The Gondwana Rainforest Challenge: Walking the Talk
By A/Prof. John Stevens FASLM
The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) joined up with Gondwana Rainforest Trust (GRT) to be part of the inaugural Gondwana Rainforest Challenge.
Gondwana Rainforest Trust is dedicated to safeguarding the future of the world’s rainforests by implementing conservation programs to purchase, protect and restore endangered rainforests. In partnership with traditional custodians, the Trust purchases high conservation value rainforest and restores degraded rainforest to ensure the ongoing protection and management of these critically important ecosystems.
Running throughout September each year, the Gondwana Rainforest Challenge aims to inspire people to get out in nature and see first-hand just how precious and worthy of protection our rainforests are.
The coming together of the two organisations was a match made in the heaven of a rainforest. We like to walk the talk at ASLM, so we asked people to sign up to walk a rainforest trail in their area each September. Our aim includes connecting like-minded people and to provide them with an opportunity to immerse in nature for their health and wellbeing, as well as raising money for the conservation of our rainforests.
We were meant to walk the iconic 22km Binna Burra to O’Reilly’s Rainforest walk near the Gold Coast on Saturday 28 September.
However, the weather on the day had other ideas. Record winds broke trees, blocked roads, and disabled internet and phone lines. Safety became a big issue. So, we reassessed the walk in the comfort of Orielly’s guest house dining room where about 100 people were trapped due to the weather that morning. (The LM practitioner in my head wouldn’t allow me to actually drink that glass of wine for breakfast – just saying).
We then adapted to the weather by considering north-facing walks protected from the wind and ended up with a much-reduced but beautiful 5km walk through Mt Tamborine.
ASLM members and walkers raised $1,175 out of a total of $11,529 for the day. The money will go towards buying the 9-hectare block at 92 Cape Tribulation Rd. Once bought and saved from development, the land will be restored with weed removal and tree planting, then returned to the Kuku Yalangi to manage and protect within the national park as their Country forever.
If you would like to know more about conserving and restoring this land in the Daintree Forest, visit Save the Daintree.
We’ll do it all again in September 2025 and let you know more about it as the time approaches. I hope you can join us.
