Tree Planting Day at Tranquility | November 2021

Cairns Airport’s Lucy Friend and Rainforest Rescue’s Lisa Bartlett having fun and healing nature

The first of many tree plantings at Tranquility!

Rainforest Rescue has kicked off an exciting partnership project by planting out diverse rainforest species with the aim of transforming areas of a 250 hectare cattle grazing pasture in the Daintree. Using our preferred restoration model, the short-term goal is to continue planting 15,500 seedlings over a 3 hectare area. This species-rich, diverse planting will help attract important animal and bird dispersers, further encouraging natural regeneration of more rainforest! A win-win for the plants and the animals.

This project is in partnership with our dear friends at Queensland Trust for Nature and the Tranquility owners.

On Saturday 27^th November 2021, thanks to our Bronze level partner The Enviro Co., 800 native rainforest trees were planted by a wide range of individuals. They included Daintree locals, local Traditional Owners, sponsors, business partners, Tranquility property owners (Roger and Maggie), property managers (Tony and Aleisha), and numerous people from Cairns and surrounding regions, and of course, our Rainforest Rescue Team. The young, the old, babies, families, couples, friends, and single individuals got their hands dirty, bodies sweaty, and hearts elevated to join us in growing the rainforest. Regardless of the high humidity and scorching hot temperature, everyone’s efforts resulted in a speedy finish.

The day began with a special ‘Welcome to Country’ spoken by Tahlia Burchill who acknowledged and paid her respects to the rightful Traditional Owners of the Kuku Yalanji area including all Elders, past, present, and those emerging. Tahlia and her grandmother, mother, aunties, and son all attended the Tree Planting Day, representing 5 generations of local Traditional Owners. Some who have walked the area as children, before the land clearing occurred throughout the Daintree valley. The Rainforest Rescue team feels honoured to have had their support on this day and throughout the project. The Burchill family were very open to sharing language, history, and knowledge of the property.

Afterward, everyone was rewarded with many “thank yous,” cold drinks, fresh fruit, wraps, and cake. It was nice to watch strangers become friends after a hard morning’s work restoring the Daintree Rainforest.

Our revegetation projects wouldn’t be successful without the hard work involved in planning and preparing for our plantings, including brush cutting, drilling holes, collecting seeds, propagation, potting up, and transporting the stock to the planting site.

 I love that I get to watch all the babies I’ve handpicked and raised in the nursery get planted into the ground. – Rainforest Rescue Nursery Manager, Marine Deliens

The revegetation of the remaining hectares of the property will largely focus on rainforest tree planting for carbon offsets. Rainforest Rescue’s 3 hectare planting will provide native fauna species an expanded source of food and habitat, as well as increasing wildlife corridors. As the trees grow and flourish, Tranquility will offer not just a positive aesthetic impact, but further protection of the many values inherent in the Daintree Rainforest. A win-win for flora, fauna, and we humans!

I can’t wait to see the transformation of this place in a few years. We’re already seeing wildlife movement, including the Southern Cassowary poop amongst our recent plantings.

– Horticulturalist and Land Management Associate, Lisa Bartlett

This event was one of the first community healing events for the Daintree Valley. Not just healing of past agriculture and land clearing, not just healing for our riverways and reef, but most importantly healing of country for Traditional Owners, and for all environmentally conscious people alike. – Rainforest Rescue’s Land Manager, Justin McMahon

Lucy Friend from partner Cairns Airport and long time volunteer and rainforest restorer Rob Corner

Environmental issues are so broad and complex, many of us spend our time wrapped up in the theory. Rainforest rescues tree planting events offer an opportunity for the whole community to get outdoors together and take direct action on environmental conservation.  – Cairns Airport Environment Manager, Lucy Friend

Allen Sheather and Barbara Maslen growing the Daintree at Tranquility

Sending out a massive thank you to everyone who came along and got their hands dirty and show their support. Many thanks to our partners at QTFN and visionary property owners, Roger and Maggie. And a huge thank you to Kristy & the team at The Enviro Co. for sponsoring this planting event.

Rainforest Rescue &  The Enviro Co. Tree Planting Crew at Tranquility

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