In this 3-part series Alice Moffett shares her experiences visiting Rainforest Rescue’s Plant a Rainforest Project in Indonesia, including each location on the Orangutan Adventure Trek’s itinerary. In part 1 she had just viewed the Orangutans at the Bukit Lawang Orangutan Viewing Centre and in part 2 she stepped into the Gunung Leuser National Park for a refreshing and memorable rainforest trek. Now, for the final installation Alice takes some time with the community managed rainforest rehabilitation project and sees how a local community are ensuring a more sustainable future – one tree at a time.

I am so looking forward to meeting the people and organisation that Rainforest Rescue are working with to help conserve the Sumatran Orangutan and its habitat by supporting communities to rehabilitate illegally cleared rainforest within Sumatra’s Gunung Leuser National Park. The organisation is the Sumatran Orangutan Society – Orangutan Information Centre (SOS-OIC) and they are based Medan, Indonesia.

Imagine the hustle and bustle of Medan, Indonesia’s third largest city. Becak and bemo drivers (motorbike and small bus taxis) shooting this way and that, pungent street markets and heavy traffic, everyone busy with business to do. Here I meet SOS-OIC’s Founding Director, Panut Hadiswoyo and together we make our way out of the city to the site of the rainforest rehabilitation program. We drive for 2.5 hours through small villages connected by vast stretches of oil palm mono-culture plantations until we arrive at our destination, Langkat District, on the border of the Gunung Leuser National Park (GNLP). Children smile and wave at the site of the SOS-OIC car; easy to spot with a large orange Orangutan painted on the side.

Here, OIC is working with the community to rehabilitate 400 hectares of former rainforest that lie within the national park. Adding to the 6 million hectares in Indonesia that has already been converted to oil palm plantations[1], this land has been illegally cleared, destroying the habitat of the Sumatran Orangutan. The illegal encroachment has been stopped and the company responsible has been ejected from the park, however, their legacy of destruction remains.  Where the palms have been cleared only grasslands remain; degraded soil and bolting weeds create challenges for forest rehabilitation efforts.

A community managed cooperative called Ketapel has been established to manage the rehabilitation works. One of the group’s members, Bapak Sukirman puts down his tools to tell me his story. Bapak Sukirman works in both palm oil production and rainforest rehabilitation. His usual day begins with cutting down the fruit from the oil palms with a long bamboo pole to which a traditional knife (egrek) is attached. In the afternoon he dons his Ketapel shirt and joins the Farmer’s Group for tree planting and maintenance.

The Farmer’s Group Cooperative consists of 45 paid individuals plus family and community members who volunteer their time. Besides nursery care, planting and maintenance of new trees, members of the group also act as internal forest patrollers, committed to rehabilitating the forest and telling the oil palm companies where and where not to plant new oil palms.

Harmoniously, benefits are bestowed on the community, the forest and the Orangutan population. Bapak Sukirman tells me that the Project helps him and his community – his wage from the OIC rehabilitation program is more than one and a half times his wage from the palm oil company.

The GLNP is a UNESCO Tropical Rainforest Heritage Site and provides approximately half of the Sumatran Orangutan’s habitat range and provides essential habitat for other critically endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger. This ecosystem also provides an important water table for approximate 4 million people living in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra who are dependent on the park’s natural resources. Bapak Sukirman says that there is already a water shortage because the natural forest is being replaced by thirsty oil palms. Sometimes he and his community must go to other villages to get water. He says we must leave the forest intact for the next generation.

By supporting the OIC and Ketapel Farmer’s Group, Rainforest Rescue has helped to plant 5000 trees over 5 hectares in the past year. Within the project target area there are still a further 322 hectares that require rehabilitation – that means we need to plant another 322,000 trees.

By donating to Rainforest Rescue’s Plant A Rainforest Indonesia Project or by joining the Orangutan Adventure Trek- every $1 will plant a rainforest tree and every $1,000 will plant and maintain a hectare of rainforest while providing a sustainable alternate livelihood and income to a farmer with a good cause.

