On the banks of the Daintree River, a great wetland forest once thrived.
With your help, we can begin to bring it back to life. Are you in?

Instant impact. But the time to act is now.

Realising our massive vision for a thriving wetland forest ecosystem along the edges of the Daintree River – a place that increases flood resilience and creates a refuge for threatened wildlife – means we need to take a huge step forward.

This is it: Lot 3, over 65 hectares of floodplain, connecting the McDowell Swamp (Daintree Oxbow) to the Daintree River and the most biodiverse mangrove system in Australia.

Restoring the Oxbow.

You may recall that late last year we purchased 110 Cape Tribulation Road adjacent to the heartland of the Daintree Oxbow. We couldn’t have done this without you, thank you. We have now begun restoration work, by clearing invasive weeds and planting the first wetland forest trees on site.

Since then, a second strategic parcel of floodplain land within the McDowell Oxbow wetland forest system has been offered to us for purchase. It’s flood-prone, underproductive, and a Good Quality Agricultural Land assessment formally stated that this area is ‘Unsuitable for Agriculture’.

However, this land’s role in the broader ecosystem is just too important, too vital.

Right now, we’re aiming to raise $987,000 to acquire and restore this critical site. This is more than we’ve ever attempted to raise, and we’re both excited and hopeful that with your support we can buy this key property.

Yet, this is not aspirational nor misplaced ambition. We know it’s a big call, but we believe that this is what Rainforest Rescue was designed to do.

Despite its precarious position, the Oxbow is still listed as being a High Ecological Significance wetland and it is the true gateway to the Daintree.

Restored, it could greet every visitor to this World Heritage region with a living, breathing example of renewal—lush rainforest shading clear waters, birds wheeling overhead, life returning in abundance and a rich destination for keen birders and wildlife enthusiasts.

But to achieve our vision, the project rests on achieving this crucial next step.

“While the Oxbow represents our first major wetland–rainforest connectivity restoration, we bring extensive habitat regeneration expertise, strong community relationships and a track record of delivering measurable ecological outcomes.”

– Branden Barber, CEO of Rainforest Rescue

We are sure you know that across the globe biodiversity is in steep decline. Since 1970, global wildlife populations have fallen by nearly 70%, with freshwater species suffering an even sharper drop of more than 85%. Far too many wetlands and rainforests—two of the most biodiverse and interdependent ecosystems on Earth— have been drained, cleared, and fragmented.

But this story of environmental degradation does not have to end this way.

Whilst the life that was once part of the Oxbow has gone quiet, restoring it and the surrounding floodplain is not only possible; it is essential.

Please help us purchase a key parcel of land beside the Oxbow wetlands and watch a magnificent ancient ecosystem return!