Help us cut the Red Tape
Will you stand with us again as we challenge red tape and restore land that’s been degraded for more than a century?
Your gift today will help to defend Nature. Not just in courtrooms or council meetings, but in the soil, with seedlings, with trees and on the land.
Nature Is Not a Commodity
We’ve all seen it: A mountain traded for a mine. A forest turned into toilet paper. A wild valley bulldozed for a resort. A rainforest makes way for sugarcane. The list is long. Sadly, it grows daily.
Too often humanity’s abusive and extractive regard of Nature means that the ‘profits’ and short-term gains come at a very steep cost to biodiversity, climate, and local communities. The land we fight to protect and restore is treated like property, not as the living ecosystem it truly is.
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Help us Cut The Red Tape
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We believe there is and must be another way.
We have a very special and rather unusual request; and we’re not asking for your help to protect more precious rainforest. It is to help us navigate the unexpected operational intricacies we’ve uncovered— challenges that only occur when you are ‘breaking new ground’ for Nature.
This restoration journey is demanding more from us than we ever expected: more time, more due diligence, more determination, more rigour. It challenged us in ways we didn’t foresee, and it’s even taken our closest allies by surprise.
But we believe these challenges are shaping a better outcome for Nature.
When we worked with supporters like you to purchase 110 Cape Tribulation Road, we reclaimed land once vegetated by a mixture of endangered vine, eucalyptus and melaleuca forest ecosystems—rare and important lowland ecosystems, now almost entirely lost to agriculture.
In fact, it is estimated that around 80% of these ecosystems have already been stripped and cultivated and restoring it is critical.
But even as we work towards planting 150,000 trees per year, we’re now facing an unexpected challenge.
The Challenge: Red Tape Is Slowing Restoration
The Douglas Shire Council’s planning scheme states that restored rainforest, which is defined as a ‘permanent plantation’, is an inconsistent use of Rural zoned land.
As a result, we are having to submit a very detailed impact assessable development application to the Douglas Shire Council Planning Team for the restoration of 110 Cape Tribulation Road. Despite our previous successes, outdated council zoning laws now threaten to block our progress.
This requirement and the volume of work associated with the impact assessable development application (DA) process was a very big surprise to us considering the land at 110 Cape Tribulation Road has not been farmed for ten years. We are working with other land holders and taking this opportunity to include a number of other properties in this DA at the same time to expand our restoration area around a Nationally significant Oxbow Wetland at the gateway to the Daintree.
What we want—what you want—is for the rainforest we grow to be a ‘permanent plantation.’ As we’ve also been restoring ‘NightWings’ for almost ten years, the red tape requirements for 110 Cape Tribulation Road are totally unexpected.
Despite this, there is hope.
Recently, local councillors visited our nursery. What was meant to be a one-hour meeting turned into three. They planted trees, asked questions, and one of them said:
“This just makes sense.”
Now, we need to bring the rest of the council—and the planning department—along with us.
Working together to ‘Break new ground’ for Nature
We’re taking action—working with planners, policy experts, and legal advisors to challenge these outdated rules. With your support, we can:
- Complete and submit a detailed development application
- Advocate for policy change that supports restoration
- Educate decision-makers on the urgency of biodiversity recovery
- Continue planting trees and restoring 110 Cape Tribulation Road—and more
June 2025: Unexpected expense budget
Outlined below is a listing of unexpected operational costs relating to our planned natural habitat restoration of former agriculture land in the far North Queensland region.