There have been other cassowary fatalities in this area. It is on a Main Roads section of road which displays an advisory speed limit of 60km/h within an 80 km/h zone.

It appears that this is another case of a Cassowary being hit by a vehicle and the driver not stopping.

A couple travelling out of Mission Beach saw a Cassowary standing next to something on the other side of the road bending down and touching it with its beak. They stopped and realised then it was another Cassowary.

They described the scene “it was standing over the other (dead) bird and it looked like it was trying to pull it up”

Another witness who stopped called the police to report the ‘traffic hazard’ because the other bird wouldn’t go away. “It kept pecking it and nudging it. It would walk into the bush and come back out again”

When a wildlife life carer arrived the bird was sitting a few metres away under the cover of the rainforest.

The dead bird was removed by a Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger.

More signs went up and life went back to normal… for the motorists, that is.

Why there were two birds on the scene raises some questions. Both of the birds were identified as similar in appearance being a reasonably young adults i e had full colour, black plumage with a well formed, relatively small casque.

Being a territorial species it is not common to see two adults being tolerant of each other unless it is the breeding season. December is getting very late in the season. Most of the birds being observed now are solitary or moving about the landscape with their chicks which range from a few weeks to a few months old.

So much is still unknown about the prehistoric bird, a key stone species of the rainforest, and one we have the privilege to share our lives with. Yet there is complacency about their plight and even dislike of their presence from some local residents.

It has been said” I wish I had never heard of Cassowaries, they are holding up progress” and even at the scene of the death a month ago “Get it off the road, they are just a bloody nuisance’‘

No one driving past the site since Sunday would know that another (likely breeding) adult Cassowary had been killed at this location and removed from the important population at Mission Beach. It was simply another wildlife roadkill.

Picture taken by Robert Tidey 12 Dec 09

Despite overwhelming evidence that vehicle strike is a major cause of Cassowary deaths, traffic-producing development continues to be approved without traffic-calming measures to protect the endangered species at Mission Beach.

The Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) has being voicing their concerns to all levels of government for 20 years and yet urbanisation continues and with it increased traffic. At Mission Beach all traffic travels through cassowary habitat.

A recent report commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency found that there are 1100 vacant blocks of land and over 900 new units currently approved or being assessed. The actual number is more.

A local real estate agent admits there is an oversupply of real estate at Mission Beach with many blocks going unsold at the regular land auctions now being held to try and move sales.

The local business group promotes Mission Beach as an adventure playground and purposefully plays down the importance of the Cassowary to the Mission Beach tourism economy.

The Cassowary once revered as an integral part of Mission Beach identity is now being seen as an inconvenience and a hindrance to progress.

Picture taken by Nancy Lowe 11 Dec 09

Cassowary Coast Council must start taking responsibility and show political will by acknowledging the importance of the cassowary population to the health of our rainforest, our community and our economy. Immediate steps need to be taken to manage and control the ongoing and increasing threats associated with development the Council is approving.

Local, state and federal legislation is allowing for serious environmental harm to occur at Mission Beach. C4 urgently calls for a temporary freeze on more development approval especially those that disregard the FNQ 2031 plan.

We ask the federal government to pay particular attention to the impact traffic will have on the continued presence of the cassowary when assessing any current and future developments in important cassowary population areas.

40% of cassowary habitat at Mission Beach is not protected. C4 has already raised $80,000 to buyback and protect forever cassowary habitat. We recently entered into a fundraising partnership with renowned Rainforest Rescue. Bob Irwin is our champion and encourages people to please donate to help secure essential cassowary habitat in the lowland tropical rainforests of Mission Beach, We hope State and Federal governments will match donations from the public, which seems fair given Cassowaries are listed as endangered under their legislation, although that could be an inconvenient truth.

