In the News: Rescuing an Ancient and Priceless Piece of Rainforest

Since the launch of TreadRight more than 15 years ago, our mission has been to support local projects that protect our planet, its people, and wildlife. While our focus has shifted in recent years to prioritize nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, in support of The Travel Corporation’s net zero journey, our core mission hasn’t changed. Working to restore our planet, by its very nature, protects biodiversity and local communities. Last year we partnered with an organization doing incredible work in the oldest rainforest in the world – the Daintree, in Queensland, Australia. Today, together with Rainforest Rescue, we’re excited to announce the formal purchase of Lot 17 – a plot of rainforest now saved from the risk of future development.

25 years of restoration

Since 1999, Rainforest Rescue has been dedicated to rescuing and restoring unprotected rainforest to mitigate climate change and habitat loss. In order to do this, the organization purchases vulnerable rainforest sites that are not already part of the protected Daintree National Park.

 

The exceptional biodiversity of the Daintree is unique to anywhere in the world, exhibiting a richness of species that stands unparalleled on a global scale. The ongoing protection of these unprotected pockets of Daintree rainforest is vital for sustaining the array of animal and plant networks that flourish within this ecosystem.

 

Lot 17: our impact

Our support and partnership with Rainforest Rescue has contributed towards the protection of Lot 17 Cape Tribulation Rd, another missing piece in the Cape Kimberley Wildlife Corridor. An invaluable plot of rainforest, earmarked by local real estate as a “Cheap as chips bush block, suitable for residential development,” this one hectare parcel of land shares its northern border with the Daintree National Park/World Heritage area. Lot 17 is now safe as part of Rainforest Rescue’s Protection Portfolio, a significant stride in strengthening the Cape Kimberley Wildlife Corridor as well as further consolidating the conservation achievements of the national park.

“Thanks to TTC and the TreadRight Foundation another piece of the Cape Kimberley wildlife corridor is in place, ensuring forever access to essential habitat for the rare and threatened species of the Daintree rainforest. This partnership is a perfect example of ethical business going the extra mile to protect nature. Huge thanks from all of us!” – Branden Barber, CEO, Rainforest Rescue

 

A home for unique wildlife

The Cape Kimberley Wildlife Corridor has been classified as ‘essential habitat’ for the endangered southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) and also contains six threatened plant species including Noah’s walnut (Endiondra microneura) and the Black Palm (Normanbya normanbyi). Such corridors establish vital connectivity, providing wildlife with a safe haven in which to eat, breed, rest and migrate through, without the disturbance of residential or commercial development which contributes to the fragmentation and erosion of this World Heritage area.

Protected parcels of land like Lot 17 enhance the overall resilience of the Daintree by acting as crucial buffers against environmental disturbances, contributing to ecological stability, water retention, and ensuring the rainforest’s ability to withstand and recover from natural challenges and human impacts.

 

Supporting net zero

In addition to the ecological benefits, based on recent studies of pristine rainforest carbon storage, Rainforest Rescue together with James Cook University has calculated that the section of Lot 17 protected by TTC and the TreadRight Foundation contains approximately 222 tonnes of carbon, secured within the above-ground forest biomass. This supports, of course, TTC and TreadRight’s goal to bolster nature-based solutions to the climate crisis.

 

Getting down and dirty with Down Under Tours

Late last year, alongside the Rainforest Rescue team and the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation rangers, our Down Under Tours team enjoyed a great day of volunteering on the traditional homelands of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji peoples at the Mossman Botanic Garden. The site was acquired from cane farmers and now requires significant planting. Our team was part of a group of 200 volunteers, who accomplished the planting of 4,000 trees, all supplied from Rainforest Rescue’s nursery.

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[Rescuing an Ancient and Priceless Piece of Rainforest, https://www.treadright.org/daintree-lot-17/, published 24/01/2024]