| Item Description | Cost (ex- GST) |
Impact of these services |
|---|---|---|
| Good Quality Agricultural Land Assessment (GQAL) | $3,960 | Confirms specified agricultural land is poor quality—to enable area to be restored as habitat rather than used for agricultural purposes. Is key to the Development Application. |
|
Impact Assessable Development Application (DA) External Planning Consultant |
$16,450 | Proposes and enables land use changes in line with the Douglas Shire Council Planning Scheme for properties, allowing Rainforest Rescue projects to proceed with restoration of former agricultural land. This complex application process can become very costly if multiple re-applications are required. |
| Internal RR Costs for DA | $17,350 | Allows Rainforest Rescue to assist with the DA process to achieve restoration on an unprecedented scale within the Douglas Shire. |
| Development Application Fees for Douglas Shire Council | $10,000 | Estimate of associated fees for Rainforest Rescue to employ legal consultants to work with Douglas Shire Council to ‘break new ground’—implementing a revised Planning Scheme that will benefit native wildlife and natural habitats. |
| Carbon & Biodiversity Consultant Costs | $18,850 | Helps to build a business case for landowners to realise the value of Nature Positive use of their land and to work in partnership with Rainforest Rescue to support restoration and conservation of natural habitat. |
| Legal Costs for Planning Scheme Change Development | $25,000 | Estimate of associated fees for Rainforest Rescue to employ legal consultants to work with Douglas Shire Council to ‘break new ground’—implementing a revised Planning Scheme that will benefit native wildlife and natural habitats. |
| Communications and Stakeholder Consultation costs | $18,150 | Allows Rainforest Rescue to collaborate with local community and local landowners so they can realise alternate ways to use their land that is economically and ecologically beneficial. |
| Nursery Team operations funding to propagate seedlings for the restoration of the Gateway Project at 110 Cape Tribulation Road, an initial 14 hectares has been opened up through work with the Council | $75,000 | Provides Rainforest Rescue with the capital to continue scaling its Nursery operations to tackle the largest restoration project in its history. |
| Land Management Team operations funding for the restoration of the Gateway Project at 110 Cape Tribulation Road, an initial 14 hectares has been opened up through work with the Council | $60,000 | Provides Rainforest Rescue with the capital to continue scaling its restoration operations to tackle the largest Restoration project in its history. |
Restoring Rainforests in Action
Rainforest Recovery Is Real—and It’s Working
At Rainforest Rescue, we’re turning degraded agricultural fields back into thriving rainforests. Much like yourself, the Land Management Team care deeply about the natural environment. Their passion is evident in the actions they take to ensure restoration of rainforest habitat is a thriving success. We’ve already transformed many hectares of exhausted farmland by:
- Working towards planting 150,000 native trees each year
- Restoring rare and endangered ecosystems in the Daintree
- Creating local jobs and working with regional conservation partners
- Helping rainforest canopy return in just a few years
- Our 10-year NightWings Project proves it can be done: degraded land can become rainforest again.
This Is a Story of Hope—And You’re at the Heart of It
This isn’t a story of paradise lost. It’s a story of paradise being brought back—one tree, one wetland, one restored valley at a time. This is a story of hope and optimism, of ‘breaking new ground’ for Nature with the local authorities, and it’s a story with you at the heart of it.
Your support today will help us:
- Restore lowland rainforest and adjacent wetland habitat
- Create more green jobs in the local community
- Strengthen Indigenous partnerships
- Reduce sediment and pollutant runoff that threatens the Great Barrier Reef
- Launch a pilot biodiversity credit project
- Guide and adjust policy that currently slows down climate action
The climate crisis can’t wait. Neither can biodiversity’s recovery. Let’s protect what’s left—and bring back what’s been lost.
You Can Help Cut the Red Tape – Please Donate Today.
Thank You for Standing With Us.
All gifts above $2 AUD are tax-deductible.
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.
Rainforest Rescue on Instagram
Did you catch our April webinar? If not, it’s now available on YouTube, and it’s well worth a watch/listen: https://bit.ly/apr_webinar (link in bio) 👀.
It’s a great opportunity to learn about the key actions for successfully regenerating native rainforests and to discover our bigger vision for the Wet Tropics and the vital habitats that connect across this special region 🌳🌳.
2024/25 has been a BIG anniversary year for us and we’re excited for even bigger months and years to come.
Join us on the journey: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/make-an-impact/rainforest-guardians (link in bio) 💚.
#RainforestGuardian #DaintreeRainforest #Daintree #ProtectDaintree #AncientRainforest #ConservationGoals #FNQ #WetTropics
The Daintree is Australia’s largest and most biodiverse rainforest, and it’s existed far longer than any other rainforest on the planet 🌳🌳🐌🍄.
