A $25 Orangutan Gift Card will restore 500 square metres of habitat for the Critically Endangered Sumatran Orangutan

With a Rainforest Rescue Gift Card you can plant your Mum a tree
or buy her very own patch of rainforest.

Order your gift card now in time for Mother’s Day

Our Rainforest Gift Cards are the perfect gift for a nature loving Mum and represent the gift you’ve given to protect and restore our precious rainforests.

You’ll not only be showing your mum that you care, but that you care enough about the future of our rainforests to help make a real difference.

No matter what her passions or interests – from planting a tree to protecting rainforests in the Daintree, from restoring Orangutan habitat to protecting the Cloud Forests of Ecuador – you can be sure to find the perfect gift for your mum this Mother’s Day.

What better way to say ‘I love you Mum’ than with a gift that keeps on giving.

With Mother’s Day on Sunday 13th May there is less than two weeks to organise your gift.

To make it easy you can order your Rainforest Gift Card online now

Or you can call us on 1300 763 611

To ensure your order is dispatched in time for Mother’s Day
place your order by Wednesday 9th May as a minimum three
days is required for delivery by Australia Post.

Volunteers from Rainforest Rescue, Terrain, Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4), Girringun Aboriginal Rangers, Conservation Volunteers Australia and Cassowary Coast Regional Council assisted in the planting of 600 native rainforest tree species at Mission Beach to restore critical Cassowary habitat

Project partner Terrain NRM managed the tree planting event which saw teams of nearly 50 volunteers plant about 600 native rainforest trees.

The high density of Cassowaries at Mission Beach means the restoration of rainforest corridors, which provide them with habitat, food and safe passage, is crucial to the survival of the endangered species.

Terrain’s Mission Beach Local Area Planner Tony O’Malley said this particular site was specifically chosen for the project, as it was identified as being one of the rainforest corridors most in need of revegetation.

A variety of tree species were planted with a particular focus on Cassowary food trees such as quandongs, lilly pillies and Bandicoot Berries.

The trees were planted by a collaboration of volunteers from Rainforest Rescue, Terrain, Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4), Girringun Aboriginal Rangers, Conservation Volunteers Australia and Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

Terrain will maintain the site including weed management and dependant on subsequent rainfall, water the trees.

A further 800 trees will be planted on the property in the coming months.

Terrain is also consulting with local landholders to identify other potential sites for Cassowary habitat restoration.

Mr O’Malley said, “I’m aware of quite a few landholders in the region who are willing to participate in the restoration of Cassowary habitat if they are supported by organisations such as Terrain and Rainforest Rescue.”

Rainforest Rescue’s CEO and Founding Director, Kelvin Davies said, “Following Cyclone Yasi we had a significant response from the community. In particular we received wonderful support from the Mazda Foundation, North Queensland Wildlife Trust and the Taronga Zoo Foundation.”

He said, “We are particularly proud to be funding such a collaborative approach to rainforest restoration for Cassowary habitat recovery in Mission Beach. We look forward to working with Terrain over the coming years.”

Rainforest Rescue is a national not-for-profit organisation and Terrain, also not-for-profit, supports natural resource management in the Wet Tropics region.

Project success is saving rainforest and Orangutans

Does the project to restore Orangutan habitat actually work? This question, vital to any project can be answered with a resounding yes. Recently the Orangutan Information Center team was delighted to find the nest of an Orangutan in the rainforest restoration area. Orangutans build nests or platforms out of leaves and branches to sleep in overnight and rest in during the day. The team were enormously encouraged by the direct evidence that an Orangutan had been using the rainforest restored through their hard work and the funding provided by generous donors.

Nest of an Orangutan in the rainforest restoration area

Then only a few days later the team saw the first Sumatran Orangutan in rainforest they had restored and took this slightly fuzzy photo. I’m sure you can imagine their delight and great sense of satisfaction in knowing that there is an achievable solution to the problem of deforestation, a problem that is pushing the Sumatran Orangutan to the edge of extinction.

