Last week, more than a hundred friends and supporters came to the Daintree Rainforest to walk alongside Eastern Kuku Yalanji people and learn about the world’s oldest continually existing tropical rainforest from the oldest continually existing human culture. Together we saw firsthand how the properties we are purchasing for conservation are protected and managed.

Kuku Yalanji Elder, Aunty Betty, at the Welcome to Country ceremony 

Our work to save the Daintree Rainforest is undertaken through a partnership with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and fellow non-profit organisation HalfCut. We know we are stronger together.

The three-day event was impacted by a flooded Daintree River on day one but kicked off only a few hours late with a fascinating guided walk hosted by ecologist and botanist Kristopher Kupsch.

Kristopher led 45 people through the Jindalba boardwalk in the Daintree National Park, pointing out significant flora and their genetic traits which hark back to the world’s first flowering plants. Please see the photos of Kristopher's tour here. 

Kristopher named and described every rainforest plant. 

The next day saw the group come together in the morning for a guided walk, led by Kuku Yalanji Elders and Cultural Guides. This was a trial of Jabalbina’s first eco-cultural tourism offering that included a very special Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. Please see the wonderful photos here.

A ceremony in the afternoon for the handover of ten rainforest lots back to Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owners for management by the Jabalbina Rangers. These properties will be included in the Daintree National Park (Cape York Aboriginal Lands). Please see the wonderful photos here.  

Gathering for the Smoking Ceremony

MCed by Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation’s Conrad Yeatman Jr, the event also included a Smoking Ceremony, welcoming guests and keeping them safe on Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bubu (land), reflections from Traditional Owners, and Jabalbina Chair Michelle Friday-Mooka, speeches by representatives of the Stronger Together partners – Jabalbina, HalfCut and Rainforest 4 and a symbolic handover of ten rainforest properties. Please read the full story here.

Rainforest 4 Founder Kelvin Davies said it was an incredibly special event, made even more significant by the attendance of so many people contributing to the conservation of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest.

“Seeing so many Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owners joining our donors and business sponsors was heart-lifting,” Kelvin said.

“More than 100 supporters of our work came together in the Daintree to witness this handover,” he said, “and every one of them has contributed to our Stronger Together partnership in some way.”

Jabalbina Rangers and tree planting volunteers

The day after the handover saw those same guests get their hands dirty, planting 1000 trees. The Jabalbina Rangers lead the way, drilling many of the holes using an auger, and volunteers following along to plant the trees. See the many uplifting photos here.

On behalf of the Rainforest 4 Foundation, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, and HalfCut I would like to thank everyone who participated in the tour. I greatly enjoyed meeting everyone as did our team members, Richard, Antony, Dee, and Samantha, and the HalfCut team Jimmy and Jess. Lots of great rainforest memories were created, and for those that saw Cassowaries, it was extra special indeed.  

Jimmy shows Shane from Bank Australia his Cassowary photos

Thank you to HalfCut for supporting Bank Australia, Ben and Jerry's, Glenfiddich, Community Organising Fellowship, Hall and Wilcox, SOBAH Beverages, Make Your Mark Super, and the Barengi Gadjin Land Council to visit the Daintree Rainforest. 

Thank you to Crag and Saisha and all of the staff at Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation for working so closely with us in developing and managing the tour. We also greatly appreciate the significant contributions of photographer Steven Nowakowski and ecologist Kristopher Kupsch.

Cheers to a successful tour with SOBAH non-alcoholic beers. 

We plan to provide more opportunities to visit the Daintree Rainforest with us and will share the information in the news section of our website and on our Save the Daintree Rainforest Facebook page.

PLEASE HELP US SAVE MORE OF THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST  

We are now focusing our efforts on the purchase and protection of Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road. The amount we need to raise for this property is $404,500. So far we have raised $90,357, leaving us with the remaining target of $314,043.

The high biodiversity and threatened species on Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan have identified this property as our highest priority for acquisition. Our vegetation survey identified an amazing 258 species of native plants, including 5 threatened species and 4 more that are endemic to the Daintree Rainforest. It also has a 375-metre frontage with the beautiful Hutchinson Creek.

Please, donate now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.  

This beautiful rainforest is deserving of protection. However, it was not included in the Daintree National Park declared in 1988 and it remains a freehold property zoned for development. We’ve taken many photographs of the property which you can see here.

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is 8.09-hectares in size. At $5 per sqm, this represents exceptional value for your investment in nature conservation.

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road at Diwan

Let's make sure this beautiful Daintree Rainforest property is protected from the threat of development. Please, donate now to help purchase and protect Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. Each $5.00 you donate will purchase and protect one sqm of the Lowland Daintree Rainforest.  

Thanks for everything you do to help Save the Daintree Rainforest.