Buying back land to protect our native wildlife by Michael Snedic.

The recent tragic death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin was felt by many around the world. One of Steve’s passions was to buy back land destined for development and give it back to our native wildlife. In recent years local conservation organisation Rainforest Rescue has been doing just that, in particular concentrating on areas around the Daintree rainforest that are earmarked for development. Many people think that the Daintree is protected forever due to its World Heritage listing. Sadly, this isn’t entirely true. While the Queensland State Government’s recent decision to inject $10 million dollars towards protecting parts of the Daintree is indeed welcome, there are numerous blocks of land being offered for sale, for development. With the support of everyday Australian’s, Rainforest Rescue has now contributed to the purchase of eight properties and is committed to purchasing many more.

There are countless species of native fauna that rely on the rainforest for their survival. Rainforest Rescue’s aim is to create a natural wildlife corridor for species such as the Cassowary, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo and other protected species, to move freely throughout the forest. These species are all unique in their own way and rely heavily on the rainforest for food, shelter and finding mates. Sadly, the growth in population and ever-increasing numbers of tourists in Far North Queensland are pushing the endangered Cassowary to extinction. It is estimated that there are only around 1000 Cassowaries in the wild today.

The increase in residential settlement around the Daintree will also lead to calls for a reduction in crocodile numbers. Steve Irwin was strongly against the killing of any crocodiles and buying back land before it is developed is a certain way to protect these amazing creatures.

From Brisbane, Rainforest Rescue has been working with the rainforest-based Daintree Rainforest Foundation to buy land and place it in purposely created and gazetted Nature Refuges. Kelvin Davies, Executive Director of Rainforest Rescue says “We’ve had everyone from young children donating a few dollars of their pocket money to businesses donating substantial amounts, all in aid of our precious Daintree rainforest”. He adds “Rainforest Rescue creates opportunities for individuals, families, organisations and businesses to become involved in successful projects that protect and restore our dwindling rainforests and each donation achieves a very tangible outcome”.

For as little as $2 you can buy one square metre of rainforest. Donations from the public are essential in helping to buy back more rainforest blocks and protecting them forever. To contribute to the ‘Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project’ with your tax-deductible donation, please contact Rainforest Rescue on 1300 763 611 or visit the Rainforest Rescue website at www.rainforestrescue.org.au. Alternatively, you can send a cheque or money order made out to Rainforest Rescue, PO Box 1511 Toowong, Queenlsand 4066.

Michael Snedic is a Brisbane-based nature photographer and writer who is passionate about Australia’s natural environment and its wildlife. To view Michael’s website, please go to www.michaelsnedic.com.

Rainforest Rescue continued it’s funding for restoration work at Booyong Flora Reserve during 2006, the eight-year of the program.

This work successfully controlled the regrowth of Madeira Vine, Wandering Creeper and Privet, plus a number of less serious environment weeds including Morning Glory, Cocos Palm, White Passionflower, Turkey Rhubarb, Moth Vine, Smooth Senna, Mistflower, Camphor Laurel and Hairy Commelina. and other weeds which, if not treated, would threaten the long term survival of the remnant. The work was spread over 12 months.

The ongoing control of weed infestations have resulted in an overall reduction in the abundance of a variety of environmental weeds. Follow-up weed control activities have ultimately provided for unrestricted expansion and regeneration of the rainforest. There is a noticeable thickening of the rainforest in canopy gaps and a constant expansion of the forest edges. All of the work is ongoing owing to the nature of the site. The moist shaded, nutrient rich conditions are a haven for weeds such as Madeira Vine and Wandering Creeper. Regular flooding deposits new weed propagules throughout the reserve.

The Booyong remnant is also favoured habitat for birds and bats, which constantly disperse propagules of Privet, Ochna and Cocos Palm throughout the reserve from outside sources. Tree-falls regularly occur within the rainforest and the associated increase in light levels allows previously suppressed weeds to establish. Maintenance work is therefore ongoing until such a stage that weed invasion has no significant impact on the self-sustaining capabilities of the rainforest.