For more information contact;
Liz Gallie
0414 402315
(07)40687 315
or
C4 (07) 4068 7197

A cassowary chick has died after being hit by a car in the Daintree. The bird was struck and left beside the Cape Kimberley Road, north of the Daintree River, sparking fresh pleas from Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers for drivers to slow down and be extra cautious on rainforest roads. Senior ranger Tina Alderson said the dead bird was found by a Daintree resident last week. Its death follows a vehicle strike near Mission Beach, south of Cairns, which killed an adult cassowary several weeks ago.

The areas are known for cassowary warning signs. “The chick was found just beyond signage warning motorists of cassowaries in the area,” Ms Alderson said. “It weighed about 4kg and would have still been with its father.” She urged motorists to “do their bit” for conservation of the bird, which is listed as endangered. People can report dead cassowaries in the Daintree region to Queensland Parks and Wildlife ’s Mossman office on 4098 2188, and in other areas on 1300 130 372. * Cairns Post

Through their ‘Christmas Rescue’ Campaign, Rainforest Rescue are offering Gift Cards devoted to a range of projects that allow purchasers to nominate number of trees planted, or square metres / hectares protected. Each card details the gift with a special front cover photo or exclusive Leunig cartoon along with an inner description of the project outcomes achieved.

Rainforest Rescue Gift Cards can be sent directly to a recipient anywhere in the world with a personalised message inside or they can be sent to the giver’s address for personal delivery.

Critically endangered species like the Daintree’s Southern Cassowary and Indonesia’s Orangutans are among many who have little to celebrate this Christmas. And with deforestation causing 25% of global emissions, protecting rainforests is really a gift for everyone. Through their ‘Rescue Christmas’ campaign, Rainforest Rescue urge all those concerned for our planet to consider this easy and affordable way to find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone. Orders can be placed online at www.rainforestrescue.org.au or by phoning 1300 763 611.

In this spirit of co-operative contribution, Rainforest Rescue’s patron George Lewin is making an extraordinary offer :

For every individual who signs up to a ‘$1 a day commitment’ as an Ongoing Giver to Rainforest Rescue during Australian Giving Week, George will match their annual contribution, up to a total of $10,800! This means that we only need to sign up thirty new Regular Givers at $1 a day, for George to donate an extra $10,800 all of which will go towards Rainforest Rescue’s worthy projects.

However this offer from George is only open during Australian Giving Week — 29 November to 5 December 2009. We need to act fast in maximising this opportunity to make a massive contribution to our rainforests.

Be one of the first thirty people who rise to the challenge. Commit to ‘$1 a day’ ($30 per month) during Giving Week and every $1 you contribute in your first year will be matched by George Lewin — effectively doubling your money!

But you must ACT NOW. Join us with your monthly commitment for as little as $1 a day. From your Credit Card (join up online) or your Bank or Credit Union account (downloadable form to fax or post back).

BOB Irwin is the face of Australia’s koala and hairy-nose wombat conservation campaigns, and now he is fighting to save the endangered cassowary.

The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin won hearts when he made a special trip to the Far North this week to nationally launch a land buyback scheme for Mission Beach, south of Cairns.

Mr Irwin is urging Australians to donate money to Rainforest Rescue for voluntary rainforest block buybacks, and he has called on the State and Federal governments to match whatever money is raised.

“The best estimate is we have 1000 cassowaries left in North Queensland … and in Mission Beach the population may now be as low as 40,” he told a crowd of supporters yesterday.

“These birds are in danger of extinction and we need to act right now to preserve their habitat. We want every single (rainforest) block that can be purchased by the public and government.”

Rainforest Rescue’s Kelvin Davies said his not-for-profit organisation had previously sunk $600,000 worth of donations into land purchases for nature refuges in the Daintree.

“We can keep writing letters to politicians but we can also take a lead for the government to follow,” he told the crowd of his joint campaign with Mr Irwin and Mission Beach conservation group C4.

