Site Manager
I was born and educated in North Queensland. I have spent most of my 43 years working as a photographer in Australia, but have done work in some other countries. The elevated rainforest has been my home for the last ten years, six of which have been with SFS. My wife and I live on a small property, south of Malanda on the Ithica River. There are platypus in the river, kangaroos in the trees, and about 200 bird species, including many raptors. Currently, my main love is to see trees grow - some of the trees on our property have grown 12 mtrs in 2.5 years with a dbh of 300mm! At SFS I look after the finances, budgeting, computers, and the general maintenance of the property. Four years ago I set up a tree propagation nursery at the Centre to produce tree stocks for various plantings and to help educate our students in the very young science of rehabilitating the rainforest. In 1994 I also initiated and designed a database to monitor existing and new plantings within our area (generally adjacent to World Heritage). This database is used to analyze data to determine performance of species in comparison with mature rainforest types. North Queensland's rainforest contains 2,500 plant species and only approximately 150 are propagated. This fact shows the immensity, complexity, and time frame required to rebuild a rainforest. Of particular interest to me is the need to understand the species mix in relation to soils, elevation and microclimate. An increased understanding would help convince land holders to make more land available for replanting. There are two types of replantings: habitat and timber production. I hope one day we can show that habitat planting has a greater economic value than timber planting. Given time, habitat planting would succeed more quickly and naturally into something closer to a natural forest, thus providing a better environment for wildlife - and ultimately a greater range of forest products. Currently I am involved with two projects involving local and state government agencies, one is the Danbulla and Lake Tinaroo Management Plan Steering Committee and the other the Tolga Scrub (rainforest) Management Committee. SFS has an ongoing commitment to the Tolga Scrub rehabilitation and many student research projects assist the committee to make decisions on management strategies. The Tolga Scrub is a very small remnant of a rare forest type and needs to be preserved for the future. There is much to be done, and the need is immediate. Education and appreciation is the best strategy and Sites Alive is a great way to reach many of you and tell our story of the rainforest. |
David Wilson