A summary of the control status of major weeds at Booyong follows

Madeira Vine - There is an ongoing reduction in the quantity of tuberling abundance in all areas of infestation. A combination of hand weeding and spraying methods has been an effective strategy to date. Some very large and deeply buried tubers have been dug up and removed from the site. These tubers are so large that they would otherwise require many years of repeated herbicide application to deplete them. However, there are always some tubers that are so deeply buried in silt that they cannot be physically removed and spray application of herbicide is the only control method available. The regrowth of Madeira Vine continues to climb only in sunlit gaps and in open areas of the riverbank. Re-treatment of young vines always occurs regularly enough to prevent them attaining the size necessary for new tuber production. This way the spread of the vine is limited and the overall population reduced to a residual infestation.

Wandering Creeper - From the original infestation of around 75% groundcover, Wandering Creeper has been reduced to less than 10% cover. In most areas removal of the competition of this weed has resulted in recruitment of mature phase seedlings and allowed for the natural complex layering of the rainforest to develop. Throughout the main area of rainforest the infestation has been reduced to isolated patches of regrowth as a result of an extensive spraying programme. Wandering Creeper remains particularly problematic along the muddy banks of Cudgera Creek as well as the steep banks of the Wilson River. A significant amount of time has been spent hand removing this weed from the areas amongst sensitive groundcovers such as native ferns. In these areas a long term approach, involving gradual removal of weeds and consistent replacement with native ground cover is required to ensure overall success of the regeneration programme.

Privet - Both Large and Small-leaved privet are major woody weed problems for the remnant. The long history of work at the site has ensured that all of the mature Privets have been treated. While this action has stimulated the growth of native plants by freeing up resources it has also inspired a mass germination of Privet seedlings. Privets reliably occur around the edges of the rainforest and in the vicinity of previously treated trees. They also occur randomly throughout the entire site, persisting in areas of low sunlight. All Privet seedlings are controlled as part of follow-up weeding at the site, effectively preventing the establishment of mature trees. Nonetheless, recruiting Privet trees will always be a management issue for the remnant, owing to the constant input of propagules from outside sources.

Other weeds - There are a variety of environmental weeds which represent minor ongoing management concerns for the remnant. These include Morning Glory, Cocos Palm, White Passionflower, Turkey Rhubarb, Moth Vine, Smooth Senna, Mistflower, Camphor Laurel and Hairy Commelina. These weeds are prevalent around the edges of the remnant and in the areas of flying fox camps. Control of these weeds is part of the routine maintenance of the site, which ensures that they are unable to establish to the extent that the quality of the rainforest is significantly affected.

As Christmas and the festive season approaches many businesses start to consider their choices for corporate gifts. Bottles of wine and other well-worn favorites have lost their appeal. This year we invite you to give a gift that gives twice by choosing to send a Rainforest Rescue Gift Card. Rainforest Rescue offers two unique Gift Cards.

You can choose to save the Daintree – each $2 buys one square metre of the World Heritage value Daintree rainforest. We’ve saved eight properties so far by purchasing and placing them in a Nature Refuge.

Or you can choose to Plant a Tree for you colleagues and business associates. While sponsoring the planting of one tree is $25 if you plant fifty trees they are only $10 each.

The Cards detail the contribution that your business has made to saving or restoring our rainforests.

For example, Dear Mary, Bill and Joe have bought you a gift of fifty square metres of the Daintree rainforest to be protected on your behalf. Or, Dear Mary, Bill and Joe have bought you a gift of fifty rainforest trees to be planted on your behalf.

The cards can be customised, such as personalised text and corporate logo printing.

If you have any questions please contact

Rainforest Rescue
Phone: 1300 763 611
Email: info@rainforestrescue.org.au

This Christmas we invite you to give a gift that gives twice by choosing to send a unique Rainforest Rescue Gift Card.

You can choose to save the Daintree – each $2 buys one square metre of the World Heritage value Daintree rainforest. We’ve saved eight properties so far by purchasing and placing them in a Nature Refuge.

Or you can choose to Plant a Tree for you colleagues and business associates. While sponsoring the planting of one tree is $25 if you plant fifty trees they are only $10 each.

The Cards detail the contribution that you have made to saving or restoring our rainforests.

For example, Dear Mary, Bill and Joe have bought you a gift of fifty square metres of the Daintree rainforest to be protected on your behalf. Or, Dear Mary, Bill and Joe have bought you a gift of fifty rainforest trees to be planted on your behalf.

