Help give the Daintree a living future
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A rare opportunity to reconnect rainforest, wetlands, river and reef, and build a future where nature and local communities can thrive together.
A rare opportunity to reconnect rainforest, wetlands, river and reef, and build a future where nature and local communities can thrive together.
Donate now. Support our end-of-year appeal.
A different path
For generations, Trevor Quaid’s family has worked the land of the Daintree Oxbow. His grandfather was part of a generation that cleared rainforest to make way for agriculture. His father began to wonder whether some of that land could one day be restored.
Now, as a third-generation farmer, Trevor sees an opportunity to take a different path.
With the Mossman Mill closed, changing economic conditions and the ongoing challenges of flooding, some local landholders are considering new possibilities for their properties. Rainforest Rescue is working with willing landholders to help shape a future where rainforest, wetlands and local communities can thrive together.
Now. Or never.
The Daintree Oxbow is on the market. The restoration is ready to scale. Help us secure it before another buyer does.
Donate Now
Help us bring the Daintree Oxbow back
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THE DAINTREE OXBOW
The Daintree Oxbow wetland is damaged. It is also still recoverable. And for the first time in decades, the entire floodplain is genuinely within reach.
120+
Hectares of floodplain property
13
Threatened species
THE DAINTREE OXBOW
The Daintree Oxbow wetland is damaged. It is also still recoverable. And for the first time in decades, the entire floodplain is genuinely within reach.
13
Threatened species
120+
Hectares of floodplain property
A remarkable beginning
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Rainforest Rescue has now purchased and protected approximately 121 hectares across the Daintree Oxbow, around one-fifth of this extraordinary 600-hectare landscape.
Our most recent acquisition includes approximately 78 hectares with restoration potential, alongside 10.6 hectares of intact wetland and 2.6 hectares of mangroves and other vegetation.
These properties represent an important step towards reconnecting rainforest, floodplain wetlands, the Daintree River and the Great Barrier Reef. With continued support, we can build on this remarkable beginning and help restore the ecological connections that make this landscape so valuable.
How restoration works
Restoring rainforest takes much more than planting trees. It begins with understanding the landscape, assessing the land and waterways, and identifying the native species best suited to each site.
Our team collects locally appropriate native seed, then propagates and nurtures seedlings at Rainforest Rescue’s Native Nursery in Cow Bay. Once the sites are prepared, trees are planted using proven restoration methods, followed by ongoing weed management, maintenance and ecological monitoring.
Over time, young trees establish, shade returns and habitat begins to recover. This careful, long-term work helps rebuild healthy rainforest ecosystems and reconnect habitats across the landscape.
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It takes a community
A project of this scale cannot be achieved by Rainforest Rescue alone. Its success depends on the knowledge, commitment and collaboration of Traditional Custodians, willing landholders, scientists, restoration practitioners, local businesses, volunteers and supporters like you.
Together, we’re helping create new opportunities for conservation, skilled local employment and a healthier landscape. Our Native Nursery in Cow Bay has the capacity to propagate up to 150,000 native rainforest trees each year, providing the foundation for restoration at a scale we’ve never attempted before.
Every contribution, whether through knowledge, practical work, partnership or financial support, helps bring this shared vision closer to reality.
Many native species will benefit—but only if we can protect and restore this mosaic of habitats.
Image credits & copyright: Christian Ziegler; KazRedRacer; Martin Stringer; Lindsay Popple; JJ Harrison; John Atkinson; Threatened Species Australia; JJ Harrison.
Your gift matters
The Daintree Oxbow offers a remarkable opportunity to help nature recover, but protecting land is only the beginning. Restoring rainforest requires years of careful planning, planting, maintenance and ongoing protection.
Your generosity helps Rainforest Rescue respond to important conservation opportunities and continue the long-term work of purchasing, protecting and restoring rainforest wherever the need is greatest.
This end-of-year appeal is an invitation to be part of something lasting. Together, we can help create a living future for the Daintree and the precious ecosystems that depend on it.
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Donation disclosure
Donations to this appeal are unrestricted and support Rainforest Rescue’s work across rainforest rescue, restoration and conservation wherever funds are most needed. Gifts are not restricted to the Oxbow, property purchases or any particular activity.
Your donation helps Rainforest Rescue purchase and restore the Daintree Oxbow. Every gift, at every level, counts toward securing this landscape before the window closes.
Why Rainforest Rescue can deliver this.
Since 1999, Rainforest Rescue has protected and managed 47 ecologically significant areas across the Queensland Wet Tropics and beyond, building one of Australia’s most respected private conservation portfolios through disciplined land acquisition and hands-on restoration.
The Oxbow has been years in the making. Ecological surveys, hydrological assessments, restoration design and a Development Application covering the core parcels were all completed before this appeal launched.
In early 2026, Douglas Shire Council granted partial approval of that application, a meaningful step forward and a public acknowledgement from Council that this floodplain has no viable future in agriculture. An appeal has been lodged to unlock the full scope of the restoration. The planning process is moving. The sellers are ready.
The scientific basis is solid. The operational capability is in place. The organisational experience is there. What we need now is the resources to act at the pace this opportunity demands.
Rainforest Rescue is deeply committed to protecting and restoring the vulnerable Wet Tropics ecosystems. Our teams, volunteers and partners are actively working on the land in the lower Daintree right now.
“The Oxbow represents the next chapter in Rainforest Rescue’s evolution. Arguably our most important.”
— Branden Barber, CEO, Rainforest Rescue
At our recent Annual Community Tree Planting, Branden shared our vision with over a hundred volunteers from the local area and further afield.
A personal word from Branden.
I have been working toward this moment for years.
The Oxbow wetland is damaged. It is also still recoverable. And for the first time in decades, the entire floodplain is genuinely within reach.
What you backed when you first supported Rainforest Rescue has grown into something real. Something with a genuine chance of becoming one of the most significant land restoration projects in this country’s history.
I know this ask is significant. I know there are many worthy causes. But opportunities like this one are rare, and once they close, they do not reopen.
While we can, we must.
Thank you for being part of this.
Branden Barber
CEO, Rainforest Rescue
PURCHASED PROPERTIES
It’s in our nature to protect. With the help of Rainforest Rescuers – people like you – we are significantly protecting pristine habitat for Nature and achieving strong wins for biodiversity. Visit our Protection Portfolio page for a full list of properties protected by Rainforest Rescue since 1999.
