The Jabalbina Rangers need your support in Caring for Bubu (Country).
There's an urgent need to restore our tropical rainforests in Far North Queensland and Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama (Bama meaning Rainforest Aboriginal people) need meaningful employment. This is a perfect match.
It's time to get this program growing by scaling up the Mossman Gorge Rainforest Nursery to produce 150,000 rainforest trees within the next six years.
The funds raised will be directly allocated to Jabalbina Rangers, the registered Cultural Heritage Body for Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama.
Your support is directly helping our community to upgrade the nursery and take control of employment for Bama.
The Problem
The existing nursery at Mossman Gorge (located in the community at the old mission) is small and the infrastructure is tired. There is inadequate natural light and poor airflow due to the placement of some of the existing structures. The nursery tunnels and other structures have a build-up of algae. The current irrigation system is inadequate and the existing pressure is not enough to power the irrigation to its full potential. We need more space to grow trees and need more benches. There's also some uneven ground creating workplace safety issues.
The Solution
The Mossman Gorge Rainforest Nursery upgrade will be a major step to grow our rainforest restoration capacity in the Daintree. The upgrade is focused on functionality, productivity and workplace health and safety.
The non-profit organisation Gondwana Rainforest Trust engaged a consultant with expertise in horticulture and plant nurseries to assess the Mossman Gorge Rainforest Nursery and its potential to increase production of rainforest trees for revegetation projects. We now have a documented plan to support the redevelopment and expansion of the nursery.
Funds will be used to invest in new greenhouse growing tunnels, a new pot cleaning station, potting up area, growing media, new benches and racks, nursery trolleys, pots, trays, irrigation, gravel, weed matting and a rodent-proof propagation area.
The Jabalbina Rangers will implement the plan. They'll do a complete reorganisation and clean-up of the existing nursery. They'll remove algae from nursery tunnels, benches, and paths. The existing space has two igloo grow tunnels. One of these tunnels will be upgraded and rats excluded by installing rodent proof mesh (rats like to eat seeds). They will install two greenhouse growing tunnels, new a new water pump and set up new irrigation pipes and risers. New benches will expand the production capacity of the nursery. The Rangers will smooth our existing paths and remove trip hazards. They'll set up new facilities for staff to have their morning tea and lunch space, while also having a space for regular meetings and delivering essential training. There is a smaller shed that is currently used for storing pots that will be converted into an office and training room.
Management and implementation
Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama (Bama meaning Rainforest Aboriginal people) are the Tradional Owners of the Daintree Rainforest. Their Country (Bubu) runs along the East Coast of Far North Queensland, and it includes land and sea between Port Douglas and just south of Cooktown. Eastern Kuku Yalanji has a rich cultural identity and strong spiritual connection to Daintree Rainforest. They are the owners of four national parks in Far North Queensland including the Daintree National Park (CYPAL).
Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation will recruit and manage staff members to work at the nursery. The scope of the project, its goals, and its objectives have all been agreed upon with by the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation. They will recruit and manage staff members to work on the nursery redevelopment.
Project deliverables and impacts
The upgrading of the nursery will increase tree production from 5,000 to 25,000 trees per year. The trees produced will be used to help restore 39 hectares of tropical rainforest on culturally and environmentally significant properties north of the Daintree River and will provide multiple benefits including;
- Wildlife: Protect and enhance Biodiversity through rainforest restoration
- Climate: Sequester Carbon and establish credits through rainforest restoration
- People: meaningfully involve Indigenous peoples through employment
- Planet: Establish sustainable communities in the places in which we work through employment, business and staff involvement, volunteering and supporting a localised economy
The trees grown in the nursery will be used to restore the Daintree Rainforest. Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation is the registered Cultural Heritage Body for Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama (people), ensuring Bubu (land) is both environmentally and culturally secure.
This project will provide multiple benefits including;
Growing trees to revegetate this land will assist Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama to return to and manage Bubu (Country).
This project helps to address concerns for Eastern Kuku Yalanji including:
Not being on Bubu (Country)
Culture losing strength (not being passed on)
Kuku (language) losing strength
Cultural heritage sites jirmbal, not being protected
Inappropriate development and visitors not respecting Bubu and Bama
A priority of our project is to re-establish plant species of cultural significance to Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama. This includes plants traditionally used for food, tools, shelters, and medicines. This will establish an accessible resource for Bama in the use of these plants.
The Daintree River, which flows to the Great Barrier Reef is a high priority for revegetation as this will reduce sediment flowing to the Great Barrier Reef Catchment, improve water quality, reduce water temperature, and contribute to the survival of a diversity of coral species.
Lowland Tropical Rainforest in the Wet Tropics has been listed as Endangered on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act (1999).
Through the programs of the Gondwana Rainforest Trust, we work closely with the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation as our primary strategic partner to protect and restore rainforest in the Daintree.
The partnership between Gondwana Rainforest Trust and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation is built on respect, care and the shared values of protecting the Daintree’s globally significant conservation and cultural values while also reconnecting people with Traditional Land.
We are #StrongerTogether