both regeneration sites. At Tranquility, there are ‘heaps of birds’, with many different species including a nest of Latham’s Snipes, Buff breasted kingfishers, Channel-billed cuckoos, Double-eyed fig parrots (the world’s tiniest parrot), and scrub fowls making mounds with the weeds!

Solid reptile life abounds with amethyst pythons spotted recently at Tranquillity and a wide array of insect life is at play, from carnivorous grasshoppers to beautiful Ulysses butterflies.

Cassowary droppings continue to be seen at NightWings, with the Landowner, Annie Schoenberger, reporting sightings of actual cassowary. These increased sightings south of the Daintree River continue to demonstrate that “restoration creates strong conservation outcomes”.

Rainforest Rescue’s desire to implement thorough wildlife monitoring has fuelled the team to seek funding towards acquiring drones, cameras, GPS devices and more cameras—all which will closely monitor and track biodiversity. The land management team already have a small trail camera, secured outside of funding, that they like to set up across favourite spots.

A separate grant has just been submitted to secure funding for a soil monitoring program. Having recently received a microscope (donated by Mark and Clare of Ground Grocer) and training to recognise microorganisms as soil health indicators, this has a lot of potential. Gathering data such as this would allow us to quantify the long-term health of the soil, and implement experimental strategies to improve its health, leading to stronger trees, less weeds and increased biodiversity.

At a time when world news often feels overwhelming and hopeless, through the incredible support that makes our restoration efforts possible, together we are ensuring that the Daintree will continue to be the only rainforest in the world that is GROWING, not shrinking.

Thank you!