Koskela visits the Daintree!

As part of our longstanding relationship with Rainforest Rescue we travelled north to the lush Daintree Rainforest to attend their annual planting day.

Koskela has supported non-profit organization Rainforest Rescue for more than 10 years. We contribute to their Buy Back and Protect Forever program and are proud to have saved one hectare and counting of pristine lowland rainforest in the Daintree.

Every year in May, Rainforest Rescue hosts a planting day where an army of volunteers plant trees to help regenerate damaged rainforest. To lend a hand, Koskela sent three of our loveliest and hardest working team members, Kamelia, Jessica and Ashleigh. We also sent Florence and Emily from Hassel, who were the lucky winners of an Instagram challenge we ran during our Christmas party last year.On Friday, our group flew into Cairns and made their way to Silky Oaks Lodge on the border of the Daintree Rainforest. The planting day took place on a privately owned sugar cane farm. The owners have donated part of their land to build a wildlife corridor, which is a link of native vegetation that joins two or more larger areas of similar wildlife habitat. Approximately 70 volunteers including local families and business owners, conservation organisations and corporate sponsors, worked tirelessly to plant 2,100 seedlings in just under two hours.

Afterwards our group visited Rainforest Rescue’s nursery, where they collect native tree seeds and germinate them. Seeds are foraged from the Daintree Rainforest and the workers will pick up every type, including cassowary feces as it helps to accelerate the germination process. They are aiming for economic diversity; small and fast growing trees will help establish the rainforest, while bigger and slower growing trees provide shelter and habitat.

The final stop was a visit to Lot 46, where Koskela has funded the purchase of an entire hectare of land. Sadly areas of the lowland Daintree Rainforest were sold off in the 1980s and Rainforest Rescue facilitates buying back the land at risk of development and protecting it forever under covenants ratified by the Queensland government. As part of Koskela's commitment to reducing our impact on the environment we will continue support the program and buy back more land.

After a big day, the group returned to Silky Oaks Lodge for a celebratory dinner. Sunday involved relaxing by the pool before flying out in the afternoon. Back in the office on Monday there was plenty of talk about who planted the most trees. We could not be prouder of the girls’ efforts!



Photographers
Silvia Di Domenicantonio
Martin Stringer