Orangutan located in the rainforest restoration area

The project is tackling deforestation head on. Across Sumatra palm oil companies cut down and burn the rainforest. They use every inch of land to plant Oil Palms and, if they can get away with it they will plant them inside national parks as well. The boundaries of the Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra are being encroached and palm oil plantations are being established illegally. If the Sumatran Orangutan and other critically endangered wildlife are to be rescued these illegal activities need to be stopped.

Areas of rainforest cleared for palm oil plantations

The project is taking direct action, the palm oil company has been evicted from the National Park and their 500 hectare illegal plantation is being removed and the rainforest restored. Not only does this restore 500 hectares for rainforest, importantly it prevents any further illegal deforestation in this section of the National Park. In the past four years the team have removed 440 hectares of oil palms and are actively restoring the rainforest. So far the project has planted 254,000 trees. Now it’s time to complete the job.

You can help us with a tax-deductible donation.

Staff from the OIC removing illegally planted Oil Palms

The final stage of the work at this site will involve the removal of a further 5,460 illegally planted Oil Palms, the propagation of 60,000 seedlings and the restoration of 60 hectares of Orangutan habitat. The area will be patrolled and monitored to protect the restored areas and prevent further deforestation. All of this is done by engaging local communities living alongside the national park, creating local employment and a more sustainable future.

Keep this project going with your donation.

48% of Sumatra's rainforest has been cleared in the last 25yrs

Of the 6,624 Sumatran Orangutans remaining, 90% survive in the Gunung Leuser National Park and the forests of the adjacent Leuser Ecosystem. Protecting the National Park from illegal activities including encroachment by palm oil companies is essential if we want the Sumatran Orangutan and many other unique species to survive. This map shows the extent of deforestation in Sumatra over the past few decades. We really must protect the Gunung Leuser National Park from palm oil plantations and other illegal activities if the Sumatran Orangutan is to survive in the wild.

Rainforest Rescue volunteer Dave Rawlins helping to remove illegally planted Oil Palms in Sumatra

Dave Rawlins, a Rainforest Rescue volunteer from Australia visited the project in North Sumatra in March 2011 and will be returning next month. Dave is a biologist and bush regenerator sharing skills with the team on the ground. Staff members from the Orangutan Information Centre have also visited Australia to build up skills helpful to the project.

Orangutan Information Centre Director Panut Hadisiswoyo and staff at the project site in North Sumatra

A great project managed by great people. The project is managed in Sumatra by the Orangutan Information Centre Director and 2012 UN Hero of the Forests Award finalist Panut Hadisiswoyo. Panut is pictured (right) with two of his staff at the project site. On the sign “Tree Nursery and Community Empowerment Program for Rehabilitation of the Gunung Leuser National Park region. Halaban Village, Besitang Sub-district, Langkat District, North Sumatra”.

Please make a donation to ensure we can keep removing the illegal oil palms

Over 91% of Sumatran Orangutans live in the Gunung Leuser National Park

Extensive clearing of rainforest on the island of Sumatra has restricted Orangutan populations to only 18 habitat blocks ranging in size from 1,000 to 93,400 hectares with a total of 694,000 hectares of suitable habitat. The most viable populations (91% of Sumatran Orangutan) are in the Gunung Leuser National Park and the Leuser Ecosystem. It is therefore of critical conservation importance that the Gunung Leuser National Park is protected from illegal establishment of palm oil plantations.

For each $1 donated we will plant a tree

The exploding development of palm oil plantations is the single biggest cause of deforestation in Sumatra. Palm Oil companies illegally cut down and burn forest even within National Parks to plant Oil Palms. We need a coordinated fight back to save this vital Orangutan habitat from destruction!

Only 6,624 Sumatran Orangutans remain in the wild

It only costs $1 to add a tree to this special rainforest for the Sumatran Orangutans

We are seeking support to keep this important project going. The next stage involves cutting down 5,460 Oil Palms and the planting of 60,000 rainforest trees that will restore 60 hectares of rainforest for the Sumatran Orangutan.

