There’s been lots of activity this past month on Lot 46 especially where the two BioPak Conservation Fund Hectares are, as rising temperatures hit.

Trees/seedlings progression
The hot weather, lots of light, and consistent rain, provides perfect growing conditions for the rainforest. The BioPak Conservation Fund native seedlings have grown around another 200mm in November and the areas planted in May and June this year are already well above head level. See Rainforest Rescuer Adrian above, you can hardly see his hat.
With the seasonal thunderstorms about to break it’s a race against time to plant the seedlings from our native nursery before it gets too hot. Joe and the team have been planting on Rainforest Rescue Lots and adjacent National Park.
The Rainforest Rescue native nursery holds an amazing variety of species all grown from seeds collected in the Daintree lowland rainforest. This unique seed bank helps ensures the genetic integrity of areas we plant in the rainforest. The team collect seeds from our properties and propagate them in the nursery. Over the last month the team have collected a range of rainforest seeds including Orange Tamarind, Malay Apple and Mahogany. While colllecting seeds the team came upon a beautiful Red-Leaf Fig tree in full fruit, pictured above.

Fauna
The cassowary chicks which were hanging around Joe’s backyard are now pretty much grown up and now back to say g’day with their own offspring. They like to spend their time near the fence of his veggie garden.
The Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers are finally back from their time in New Guinea, a flight journey of around 1,200kms! Once they have then selected their territories in the Daintree they pair up and begin building their nests again in the termite mounds on the rainforest floor. Usually the female chooses a nest site. Mating will occur shortly after.
The Paradise Kingfishers are not the only ones to be back in the Daintree, with the Torres Strait Pigeons and the Metallic Starlings also arriving home for now. These birds migrate from New Guinea to Australia each year, arriving in August and leaving in most cases with their off spring in April. They usually choose a solitary tree to settle back here with a large trunk to prevent access and predation by snakes, and then weave nests from surrounding vegetation using the commonly termed wire weed.

Joe & Co
Apart from being extremely busy (and hot!), Joe’s ute is about worn to the ground with very old tyres so Joe is very happy to hear that new tyres are on the way for Christmas. He is pictured under the Red-Leaf Fig above.
Joe and the rest of the Rainforest Rescue family send a big Christmas hug to BioPak and all your customers for your ongoing and generous support.
By Kristin Canning, Rainforest Rescue