Right now, amongst many other threats, habitat fragmentation makes it difficult for plants and animals to move from one rainforest patch to another, which can also limit breeding populations and impact genetic diversity, making species more vulnerable to extinction, particularly in small, isolated pockets of habitat.
It takes ALL of us to help protect the Daintree. We need your help to protect the vulnerable animals by protecting their home, now and for generations to come.
We`re certain we can do this together: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/make-an-impact/rainforest-guardians 💚.
📷: Martin Stringer
#RainforestGuardians #DaintreeRainforest #Daintree #Conservation #ProtectARainforest #AncientRainforest #FarNorthQueensland #Community #TropicalRainforest #FNQ #Restoration #RainforestRestoration #ProtectRainforestsForever
#ForestFlora: Callicarpa means ‘beautiful fruit’ 💚. This evergreen shrub or small tree is a very useful plant, used in traditional medicine practices of First Nation Peoples. It’s also believed that early settlers utilised the leaves as a mosquito repellent for themselves and their horses.
Today, it`s commonly cultivated as an ornamental in gardens, often selected for its colourful fruits.
Have you been growing it in your garden as well? Learn more on our website: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/forest-flora-great-wooly-malayan-lilac 🌿.
#GreatWoolyMalayanlilac #TropicalPlants #TropicalWildlife #DaintreePlants #AncientRainforest #DaintreeRainforest #RainforestPlants #MosquitoRepellent #TraditionalMedicine #Plants
Thanks to your incredible generosity, Lot 8 Idriess Close in Degarra will be protected forever 🌿.
This special patch of Wet Tropics rainforest will stay wild and thriving, just as the previous landowner wished.
This is our northernmost rescue yet, and it means more safe habitat for wildlife such as the Southern Cassowary, Spotted-tail Quoll & Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat.
Thank you for being a force for Nature 💚. And a special shoutout to The @treadright Foundation, one of our incredible #PartnersForProtection, for matching donations and doubling the impact of this rescue 🙌.
Looking for a list of properties that you’ve helped protect forever? Check out our #ProtectionPortfolio
👉 www.rainforestrescue.org.au/properties (link in bio)
What’s next, you ask? Something different, something BIG 💥.
Keep your eyes peeled for more details 👀.
#NatureRestoration #WetTropicsWorldHeritageRainforest #ProtectRainforestsForever #RainforestRescue #WildlifeHabitat #Rewilding #LandForNature #RainforestConservation #NatureRefuge #ProtectBiodiversity #TreesAreTheAnswer
It`s World Environment Day 💚 and here, at Rainforest Rescue, we’re big fans of a day that brings an environmental cause to the fore.
Our reliance on plastic is, at times, astounding. While the material may have revolutionised our consumer lives, plastic turns river systems into pollutant sources, choking our marine life.
Profound change isn’t easy. But it’s necessary! And the one thing we can control is our individual actions.
Let`s do it together!
Check out our 2023 article "From Rubbish to Rainforests" to help you connect some important dots: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/from-rubbish-to-rainforests-reflecting-on-world-environment-day-2023 💚.
#BeatPlasticPollution #WorldEnvironmentDay #ProtectMarineLife #ProtectRainforest #DaintreeRainforest #AncientRainforest #Environment #Daintree
Your ongoing support allows us to purchase and protect high conservation value rainforest and to preserve its essential biodiversity 💚.
And there are SO MANY ways you can help. For example, our fantastic `Plant a Rainforest` t-shirts (modelled here by our friends at Morris Family Foundation) 👕👕👕.
Sourced by our friends at @organic_tees and screen printed by our friends at @nedlandstudio the front of the t-shirt features artwork by Leunig, and the back has our website address, so others can look us up.
Visit our shop to get yours today:
👉️ www.rainforestrescue.org.au/shop
T-shirts not your thing? Consider becoming a Rainforest Guardian:
👉️ www.rainforestrescue.org.au/make-an-impact/rainforest-guardians
(Links in Bio)
#RainforestGuardians #DaintreeRainforest #Daintree #Conservation #ProtectARainforest #AncientRainforest #FarNorthQueensland #Community #TropicalRainforest #FNQ #Restoration #RainforestRestoration #ProtectRainforestsForever
#CritterCorner: The Australian Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii)`s one of the approx. 1% of bird species that exhibit male-only parental behaviour 🐦🥚🥚.