Please help keep this important project going by making a tax-deductible donation today

In January, the Human Orangutan Conflict Response Unit (HOCRU) – managed by the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC), our partners in North Sumatra – discovered a female Orangutan and her infant isolated in farmlands being cleared for an Oil Palm plantation. The Orangutans were then safely moved back into the Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP). The team has been monitoring their progress, and we’re delighted to report that they’re doing well, and finding plenty of food in the forest.

Last week the HOCRU team returned to the same area to check whether any other Orangutans were in trouble, and found another adult female and baby. Once again, they were safely relocated, saving them from certain death. Here, Panut Hadisiswoyo, Founding Director of the OIC, describes the rescue…

“The HOCRU team regularly responds to reports of Orangutans being spotted in farmlands next to the forest. Sometimes the Orangutans are able to return to the forests themselves, but sometimes they can become isolated, and resort to crop-raiding for survival.

Last week, the OIC’s HOCRU team, assisted by the Leuser Ecosystem Management Agency (BPKEL), Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) and local Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA), successfully rescued a female Orangutan and her baby. They were isolated in a large Oil Palm plantation in Aceh Tamiang, around five kilometres away from the National Park border.

The location of the rescue. On the left is the forest patch where the orangutans were found.

This follows the rescue of another mother and baby Orangutan in the Aceh Tamiang area just weeks earlier. Having been told there may be more Orangutans in need of help, the HOCRU team returned to the area. After searching for two days, they found the female Orangutan and her infant in the plantation. It was getting dark, so they decided to wait until the next day to attempt the rescue, but followed the Orangutans until they built their nest for the night.

The next morning, the rescue team got to work. First they tranquilised the baby Orangutan, a male thought to be around two years old.
Whilst Yenni, the SOCP vet, tended to the baby, the HOCRU team returned to capture his mother. HOCRU staff Krisna, Rabin and Rudi managed to tranquilise her and get her down safely from the tree.

HOCRU's Rudi Irmawan carries the tranquilised mother Orangutan

Thankfully, health checks showed that neither Orangutan had any injuries, so once they had regained consciousness the pair was released into the GLNP, having a second chance to roam freely in their natural habitat.

Mother and baby Orangutan are released back into the rainforest

We have received reports of at least six more Orangutans isolated in plantations in this area, which are in urgent need of evacuation. They cannot return to their natural forest habitat as the hills around the plantation have been cleared of all tree cover and are being converted for Oil Palm planting. The HOCRU team will return to help these Orangutans as soon as possible.

If Orangutan habitat continues to be converted for oil palm plantations in Aceh, more Orangutans will become isolated and this means more Orangutans are at risk of being slaughtered by palm oil workers, as we have seen happening in Borneo. It is also likely that we will see more conflict between humans and other species which are also losing their habitat, such as Sumatran Tigers and Elephants.”

The spread of Oil Palm plantations into critical Orangutan habitat is the single greatest threat to their survival. Rainforest Rescue in partnership with the Sumatran Orangutan Society is supporting the work of the OIC through protecting and restoring rainforest damaged by illegal clearing of Oil Palms in the National Park.

Through our Orangutan Habitat for Survival Project, Rainforest Rescue is funding an important project that involves the removal of 5,460 illegally planted Oil Palms, the propagation of 60,000 seedlings and the restoration of 60 hectares of Orangutan habitat within the Gunung Leuser National Park. All of this is done by local communities living alongside the National Park, creating local employment and a more sustainable future.

With only 6,624 Sumatran Orangutans left, time is running out. You can help save the Orangutan and other critically endangered species including the Sumatran Tiger, Elephant and Rhinoceros by making a donation in support of our project today.

Article courtesy of the Sumatran Orangutan Society

Cassowaries are endangered and under pressure from events such as cyclones, car strike and dog attack

A year ago today, Cyclone Yasi crossed the north Queensland coast at Mission Beach wreaking devastation on what little Cassowary habitat remains. Cassowaries were forced to leave their rainforest home in search of food, putting them in danger of being hit by cars and attacked by dogs.

