Building a corridor for the endangered Southern Cassowary
Gurrbum II is the second part of an ambitious project, initiated in 2020, which created a critical and strategic habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary in Queensland.
This second stage will enable the expansion of the habitat, creating a larger area where these birds - and indeed other fauna - can thrive. The site is located within the Smith’s Gap Corridor, an expanse that connects protected land across the Wet Tropics of Queensland UNESCO World Heritage Area. The Australian Government Threatened Species Prospectus identifies revegetation of Smith’s Gap as a priority project for Cassowary recovery.
Forest Maker Brett Krause
“It will create a 5-star hotel for our native fauna.”
— Brett Krause, SUGi Forest Maker
Forest Report: 1 Year
Forest Report: 6 Months
Survival Rate: 95%
Average of Tallest 3 Trees: 100cm
Survival rate is excellent and 100cm of growth within 6 months is immensely positive. It was a slow start as Gurrbum II was planted during a period of very heavy rainfall. However, flora is developing well, with very fast growth over the last month.
Forest Report: Planting
The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is a ratite and therefore related to the emu, ostrich, and Kiwi genera.
Subject to ongoing habitat loss, limited range, and overhunting in some areas, the southern cassowary is listed as Endangered under Federal and Queensland State legislation. Some threats are habitat loss (logging), feral animals eating their eggs, hunting, and roadkill. Road building, feral animals, and hunting are the worst of these threats. It is estimated that there are only approximately 2,500 individuals left in Australia.