Interestingly, male parental care may also have occurred in theropod dinosaurs, the ancestors of modern birds 🦕🦖.
Discover more about cassowaries on our website: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/explore-the-rainforest/save-the-cassowary/cassowary-fast-facts (link in bio) 💙❤️.
📷: Robert Tidey
#SouthernCassowary #Daintree #DaintreeRainforest #DaintreeBirds #RainforestGardener #FarNorthQueensland #RainforestGuardian #Cassowary #FNQ #TropicalRainforest #AustralianRainforest #AncientRainforest #ProtectRainforestsForever #SupportNotForProfits #Donate #DinoBirds @birdlifeoz @birdsinbackyards @birdsofaustralia
The next generation is here, and they’re protecting and restoring rainforests 💚.
Our #NextGenRainforestRescuers are making waves in conservation -whether it’s planting trees, fundraising, or creating awareness, these future leaders are showing us the power of action 🌍.
Know a #NextGenRainforestRescuer who deserves the spotlight?
💌 Share their story with us at info@rainforestrescue.org.au
Help empower these change-makers by becoming a Rainforest Guardian: 🌿 www.rainforestrescue.org.au/rainforest-guardians (link in bio).
📷: Silvia Di Domenicantonio
#PlantTrees #DaintreeRainforest #RainforestGuardian #YoungPeople #Youth #LoveTrees #RainforestJourney #AustralianRainforest #Conservation #Environment #TreesAreTheAnswer #Daintree #DaintreeNationalPark #MoreTrees #Donate #SupportNotForProfits
This is more than rainforest, it`s a sanctuary for the rare and remarkable 🌿.
Lot 8 Idriess Close, Degarra is an almost 12-hectare haven of towering trees, lush vine forests, and ancient tropical lowlands. It’s a living mosaic of rare and endangered ecosystems and a suitable home for more than 50 threatened species - from the elusive Southern Cassowary to the brilliant Victoria’s Riflebird, this is nature at its most magical - and most vulnerable.
Right now, we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to protect this wild sanctuary forever. And thanks to our #PartnersForProtection at @treadright your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000 💚.
Be part of something lasting.
Be a force for nature 💪🌳.
Donate now at www.rainforestrescue.org.au/lot-8
#NatureRestoration #WetTropicsWorldHeritageRainforest #ProtectRainforestsForever #RainforestRescue #WildlifeHabitat #Rewilding #LandForNature #RainforestConservation #NatureRefuge #ProtectBiodiversity #TreesAreTheAnswer
#ForestFlora: Today we`re shining the spotlight on the beautiful Black Bean tree (Castanospermum australe) 🔦🌳.
This striking rainforest tree has glossy, dark green leaves and wide-spreading branches when grown in the open.
From March to May, it produces huge seed pods - 12–20cm long - that split open to reveal 3–5 massive seeds, each weighing up to 30 grams 🫘.
Discover why this tree holds deep cultural and ecological significance in this #FastFacts video with Dr. Robert Kooyman:
👉 www.rainforestrescue.org.au/fastfacts-blackbean (link in bio)
📷️: Martin Stringer
#RainforestRescue #BlackBeanTree #CastanospermumAustrale #KukuYalanji #DaintreeRainforest #BushTucker #NativePlants #AustralianFlora #IndigenousKnowledge
This land tells a powerful story and you can help write its next chapter 🌿.
Nestled beside Eastern Kuku Yalanji-managed Country, Lot 8 is part of a critical rainforest corridor connecting upland and lowland habitats - a lifeline for wildlife like the Southern Cassowary.
But this place holds more than ecological value. It carries the heartfelt wish of Judy, its long-time custodian, who has asked that we purchase and protect it as a Nature Refuge - forever 💚.