The local organisation has estimated about 40 per cent of its town’s essential cassowary habitat remains unprotected. Mr Davies said valuable land was already on the market.

“We won’t be coercing anyone to sell,” he said. “But we are on the lookout for rainforest properties and while one or two properties won’t solve the problem we do hope it will demonstrate to all levels of government that people want this.”

Donations were already trickling in after a launch on the group’s website late on Wednesday, he said.

A new Nature Refuge has been created in the Daintree rainforest through a declaration by the Queensland Parliament.

Lot 22 Camelot Close at Cape Tribulation was purchased by not for profit organisation Rainforest Rescue in April 2007. “That’s when the work began to create the Nature Refuge” said Kelvin Davies CEO of Rainforest Rescue.

Many people think living in the Daintree will be paradise, especially if they arrive in winter. The summer wet season usually brings a different outlook with near constant rain and high humidity. “When we purchased the property it was an excellent example of the abandoned Daintree dream,” said Kelvin.  Two derelict old caravans covered in mould and a range of building materials including the kitchen sink filled a clearing the previous owners had made in the rainforest. Plants for the intended garden had escaped, become weeds and were invading the rainforest understorey.

The caravans were cut up and truckloads of rubbish were taken to the Cow Bay transfer station or further south on trailers. Then the weeds were tackled with a consistent approach requiring multiple follow up visits. Finally 500 trees were planted in the clearing to complete the restoration process. At that stage Rainforest Rescue lodged its application with the Queensland Government and following a thorough assessment of the conservation values of the property, Nature Refuge status was conferred through an Act of the Queensland Parliament.

The Nature Refuge agreement between Rainforest Rescue and the Queensland Government will ensure the land is protected forever and has the exclusive purpose of nature conservation. The kuku yalanji people of the Daintree were asked to give a name to the property choosing the ‘kulki anga’ Nature Refuge. In the kuku yalanji language kulki anga means ‘Cape Tribulation home for wildlife’.

The property is covered in lowland tropical rainforest and has the Tribulation Creek running through it. Being located within a Cairns Regional Council ‘rainforest residential precinct’ the land could have been developed for housing if not purchased by Rainforest Rescue

The new Nature Refuge has plenty to catch the eye. Cassowaries, Bennetts Tree-kangaroos, Striped Possums, Orange-footed Scrub Fowl and other wildlife regularly visit and there are some spectacular trees. The high conservation value of the property has been confirmed by a very large list of plants recorded in a survey. The 2.12 hectare property has an amazing 185 species of trees & shrubs in addition to 24 species of ferns. The largest tree is an ancient Strangler Fig measuring over 11 metres circumference at chest height and an impressive specimen of Hope’s Cycad stands at 6 m in height

Rainforest Rescue’s purchase of the property and its protection as a declared Nature Refuge saves this precious rainforest from development. Their Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project has financed the purchase and protection of 11 properties so far, independent of government funding. Money has been raised through individuals in the Australian community making tax-deductible donations to Rainforest Rescue and by businesses sponsorships.

Rainforest Rescue have placed a deposit on their 12th property; to make a donation and help buy back the Daintree phone 1300 763 611 or visit www.rainforestrescue.org.au

© The Cairns Post

BOB Irwin is heading north to protect the cassowary by promoting land buybacks at Mission Beach. The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin will visit the tourist town south of Cairns on Thursday with Rainforest Rescue delegates who are calling for the public’s help with a voluntary land buyback scheme.

Mr Irwin has previously thrown his weight behind campaigns to save the koala and stop the Traveston Dam.

Rainforest Rescue’s chief executive officer Kelvin Davies said the state and federal government’s failure to move quickly on the matter had convinced his organisation to swing into action, and enlist the help of a high-profile campaigner.

“We can’t wait for the Government to start this (but) we will be calling on them and on local government to review development at Mission Beach,” Mr Davies said yesterday.

The not-for-profit group has sunk $600,000 worth of donations into land purchases in the Daintree and also has projects in Ecuador and Indonesia.

