A donation to Rainforest 4 Foundation by OneTomorrow Charitable Fund – APT Travel Group’s charitable fund – has seen a thousand trees established in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest and an important tourism trial take place in partnership with Eastern Kulu Yalanji Traditional Owners.

Jabalbina Rangers and Daintree visitors planted 1,000 trees

In April 2022, Rainforest 4 Foundation, working in partnership with Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, hosted a tour to the Daintree Lowland Rainforest for more than a hundred donors and friends.

Despite the disruption caused by ferry cancellations in the wake of heavy rain, the three-day event included a pilot program of guided walks by Kuku Yalanji rainforest guides and generated an estimated $60,000 in economic benefit on-the-ground for the Daintree community with guests reporting spending on accommodation, food, and experiences north of the Daintree River.

As well as welcoming guests for walks on Country with Kuku Yalanji guides and other cultural experiences, the Stronger Together partners also engaged guests in hands-on restoration work on two properties being acquired for conservation outcomes.

OneTomorrow Charitable Fund made a $7,500 donation towards the cost of planting 1,000 trees on two significant rainforest lots in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest. The cost of planting a tree in the Daintree - which includes site preparation, digging holes, securing plants grown from local provenance seeds, and maintaining the planting - is $10 per tree. Rainforest 4 Foundation donors also contributed cash and hands-on support to establish tree plantings on both sites.

Participants on the tour planted 1,000 trees

Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road is a 8.09 hectare block at risk of development, but we’ve secured an option to purchase it for conservation outcomes. 850 trees were planted on this block with the help of Jabalbina rangers and around 80 donors and friends of the Stronger Together partnership. The property is a high priority for acquisition as our vegetation survey identified 258 species of native plants including five Threatened species and four more that are endemic to the Daintree Rainforest. Cassowaries have also recently been seen using the property.

Our recent aquatic ecology survey of Hutchinson Creek which borders this property also identified the presence of the Daintree Rainbowfish. This species was only described in 2018 and is listed as Critically Endangered. An important action needed to ensure their survival is the protection and re-establishment of riparian vegetation and our tree planting efforts were focused within 15m of the creek line.

John was one of the many Daintree visitors and volunteer tree planters

150 trees were also planted on Lot 11 Buchanan Creek Road, which shares a boundary with Daintree National Park. Our survey of Lot 11 identified 185 species of native plants including three that are listed as Threatened. The property has also been mapped as essential Cassowary habitat by the Queensland Government and there are many species of native Laurels which provide fruits for Cassowaries.

Iris Ray Nunn is a Rainforest 4 donor who made the trip to the Daintree from northern NSW. She said joining in the tree planting event was a “gift.”

“A gift to receive the opportunity to give back to the precious Daintree… to the Original custodians and to the children and countless creatures who will enjoy the rainforest way into the future,” Iris said.

“When I plant trees, I am taking my human responsibility to care for all of life, seriously,” she added.

Daintree Tree planters - Samantha Morris and Iris Ray Nunn 

Marlene Nolan is the Business Development Manager QLD for APT Travel Group as well as the Guest Giving Champion for APT’s OneTomorrow Fund.

“Now that travel is coming back, it’s so wonderful for our guests to be able to travel around Australia and experience the Daintree first hand on our tours,” Marlene said.

“OneTomorrow’s mission is to make a positive and enduring impact on nature and the communities we touch,” she said. “This is achieved through immediate and long-term influence in various environmental and humanitarian causes.”

“I can think of no better fit with Rainforest 4 and the work that has taken place to restore the Daintree National Park and return the land to its natural environment

Thank you to OneTomorrow Charitable Fund and APT Travel Group

Rainforest 4 Foundation Founder Kelvin Davies said the contribution of OneTomorrow Fund resulted in environmental as well as sustainable tourism outcomes.

“We’re thrilled we could bring a group of visitors to the Daintree to see first-hand the outcomes of their donations to our buyback program,” Kelvin said.

“Not only did our guests have the chance to walk alongside Kuku Yalanji elders on Country they also had the chance to learn about the Daintree’s special plants and animals and play a hands-on role in ensuring their survival for generations to come.”

“The contribution of OneTomorrow Fund and all of our donors is much appreciated.”