Daintree Rainforest living has us temporary custodians of a World Heritage allotment that is situated on the eastern flank of the highest mountain north of the Daintree River – Wundungu a.k.a. Thornton Peak. The area is acknowledged as containing the World’s oldest rainforest with a continuum of existence over 170-million years. The decision to include our freehold Daintree Rainforest land into the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area placed the mantle of management responsibility squarely onto our shoulders with a primary goal that encompasses the protection, conservation, rehabilitation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural values of our World Heritage listed portion of Daintree Rainforest.
In the twenty-five years since Daintree Rainforest was World Heritage listed, we have come to realize that true custodianship can only be achieved through intergenerational immersion in one of the richest and most bio-diverse landscapes on earth and in understanding the human place in the rainforest. We have to live in it to know it, to understand our place, to present its values and to transmit them to future generations. Ours is a growing reservoir of information and we are mindful of the temporary nature of our custodianship. Our presentation therefore includes electronic storage of our intellectual property, including photographic images on the web for transmission and sharing now and into the future through successive generations. As a unique subset of World Heritage protected land managers we are privileged inhabitants whose lives have been given function and meaning through experience and to maintain and present its exceptional biodiversity. Our increased exposure to the extraordinary interrelationships has contributed to formation of an awareness of the essential role of humankind within the landscape.
Standing under a fan palm vaulted canopy of rainforest giants, there is a feeling of peace and serenity, of timeless grandeur that is inspirational. We are humbled by the experience and we know our place in the rainforest. The knowledge that comes from living within its awesome multiplicity and interconnectedness, contributes to understanding our personal fragility and reliance on the environment. It is from this innermost perspective that we view and study the complex ecosystems containing elements that are largely invisible to the human eye, that are equally important and integral to the environment.