We now have the chance to honour her vision - to protect a rainforest rich in culture, biodiversity, and meaning for future generations.
Right now, every donation is matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 thanks to The @treadright Foundation, one of our generous #PartnersForProtection.
YOU can be the force for nature we need 💪🌳.
Donate now: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/lot-8
#ProtectRainforestsForever #WildlifeHabitat #WetTropicsWorldHeritageRainforest #NatureRestoration #RainforestRescue #ProtectBiodiversity #Rewilding #NatureRefuge #TreesAreTheAnswer #LandForNature #RainforestConservation
💚 Today is International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) 💚
Biodiversity isn’t just beautiful — it’s essential. When we protect it, we help prevent pandemics. When we lose it, we increase the risk of zoonotic diseases (UNEP).
This year’s theme: “Be part of the Plan” – for harmony with nature and sustainable development 🌏✨.
At Rainforest Rescue, we’re taking action — our new native nursery in the Daintree is boosting tree production by over 1000% to support restoration and biodiversity.
Learn more: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/our-impact/plant-a-rainforest/native-nursery-cow-bay (link in bio) 🌱🌳
#InternationalDayForBiodiversity #Biodiversity #Sustainability #Nature #Conservation #DaintreeRainforest #PlantTrees #IDB #Impact
Thinking about restoring land or habitat? Start with native plants that thrive in your local bioregion 🌿.
In the Wet Tropics, that means flora tough enough to handle extremes - from intense sun to deep shade, from waterlogging to dry spells 🌞🌧️🌳.
Ready to make a real impact? Discover our simple guide to the 3 Ps: Planning your Plants and Planting - your key to successful regeneration.
👉 www.rainforestrescue.org.au/the-3ps-of-habitat-restoration-success
📷: Martin Stringer & Emily Silverstone
#LandRestoration #Biodiversity #DaintreeRainforest #Restoration #Conservation #WetTropics #FarNorthQueensland #HabitatRestoration #ProtectRainforest #Rainforest #Daintree #NativePlants #Plants #DaintreePlants
Last Saturday, 17 May, marked our final Community Tree Planting Day at NightWings and what a send-off it was!
183 incredible Rainforest Rescuers came together and planted a whopping 3,300 trees in record time 🌱🌳.
Back in 2015, landowner Annie Shoenberger, founder of NightWings Rainforest Centre and devoted bat carer, invited Rainforest Rescue to help transform 15 hectares of ex-sugarcane land into vibrant Daintree lowland rainforest.
Ten years later, we’ve planted over 115,000 native trees at NightWings. What a journey!
A heartfelt thank you to every single person who’s dug a hole, planted a seedling, or supported us along the way. We couldn’t have done it without you 💚.
Huge thanks to the awesome crew from @b_alternative , Dave from @daintreeicecream , The Walker Brother Band, and @gone_buggo for bringing the good vibes and making this year’s event extra special ♻️🍦🎶🪲🙏
📸: @martinstringerphotography
#RainforestRescue #TreePlanting #DaintreeRainforest #PlantARainforest #TreesAreTheAnswer #NightWings #Biodiversity
#CritterCorner: The Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus) is fiercely protective of its breeding territory and mates for life 💙.
These striking birds nest at the end of burrows dug into riverbanks, where both parents share the duties of incubating and feeding their chicks.
Learn more: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/critter-corner-the-azure-kingfisher (link in bio) 🐦🐦🐦.
📷: Martin Stringer
#DaintreeRainforest #ProtectRainforestsForever #Biodiversity #Conservation #Restoration #TreesAreTheAnswer #GreenerFuture #ProtectOurPlanet #NatureConservation #AzureKingfishers #DaintreeWildlife #DaintreeBirds #Wildlife #FNQ #RainforestWildlife @birdlifeoz @birdsinbackyards @birdsofaustralia @wettropicsworldheritage @qldparks
What if your gift could help protect a World Heritage treasure and honour the wisdom of its Traditional Owners?
Lot 8 Idriess Close, Degarra borders the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, part of the ancestral homelands of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji People.