Sadly the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have confirmed that # Cassowaries have died since the Cyclone. With scientists estimating that only 40 adult birds remain in Mission Beach, the situation is becoming dire.

There are few Australian rainforest species as iconic as the Endangered Southern Cassowary.

Referred to as the ‘gardener of the rainforest’ because of the 238 different species of rainforest seeds it disperses, the Cassowary is essential for rainforest ecology.

Loss of habitat through rural residential development has significantly reduced the number of Cassowaries to as few as 1,000 in the wild. With more than 80% of lowland rainforest gone, Cassowaries are fast running out of habitat.

To ensure the survival of this important rainforest species we need to ACT NOW. Will you help them survive?

Help fund our efforts to expand critical rainforest habitat for Cassowaries affected by the devastation of Cyclone Yasi. Make a tax-deductible now.

Immediately following the Cyclone in February 2011, Rainforest Rescue supporters generously responded to our urgent call for action, donating funds to establish feed stations.

This month, work will commence at Mission Beach to restore a critical Mission Beach Cassowary corridor. It will provide habitat, food, and a safe passage for generations of Cassowaries to come. And importantly it will increase resilience to future cyclonic impact.

Our goal is to plant 10,000 trees this wet season.

Our experience has shown that direct practical action is the most effective way to protect rainforests and the plants and animals that call it home. With the help of our supporters we have already planted 151,143 trees in the Daintree Rainforest and northern New South Wales.

Please, will you help us to restore rainforest habitat at Mission Beach too? As the largest area of lowland rainforest south of the Daintree River it is imperative that we protect the conservation values of this World Heritage valued area.

We don’t have much time left to get the trees in the ground this wet season. Please make a secure donation online now so we can put your contribution to immediate use to Save the Cassowary. Or call 1300 763 611 to make a donation by phone.

Having received reports of an Orangutan crop-raiding in Pante Buaya village, Besitang, the OIC’s HOCRU (Human Orangutan Conflict Response Unit) team visited the scene and discovered a male Orangutan had become isolated in farmland and appeared unwell, moving very slowly through the trees.

After monitoring the Orangutan for two days the HOCRU team worked with members of the local community and Orangutan rescue and rehabilitation organisation SOCP to move him.

The Orangutan was encouraged to move to lower trees then tranquilised by the SOCP vet and placed in a net before transportation.

The Orangutan was found to have two air rifle bullets in his body and one finger missing and is currently in the care of SOCP, undergoing further health checks.

“Human-orangutan conflict, caused by ongoing loss of habitat, is a major threat to orangutans in the wild,” says Helen Buckland, UK Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society. “It is only because of our supporters that we are able to tackle such problems; thank you. But we still need your help – these threats are not going away.”

You can help the Sumatran Orangutan by making a donation to our Orangutan Habitat for Survival Project by visiting http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/ourprojects/save-a-rainforest-orangutan.html.

Donations will be used to protect and restore 60 hectares of Orangutan habitat in the Gunung Leuser National park through the planting of trees, the removal of illegally planted Oil Palms, and the preventation of further clearing of the rainforest.

GlobalGiving provides an online platform that enables charities and grassroots organisations from around the world to connect with people who are looking to make a real impact with their donation.

Since commencing in 2002, 237,775 donors have donated a total of $54,824,175 to 5,024 projects, demonstrating the powerful reach that GlobalGiving has amassed.

“In order to spread our mission of Protecting Rainforests Forever, and to reach out to potential donors around the world, Rainforest Rescue is looking to secure a permanent spot on the GlobalGiving website. To do this we need to raise a minimum of $4000 from 50 unique donors by the 31st December 2011, “says Rainforest Rescue CEO Kelvin Davies.

“In gaining a permanent spot on the GlobalGiving website Rainforest Rescue will be able to reach to more people who are interested in protecting rainforests around the world and the plant and animals that call the rainforest home’, said Mr Davies.