If you have any questions please contact
Rainforest Rescue
Phone: 1300 763 611
Email: info@rainforestrescue.org.au

By Dee Tipping

You may be sorry for the loss of one of Australia’s great wildlife heroes at the moment or still trying to work out if the international outpouring of grief over his death is a Hollywood beat up. However with all the hullabaloo around Mr Irwin’s premature demise one thing is for sure that those in the business of habitat conservation would be blessing the exposure his passing has given to the merit of conserving wildlife habitat, and more importantly, not necessarily to the converted but to a much broader audience.

If there is one consolation for his family many more Australians who just thought Mr Irwin was good for promoting the word Crikey and dangling dead chooks in front of gnashing crocodiles, are now more aware that he had a far more deeper commitment to wildlife than taunting it. His life and his death have highlighted an important message both here and abroad for the benefit of wildlife and its habitat- Buy IT Back.

All the publicity in the world could only do so much but both Mr Irwin and his wife recognized that the only way to really save wildlife was to save its habitat and that meant buying back the land to save it from future land clearing or development. Through Wildlife Warriors Worldwide Mr Irwin and his wife Terri invested some of his huge television earnings into the environment. Founded in 2002 it is estimated that WWW currently owns around 90,000 ha of land as safe wildlife havens in southern and western Queensland as well as other countries. Funds are also directed to an animal hospital.

Another fund devoted to buying back land for preservation purposes is Rainforest Rescue, which has been pushing the message of habitat buy-back for eight years, in particular concentrating on areas in the Daintree Rainforest that are earmarked for development. Despite the Queensland State Government’s recent decision to inject $10 million dollars towards protecting parts of the Daintree, there are still numerous blocks of land being offered for sale and for development. Sadly, the growth in population is pushing the endangered Cassowary to extinction. It is estimated that there are only around 1000 Cassowaries in the wild today. The increase in residential settlement in the Daintree will also lead to calls for a reduction in crocodile numbers. Steve Irwin was strongly against the killing of any crocodiles and buying back land before it is developed is a certain way to protect these amazing creatures.

With the support of everyday Australian’s, Rainforest Rescue has now contributed to the purchase of eight properties and is committed to purchasing many more “We’ve had everyone from young children donating a few dollars of their pocket money to businesses donating substantial amounts, all in aid of our precious Daintree rainforest”. Says Kelvin Davies Executive officer of Rainforest Rescue “Each $2 will buy and protect one square metre of Daintree rainforest. Donations from the public are essential in helping to buy back more rainforest blocks and protecting them forever. To contribute to the ‘Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project’ with your tax-deductible donation, Ph 1300 763 611 , Visit at www.rainforestrescue.org.au. Post a cheque or money order made out to Rainforest Rescue, PO Box 1511 Toowong, Queenlsand 4066.

Cup of coffee for the Rainforests?

Australian workers are giving up the equivalent of a cup of coffee a week and joining forces to help Rainforest Rescue with a donation from their pay packet. And because of recent tax incentives, in real terms the donation only costs them about half the amount they are giving. (depending on income tax bracket)

If just 10% of Australian workers donated $5 a week through Workplace Giving an extra $250 million would be raised for community organisations. And what a difference that would make.

Because a donation through Workplace Giving to Rainforest Rescue is deducted before being taxed you get the tax-deduction immediately. So if you give up just one cup of coffee a week valued at $2.50, taking into consideration the tax-deduction you get for your charitable donation, in real terms it costs you only $1.45. (based on tax rate of 42% ex Medicare levy)

Equivalent of 1 Coffee
Actual weekly cost $2.50
Real reduction in take home pay only $1.45
Actual annual cost to employee $75.40
Annual donation to charity $130.00

Workplace Giving operates by having employees donate to their nominated charity from their regular pay. Charities Aid Foundation can answer all of your questions and help you to set up a Workplace Giving program for you as an employee or for your workplace or business.

If you want to know more about Workplace Giving in support of Rainforest Rescue please contact the Charities Aid Foundation – phone: 1300 653 567, visit: www.cafaustralia.org.au or email: info@cafaustralia.org.au