Care and maintenance is the key to successful rainforest restoration. As any gardener will know, management of weeds is an issue that just keeps popping up. The same is true of bush regeneration and especially in the tropics where weeds grow rapidly.
In 2021 and 2022, we purchased 3 Daintree Rainforest properties where some clearing and disturbance of the rainforest had occurred. Those gaps in the rainforest were filled by weeds.
Weeds are mostly like to grow in full sun, so our aim in restoring the rainforest is to reinstate the canopy of trees which will then shade out the weeds. So, after removal of the initial weeds and planting trees comes more weed control. It usually takes about 3 years before no additional work is required.
Helping us achieve that in the Daintree Rainforest are the Jabalbina Rangers. They are employees of the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and every three months they inspect the properties. In the dry season the rate of growth slows down and in the wet growth accelerates. The Jabalbina Rangers are on the ground and can respond to the weeds as needed.
At Lot 93 we planted 1,600 trees in 2022 and 2023.
At Lot 11 we planted 196 trees in 2022.
At Lot 8 we established 318 trees in 2023.
Once at the care and maintenance stage, these properties will need to be managed for a further 2 years. The ongoing management of these properties through the removal of weeds is assisting with the natural regeneration of rainforest plants. This has already resulted in the recruitment of thousands of seedlings across the 3 properties.
Jabalbina Rangers at work on Lot 8 Buchanan Creek Road
Funds to pay for the restoration of these properties were raised from appeals in 2022 and 2023.
Thank you to our donors who chose to support this project.
We greatly appreciate the volunteers who also contribute to these projects through tree planting and by assisting with weed control.