The Great Barrier Reef is in serious trouble. So much of northeastern Australia’s once lush and expansive rainforests have been over-logged, removed, and replaced with cattle. This has induced a great deal of soil erosion, clogging streams and water ways leading to the Reef–not to mention all the synthetic fertilizers and pesticides further causing algal blooms out at sea.
This has led to several community groups dedicated to reforesting the land, providing habitat for wildlife, and stopping effluents from damaging the Reef. One such group is TREAT: Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands. While in Oz, I got the chance to work with them on tree plantings and planning future decades of forest restoration projects.
TREAT works systematically to reconnect existing, degraded fragments of rainforest through corridors of replanted trees, often along creeks and streams. Restoring this riparian (aquatic-bordering) vegetation is key to protect these water resources for reducing sediment and nutrient loads. Community groups have been identified by extensive scholarship as some of the most effective groups at restoring environmentally degraded land. This is just one potent example of the good work that will propel this planet to harmony with the human species.