Mission Beach conservation group C4’s spokeswoman Liz Gallie said about 40 per cent of the town’s essential cassowary habitat was unprotected and a lot of that land was in urban areas.

Many other blocks of rainforest also needed protection but were not listed by Government as essential habitat because they were regrowth forest.

She believes a successful buyback scheme would cost tens of millions of dollars.
Ms Gallie said the EPA had recorded 56 cassowary deaths in the past 15 years from cars, but when dogs and habitat loss were taken into account the toll was much higher.

Rainforest Rescue has been speaking with Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett about more land buybacks in the Daintree and will also be calling for help with Mission Beach.

Land packages would become nature reserves, Mr Davies said.

“We want this to be a national buyback initiative, there would be no rescinding of development rights as there was in the Daintree,” he said.

“What we’re calling for is voluntary buybacks of freehold rainforest properties.”

“Published results of a survey conducted in 2007 by Galaxy Research found that nearly $1 billion is spent on unwanted Christmas Gifts each year”.

The ideal Christmas Gift is one that keeps on giving. Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Gift Cards are ideal Christmas presents for family and friends; they detail how many square metres of the Daintree you have saved on behalf of your friends and loved ones. Each Gift Card has space for a personal message (i.e Dear Mary, Bill has bought you a gift of  _ _ _ square metres of the Daintree rainforest to be protected on your behalf). The cards can be sent to your address or directly to the recipients.

Order your Daintree Gift Cards today online or phone 1300 763 611.

By ordering one of Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Gift Cards as an original Christmas gift you will helping to protect the World Heritage value Daintree Rainforest from development.

“Gift Card sales will make a significant contribution to both our Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project and the Plant a Rainforest campaign. This year more Australians are recognising how we need to make a difference when it comes to our environment.” Said Kelvin Davies, CEO of Rainforest Rescue.

Each $25 saves five square metres of the Daintree Rainforest which Rainforest Rescue will purchase and protect on your behalf.

About the Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project.

A large area of the remaining Daintree tropical rainforest far north Queensland is situated on freehold land. Laws and regulations to prevent clearing & development are inadequate. Rainforest Rescue is  strategically buying back properties and eleven have been purchased and protected so far with community support. The rescued rainforest receives protection from rural residential and commercial development in perpetuity.

Order your Daintree Gift Cards today online or phone 1300 763 611.

Cassowaries assist in seed dispersal by spreading the rainforest seeds via their droppings. According to information obtained at the Cassowary Summit in Cairns last week, Cassowaries are known eat the fruit of some 248 different types of rainforest trees.

The seedlings planted over the past two years are now well established with some trees now between 3 to 4 metres high and the subsequent plantings are also doing well. The 8 hectare block, located on Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan, was initially cleared for development before it was purchased by the Queensland Government in the 1990s as part of the government’s Daintree Buy Back Scheme.

A Memorandum of Understanding is in place with the EPA’s Queensland Parks and Wildlife Department to revegetate the block of denuded land in the Daintree. Before planting, the Discovery Centre staff embarked on a weed eradication program.

Local school children are encouraged to collect seeds and the Daintree Cassowary Care Group plays a crucial role in propagating thousands of trees for revegetation. Additional plantings will continue in conjunction with groups such as Rainforest Rescue and the Daintree Cassowary Care Group.

The multi award winning Discovery Centre is a world-class interpretive facility nestled in the heart of the rainforest, just 10 kilometres north of the Daintree River and boasts a spectacular Aerial Walkway leading to a 23m high Canopy Tower.

The tower provides viewing of the very top of the rainforest canopy, while the walkway allows unprecedented access to the mid level rainforest. For international visitors, Audio-Guides are available in 6 languages.

An accredited Wet Tropics visitor Information Centre, the Daintree Discovery Centre also carries Advanced Eco-Tourism Accreditation and is open daily from 8.30am to 5pm.