Joe Reichl Planting Trees for Rainforest rescue

Joe’s main concern is our Daintree Rainforest Plant Nursery. Joe said “It would have copped a beating”. He said he hadn’t been out to inspect Rainforest Rescue’s properties just yet or the tree planting sites, however he will do that as soon as he can and will send photos in the next few days. He reports that “The Cape Tribulation Road was blocked until 8.30 am this morning and the Daintree River Ferry was shut down until this morning. The noise of the cyclone was like standing behind a 707, it was just a huge roar. We only got one hour’s sleep. There is alot of damage to clear up now, we’ve copped a real flogging. There’s a giant repair job to be done.”

While it’s too early to say what the full impact of Cyclone Yasi on the Daintree will be Rainforest Rescue will continue to monitor the situation and post another report once we have a more detailed account. Until then our thoughts are with everyone in Far North Queensland as they start the recovery process from Cyclone Yasi.

Kelvin Davies
CEO
Rainforest Rescue

The sweat! The sun! The bugs! But the trees, my goodness, the trees! Tree planting isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

This June, my partner Jon and I had the opportunity to do some re-generation work in the Daintree for Rainforest Rescue. We worked alongside David Cook, the Daintree Conservation Project Officer (a lovely man), as well as Conservation Volunteers Australia (a diverse group of eager planters) as we planted 4,000 trees over two weeks. We planted two sites: one of which was a residential property that had been bought back by the Queensland Government; the other site was a privately owned and inhabited site that was mostly covered in Guinea Grass, a weed which the owner was more than happy to replace with rainforest trees.

There were many different native species of trees that we planted on each property, inter-mingling them all to try and re-create the biodiversity already found in untouched areas of the Daintree. The trees were just seedlings, “babies” as David Cook calls them, and each one needed to be planted with care. The gentler you are with the trees the more likely they are to survive, so we did our best to nurture the seedlings as they were introduced to their new homes.

The trees may be small when they start out, but they do grow quickly in the tropical climate. We visited sites that Rainforest Rescue planted over a year ago, and the progress is amazing. The best part is: the trees aren’t going anywhere. Ever. I only wish I could live for a few hundred years so I could see these re-generated areas turn into the lush rainforest areas that surround them; filled with all kinds of wildlife. On one of the sites we were lucky enough to see a male cassowary and his two babies one morning as they poked around the newly planted trees finding fallen cassowary plums to munch on. If I come back as a cassowary in my next life, I know I will most definitely make my home amongst some of the trees that we’ve planted.

As a couple of city folk who walked into the Plant a Rainforest Project without too much tree experience, we feel really proud and excited about what we were able to accomplish in two weeks. The entire project is so simple and effective and it’s run by a great group of dedicated and passionate people. Time and money raised by Rainforest Rescue is directly translated into putting trees in the ground—ground that really needs trees. It doesn’t get much more simple than that.

“There are another 200 rainforested properties we could purchase so that residential development in the area is kept to a minimum” said Jeni Cavanagh, long term supporter and Administration Manager of Rainforest Rescue.

Watch Wendy’s movie here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wU2kytIXhQ

Professor Steve Williams, director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University, said that the white lemuroid possum was identified as highly vulnerable five years ago.

“It only takes four or five hours of temperatures above 30C to kill this highly vulnerable species,” he said.

“They live off the moisture in the trees in the cooler, high-altitude cloud forests and, under extreme heat, they are unable to maintain their body temperature.”

He said record high temperatures in the summer of 2005 could have caused a massive die-off.

“Prior to 2005 we were seeing a lemuroid every 45 minutes of spotlighting at one main site at Mt Lewis,” Professor Williams said.

“But, in three years, in more than 20 hours of intensive spotlighting, none has been sighted.”

Favoring certain vegetation types that occur in the high canopies of the rainforest, the species has only ever been found above 500 meters and 1000 meters on the Atherton and Mount Carbine Tablelands, respectively.

Scientists believe that the disappearance of the possum is the most significant case of extinction since the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger.

To help Rainforest Rescue protect rainforests forever, please phone +61 2 6684 4360 or visit http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au

Beilschmiedia castrisinensis, A ‘walnut’ first described from Chinacamp (Daintree National Park) now known from between Bloomfield to Daintree Rivers only. Tree to 30 m usually buttressed, fruit a drupe to 60mm wide, eaten by cassowaries. Scattered specimens found on the property and numbers of large ripe fruit (see left). Most fruit on Lot 14 found to have flesh gnawed, presumably by rodent.

Cleistanthus myrianthus Occurs Cooktown to Daintree. Bob reports the species is locally common on Lot 14. Tree or shrub to 12 m may be buttressed. Fruit a capsule to 14 mm wide.

Endiandra microneura, Noah’s Walnut. Tree to 30 m buttressed. Fruit a drupe, orange to 78 mm long and eaten by cassowaries. Occurs McDowall range south to Mossman. Photo from fruit found on Daly Rd Lot 14 from where Bob reports numerous specimens.

Freycinetia percostata, Veiny Climbing-Pandan Vine climber with adventitious roots, leaves to 800 mm, a multiple fruit, red segments on heads to 300 mm length. Rainforests and swampy forests from Heathlands NP to Daintree. Bob found it to be locally common in Lot 14, Daly Rd.

Haplostichanthus ramiflorus, (prev. Haplostichanthus sp. (Cooper Creek) Occurs Rainforests from Cedar bay NP south to Mossman. Bob found scattered specimens on Lot 14. A shrub to 3 m having an orange berry to 14 mm wide.

Randia audasii, Daintree gardenia. Occurs Cooktown to near Atherton, 0-600 m. Flowers, white, fragrant, to 65 mm diameter. Bob found scattered specimens on Lot 14. Shrub or small tree to 8 m. Fruit a fleshy drupe, orange, shiny to 30×35 long with numerous small seeds to 4 mm long.