Established in 1998, Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation that has been protecting and restoring rainforests in Australia and internationally by providing opportunities for individuals and businesses to Protect Rainforests Forever. Our projects re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance and restoration programs, as well as purchasing and protecting high conservation value rainforest and preserving its biodiversity.

Our conservation achievements include the purchase and protection of 15 properties in the Daintree Rainforest Lowlands as well as the planting of 148,000 trees in the Daintree and the Big Scrub Rainforest of northern New South Wales.

Through protecting and restoring rainforests in Australia we are also working to save the Endangered Southern Cassowary.

The Southern Cassowary is a ‘keystone’ species crucial for rainforest ecology as it is a major seed disperser for up to 150 rainforest plant species. Around 70 to 100 plant species depend entirely on the Cassowary to disperse their seeds in order for them to grow.

Continued rural residential development impacting on rainforest habitat has seen numbers reduced to as few as 1,000 in the wild. With Australia’s tropical rainforests the oldest on Earth, the loss of the Cassowary will result in the loss of significant biodiversity, impacting on a global scale.

Donations in support of our work to save the Endangered Southern Cassowary and to protect and restore critical rainforest habitat can be made via Global Giving.

“Not only will your donation help to Protect Rainforests Forever, it will help us to take advantage of a long-term fundraising opportunity through the GlobalGiving network,” says Mr Davies.

“With the challenge ending on December 31 we need as many people as possible to donate to our project. Earning a permanent spot on the GlobalGiving website will extend our reach globally which can only help us achieve greater conservation outcomes in the long-term”, Mr Davies said.

For further information please contact Rainforest Rescue on (02) 6684 4360 or email info@rainforestrescue.org.au

5^th December is International Volunteers Day. Rainforest Rescue thanks all volunteers who volunteer their time for rainforest conservation whether that includes tree planting in the back yard, in your local community or with Rainforest Rescue. A special thanks goes to our team based in the Daintree who volunteer at our Daintree Plant Nursery every Wednesday. The team help our Plant a Rainforest Project by collecting local provenance seed from our rainforest blocks and raising seedlings in the Nursery. Over 150 different species are propagated at the nursery, providing a bio-diverse resource for planting at the Cassowary Conservation Reserve.

A big thank you to all volunteers for your commitment to helping us restore and protect rainforest and biodiversity forever!

Lowland rainforest of subtropical Australia has been listed as a critically endangered ecological community. The majority of the remaining ‘big scrub’, as it is affectionately known, exists in the Byron/Ballina/Lismore region.

The new listing is the result of more than two years of effort by the Big Scrub Landcare group.

President of the group Dr Tony Parkes said, ‘This is a great achievement for a community organisation and a great outcome for the environment – we must protect these remaining patches of our magnificent lowland rainforest and its incredibly rich biodiversity’.

He added, ‘I hope that we can now access funding from the Commonwealth and NSW governments and from the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority so with our partners we can continue and expand our work in rehabilitating and providing ongoing care for the remnants of this critically endangered ecological community that is a regional, national and international treasure’.

Strangler Fig

The listing, under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 came into effect on 25 November. It will add a further level of protection to help prevent any further clearing of the remaining patches of lowland rainforest and it is hoped that critically important organisations like the Big Scrub Landcare group will now be funded for the essential ongoing management of weed infestations and other threats to the survival of this magnificent rainforest.

The listing was made by federal environment minister Tony Burke on the advice of the Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee after a comprehensive assessment.

A technical workshop with experts on the ecological community was held in Lismore in June last year. The nomination and a technical report, based on the workshop outcomes, were made available for public exhibition and comment. The committee has had regard to all public and expert comment that was relevant to the consideration of the ecological community.

Big Scrub Landcare lodged the nomination for listing in March 2009 and played a critical role in the assessment process. It financed from its own resources two expert reports by consultants that were necessary to supplement information provided by state and federal government agencies. Of critical importance was the report by Carmel Flint on the mapping of the current and pre-1750 area of this rainforest community. This showed that only seven per cent of the pre-1750 area of lowland rainforest remains, well below the threshold of 10 per cent for an endangered ecological community.