In early November, the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) planted its 4,000th tree at George Mansford Rainforest Reserve at Cape Tribulation.

The 80 hectare (200 acre) site was purchased by the ARF in 2006 after it was approached by the State and Federal government to protect and rehabilitate the land.

The reserve is the centre piece of the ARF’s Hero2 program, for the protection, extension and recovery of Australia’s rainforests. Approximately 30% of this mega diverse tropical rainforest has been previously cleared for farming and it is on these areas that the ARF is recreating the rainforest.


Many individuals and companies have helped the ARF rehabilitate this site so far and the Foundation estimates that about 10% of the area to be replanted has now been completed.

Hero2 companies that have helped with this work include ABC Tissue Products (manufacturers of Naturale brand toilet tissues), Angsana Resort Palm Cove, Australian Kitchen Industries, Bartercard Australia, Rant Clothing, Green Mobiles, Natural Instinct home care products and GreenBizcheck, along with over 1500 individual donors that have helped the ARF since January 2010.

According to ARF chief executive officer Roger Phillips, the planting is the end result of considerable work in preparing the cleared areas.

“The introduced grass has to be poisoned, sometimes two or three times. The site may then be burned or the dead grass ploughed into the soil and contour ripping and tree planting sites prepared," he said.

The ARF has to create access tracks for planting and maintenance and also undertakes a feral pig trapping program on the site to protect new trees.

“All this takes time and money and it is the help of our Hero2 companies and generous individuals that make it all possible," Mr Phillips said.