Rhodomyrtus effuse. Occurs from Bloomfield River to Julatten. Bob found scattered specimens on Lot 14. A shrub to 6 m. Fruits white, hairy to 14 mm long.

Rourea brachyandra, Water Vine A vine, stem diameter to 8 cm. fruit a follicle to 8 mm wide by 20 mm long. Bunches of white fragrant flowers, diam. of each to 10 mm. New leaves purplish copper colour. Photo of plant on Daly Rd showing colourful new leaves. Bob found scattered specimens on Lot 14.

Three Other Cassowary Food Plants Found

Acmena graveolens, Cassowary Satinash. Rainforests Cape tribulation to Tully. Tree to 35 m, buttressed, flying buttress may be present. Fruit pink to 60 x 60 mm, eaten by Cassowaries.

Several large specimens, freshly fallen fruit on ground and also several seedlings showing pink new leaves were found on Lot 14 (see right).

Most fruit on Lot 14 was found to have flesh gnawed, presumably by rodents.

Cryptocarya oblata, Tarzali Silkwood. Occurs from Cooktown to Tully, 0 to 1300 m. Tree to 35 m buttressed. Fruit to 44 x 53, orange red but colour quickly fades as rot soon commences, eaten by Cassowaries, Musky Rat Kangeroos and rodents. Fruit found on Lot 14 and also in a Cassowary dropping found on the property.

Doryphora aromatica, Scented or Northern Grey Sassafras. Tree to 40 m may be buttressed, at least one large specimen on the property.

Elaeocarpus bancroftii, Kuranda Quandong. Tree to 30 m buttressed, at least one large specimen on the property. E. grandis Silver Quandong plentiful on the property and E. grahamii also present. All eaten by Cassowries with the latter two being plentiful in the cassowary droppings found on the property. E. bancroftii fruits earlier in the year and is widely eaten by Cassowaries when there are relatively few other species fruiting and often make up the majority of remains found in their droppings during February – March.

More Information

• Daintree Buyback & Protect Forever Project
• Cow Bay Map of Properties Saved
• Cape Tribulation Map of Properties Saved
• Forest Creek Map of Properties Saved
• Daintree Critical Cassowary Habitat
• Daintree Buyback & Protect Forever FAQ’s

Through supporting Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Buyback and Protect Forever Project, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP) is helping to ensure the regions natural beauty that attracts more than one million national and international visitors each year, is protected forever.

This partnership will enable A&K to further embrace environmental conservation by contributing to the maintenance of delicate ecosystems, protection of some of the world’s oldest species of flora and fauna and reduction of accelerating climate change.
The goal of AKP is to provide long-term support for existing natural ecosystems to ensure that human populations, flora and fauna continue to survive and coexist successfully. In particular A&K Australia focuses on protecting our unusual habitats and vast biodiversity.

Jorie Butler Kent, Vice Chairman of Abercrombie & Kent Group and founder of A&K Philanthropy explains, “A&K has always believed passionately in adventures that both respect the natural environment and benefit indigenous peoples.  Our long held philosophy is governed in equal parts by this unswerving commitment to conservation whilst creating lasting travel experiences. It is this thinking that has lead to the establishment of A&K Philanthropy and the announcement of this initiative with Rainforest Rescue. We aim to make a difference whilst giving A&K travellers the most inspiring lifetime experiences.”

Last week Suzuki took some time in Sydney to record a 30 second and 60-second radio announcement urging Australians to help Buy Back and Protect the Daintree forever.

Dr Suzuki was shocked to hear that over two thirds of the lowland Daintree rainforest remains unprotected. “Before the National Park and World Heritage Listing was conferred a developer created a rural residential subdivision in the middle of the rainforest” said Kelvin Davies the Executive Officer of Rainforest Rescue. David Suzuki was even more surprised when he heard how inexpensive it is to buy back the freehold land that’s currently at risk of development. “Each $20 we raise buy’s back ten square meters” said Kelvin Davies.

Clearly David Suzuki has a personal attachment to Australia and in particular the Daintree. In addition to dozens of visits over the years it’s reported that David Suzuki has spent considerable time with his family in the Daintree and continues to visit on a regular basis.

It’s estimated that there are only 1,000 Cassowaries left in Australia and not only is the Daintree critical habitat for the Cassowary it’s also home to over 100 other threatened species.

“Come on Australia” said David Suzuki. “This is important work, all Australians should get behind Rainforest Rescue and support the Daintree Buy Back and Project Forever Project” David Suzuki said.

Fellow Canadian Greg Cromwell of Bush Branding & Marketing wrote and produced the radio ads working closely with Kelvin Davies. “David had media commitments all day so recording the announcements happened very quickly” commented Kelvin Davies. “Literally we went from his hotel to the recording studio in North Sydney ran in David did the spots in two takes and then he was out the door to his next meeting.

The only change David made to our script was to change the way we had described the Daintree. “Significant just didn’t cut it for Suzuki” said Kelvin. He changed it on the fly to “The Daintree Rainforest is one of the most Spectacular ecosystems in the world”.

This worked great in the spot and fit’s our strategy of making these announcements very positive said Kelvin Davies. This is a good news story. Eight blocks of land have already been rescued. We are very confident that David’s support with this national awareness campaign will raise enough awareness and money to buy back many more blocks in the coming year. The timing is perfect as with development preceding it really is Now or Never for the Daintree.
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You can download MP3 audio tracks of David’s Radio spots. 30 second spot (469KB).

Make a donation to help save the Daintree. https://shop.rainforestrescue.org.au/donations.html or phone 1300 763 611