{"id":7083,"date":"2022-03-02T03:19:28","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T03:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/hiptage-weed-removal-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-03-13T23:22:51","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T23:22:51","slug":"nature-refuges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/nature-refuges\/","title":{"rendered":"Four new nature refuges"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/treetopsslider.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]STRENGHTENING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]FOUR NEW NATURE REFUGES DECLARED[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1646193364093{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Four new nature refuges, together covering more than 300 hectares of land, have been declared in the Wet Tropics region.<\/p>\n

Landholders in the Kuranda, Innisfail and Tully regions have been granted nature refuge status for their properties by the Queensland Government, protecting habitat and securing wildlife corridors between national parks.<\/p>\n

A “dream come true”<\/h4>\n

Kuranda landowner Di Daniels said it was a \u201cdream come true\u201d to know rainforest on her 38-hectare property would be protected for future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really privileged to be living in this environment with beautiful rainforest, native animals and birds,\u2019\u2019 Ms Daniels said. \u201cWe wanted to make sure our rainforest was conserved long after we\u2019re gone.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Another nature refuge is a 250-hectare property bordering the Basilisk National Park in the Innisfail region. Owner Peter Rowles said natural ecosystems needed to be connected across the Wet Tropics landscape for the survival of wildlife.<\/p>\n

\u201cHabitat on private land provides these essential connections which need to be protected,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cWe feel privileged to have been able to contribute to the long-term protection through a nature refuge.”<\/p>\n

The two other nature refuges are 15 hectares of critical cassowary corridor at Smith\u2019s Gap near Tully where land was bought and revegetated by Queensland Trust for Nature and local conservation group C4, and 27 hectares at Kuranda in the \u2018Fairyland Link\u2019 wildlife corridor.<\/p>\n

What are nature refuges?<\/h4>\n

Nature refuges are voluntary conservation agreements between landholders and the Queensland Government which conserve the land\u2019s significant cultural and natural resources in perpetuity, while allowing compatible and sustainable land uses. Nature refuge agreements are also binding on future landholders.<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM\u2019s Tony O\u2019Malley said it was wonderful that the nature refuge option was available to landholders wanting to protect their habitat.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of important Wet Tropics habitat is on private land,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cThese new nature refuges are in really important wildlife corridors. Landholders are making a priceless contribution \u2013 they are helping to bridge gaps in world heritage areas and secure our wildlife\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM funded the nature refuge assessments for three of the new refuges through its Building Rainforest Resilience project, via a grant to Kuranda Conservation in the northern region and grants to private landholders in the south. The Building Rainforest Resilience project is supported by Terrain NRM through funding from the Australian Government\u2019s National Landcare Program.<\/p>\n

Landholder-led conservation<\/h4>\n

Kuranda Conservation\u2019s Jax Bergersen said the community\u2019s long-term goal was nature refuges right along the existing world-heritage cassowary corridor.<\/p>\n

\u201cLinking world heritage rainforest areas with prime ecological blocks of land is a way forward, along with the revegetation work that\u2019s been happening for decades in this region,\u201d she said.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1647213752573{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1646192398162{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

ABOUT THE NEW NATURE REFUGES<\/h4>\n

BASILISK NATURE REFUGE<\/h5>\n

West of Moresby near Innisfail
\nProtects 249.5ha of remnant forest bordering the Basilisk National Park.
\nIncreases the area\u2019s long-term capacity to protect threatened ecosystems and species.
\nIncludes a large tract of remnant vegetation – from mesophyll to notophyll vine forest, open eucalypt woodland and vine forests \u2013 and both \u2018endangered\u2019 and \u2018of concern\u2019 regional ecosystems.
\nA valuable wildlife corridor for the endangered southern cassowary and suitable habitat for other threatened species.<\/p>\n

GURRBUM NATURE REFUGE<\/h5>\n

Smith\u2019s Gap area, about 10km north-east of Tully
\nProtects 15.5 hectares of remnant and re-planted mesophyll vine forest in critical cassowary habitat.
\nConnects habitat from Japoon National Park, Tully Gorge National Park and Walter Hill Range Conservation Park.
\nPart of the longest and widest east-west rainforest corridor in Australia and the longest coast to mountaintop corridor, allowing wildlife movement for long-term species viability and resilience.
\nQueensland Trust for Nature and local conservation group C4 bought this land in 2019 and are working, with the help of the community, to restore the rainforest ecosystem.<\/p>\n

RAINY MOUNTAIN NATURE REFUGE<\/h5>\n

About 7km north-west of Kuranda.
\nProtects 38 hectares of habitat.
\nConnects with Kuranda National Park.
\nProvides habitat for a number of threatened species including the endangered southern cassowary and the critically endangered Kuranda treefrog.<\/p>\n

DODS PLACE NATURE REFUGE<\/h5>\n

About 1km west of Kuranda.
\nProtects 27.5 hectares of habitat.
\nEnhances the Fairyland Link wildlife corridor.
\nProvides habitat for a number of threatened species including the endangered southern cassowary and the critically endangered Kuranda treefrog.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Terrain NRM’s Building Rainforest Resilience Project<\/a><\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1597127444819{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Nature-Based\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\tNature-Based Solutions in Action<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
Biodiversity<\/a> Template 1<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\" admin@terrain<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \"\" May 21, 2026 <\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
A case study on two remediation projects in the Mossman<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead More<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Know\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\tKnow Your Weeds: African Tulip Tree<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
Biodiversity<\/a> Template 1<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\" admin@terrain<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \"\" May 20, 2026 <\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
This fast-growing invasive tree is a significant threat to biodiversity<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead More<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Environmental\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\tEnvironmental Markets<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
Biodiversity<\/a> Template 1<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\" admin@terrain<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \"\" April 27, 2026 <\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
What they are, why they matter and where they're headed<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead More<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t1<\/span>\n2<\/a>\n3<\/a>\n…<\/span>\n44<\/a>\nNext \u00bb<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\n[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”15″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”innerpage_footer_1″ el_class=”innerpage_footer_2″][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text el_class=”innerpage_mailchimp” css=”.vc_custom_1563877416570{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\t\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t