This pristine rainforest isn’t just beautiful - it’s ecologically vital. By protecting it, we expand a critical buffer zone and strengthen a wildlife corridor that allows iconic species like the Southern Cassowary to move safely between rainforest habitats 🌳🌳🌳.
When you donate today, you become part of this living legacy, and with the @treadright Foundation matching every donation up to $50,000, your impact will go twice as far.
This is your chance to stand with nature and protect it forever.
Donate at www.rainforestrescue.org.au/lot-8 💚.
#Rewilding #RainforestRescue #ProtectBiodiversity #NatureRefuge #WildlifeHabitat #RainforestConservation #LandForNature #NatureRestoration #ProtectRainforestsForever #TreesAreTheAnswer #WetTropicsWorldHeritageRainforest
🌿 Tomorrow’s the Day 🌿
Join us for Rainforest Rescue’s 2025 Annual Community Tree Planting Day - the final planting at NightWings Rainforest Centre 🌱🌳.
📅 Saturday 17 May
⏰ Event commences at 9:00 am
📍 2125 Mossman Daintree Road, Wonga, QLD (
Bring your boots, sun-safe (and rain-ready!) gear, water bottle, and your tree-planting spirit 🌧️☀️ We will provide morning tea, a light lunch, gloves, trowels, seedlings, and good vibes.
Let’s restore rainforest and celebrate the end of an era together 🎉.
FREE registration via Humanitix (link in bio) – don’t miss it!
#TreePlantingDay #PlantARainforest #RainforestRescue #TreesAreTheAnswer #NightWings #CommunityEvent #ReforestTheFuture #TimeToGrow
The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden (NCRBG) in Coffs Harbour has installed a new digital record-keeping system which is yielding significant results. Using Hortis, a modern, cloud-based platform recommended by Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand, the garden’s meticulously kept records of its 5000-strong plant collection, are being brought into the digital age 🧑💻💚.
The team has already rediscovered crucial historical data regarding two Syzygium glenum trees, a critically endangered species endemic to Cooper Creek in the Daintree Rainforest.
Read more online: www.newsofthearea.com.au/botanic-gardens-living-plant-collection-now-a-digital-data-base (link in bio) 👀.
#DigitalData #Conservation #CoffsHarbour #DaintreeRainforest #SyzygiumGlenumTrees #CooperCreek #BotanicGardensAustralia @coffsharbourbotanicgarden
Did you know? For 40 million years after Australia split from Gondwana, much of the continent was covered in lush rainforest 🌿. Hard to imagine, given that today, over 20% is arid desert .
As the climate dried, rainforests shrank - surviving only in pockets like the Daintree, a living window into ancient Australia’s rich natural history.
🌳 Discover more: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/explore-the-rainforest/daintree/daintree-rainforest (link in bio).
#WetTropics #Nature #Rainforest #Conservation #ClimateAction #Australia #Wildlife #DaintreeRainforest #AncientRainforest #ProtectNature #Biodiversity #TropicalRainforest #EcoTourism #Environment #Sustainability #AustralianWildlife
#CritterCorner: Southern Cassowary chicks (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) rely entirely on their father for food and protection during their early months.
By 4–5 months old, the chicks begin to shed their striped plumage, which is replaced by longer brown feathers - an early resemblance to the sleek black plumage of adult cassowaries. Around this time, their wattles begin to develop, turning a pale pink, and the distinctive casque starts to emerge.
Although still under Dad’s watchful eye, juvenile cassowaries start to forage and explore more independently, often alongside their siblings.
Learn more: www.rainforestrescue.org.au/explore-the-rainforest/save-the-cassowary/biology-physiology (link in bio) 💚.
📷: Martin Stringer
#WildlifeConservation #Cassowary #NatureLovers #SaveTheCassowary #AustralianWildlife #SouthernCassowary #Daintree #DaintreeRainforest #DaintreeBirds #RainforestGardener #FarNorthQueensland #RainforestGuardian #FNQ #TropicalRainforest #AustralianRainforest #AncientRainforest #ProtectRainforestsForever #DinoBirds @birdlifeoz @birdsinbackyards @birdsofaustralia
