ClimateForce Daintree Pilot Project
An integrated advanced regeneration project demonstrating a blueprint for creating verifiable natural assets. Located on former sugarcane land, this site pioneers High Biodiversity Planting (informed by TEK & provenance tracking), off-grid innovation (Tech x Nature via SMART Rainforest Platform with IoT sensor networks), and First Nations Partnerships. It serves as a living laboratory for scalable, data-driven solutions enhancing economic resilience, ecosystem health (soil, water, biodiversity), and sustainable livelihoods, maximizing Return on Regeneration through rigorous monitoring and organic management.
Nature Positive Context
Development Phase: Systems Deployed (Quadrant 3)
Deploying implementation infrastructure and reporting tools.
Investment Index Alignment
Specific Natural Capital Targets
Nature Positive Goals
- Reverse biodiversity loss (TNFD Target)
- Develop high-integrity Biodiversity Credits
- Create resilient local economies
- Open-source blueprint for scalable regeneration
- Achieve verifiable Net Positive environmental impact via rigorous monitoring
- Integrate TEK respectfully and effectively
Fund ID: NPF-Global-Demo
Field Test Status
Field testing of project resilience and co-benefits is currently underway.
Claimed Co-Benefits (LRF Standard)
Environmental Co-Benefits
Native Vegetation
Improvement in native vegetation condition through high-biodiversity reforestation/regeneration activities.
Eligibility: Project involves reforestation in Queensland using native species.
Threatened Wildlife
Improved habitat suitability and connectivity for threatened species (e.g., Cassowary) within project area, evidenced by monitoring.
Eligibility: Project improves vegetation structure & diversity in potential MSES/MNES habitat in QLD.
Great Barrier Reef
Reduced sediment/nutrient runoff potential due to improved vegetation cover and soil health within GBR catchment.
Eligibility: Project located in GBR catchment, improves vegetation cover and/or soil health (requires specific evidence).
Soil Health
Demonstrated improvement in soil organic carbon and/or soil health indicators through regenerative practices.
Eligibility: Project implements practices known to improve soil health (e.g., organic inputs, reduced tillage). Requires baseline and follow-up soil testing.
Socio-Economic Co-Benefits
Employment and skills benefits
Boosting local economy through creation of regional employment (12 FTE) and skills training in regen ag/tech.
Eligibility: Project operates in regional QLD (Daintree) and employs local workers or provides accredited training.
First Nations Co-Benefits
First Nations benefits based on participation
Direct involvement and collaboration with Eastern Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owners, including documented integration of TEK in planning/management.
Eligibility: Project directly involves First Nations participation (partnership, employment, TEK integration) documented via agreements/logs.
Project Risks and Mitigation
Extreme Weather Events
Site planning for resilience (e.g., drainage), diverse planting strategies, infrastructure hardening (e.g., solar mounting).
Pest and Disease Outbreaks
Integrated pest management (IPM) protocols, high biodiversity planting increases resilience, continuous monitoring via sensors/scouting.
Funding Volatility
Diversified funding (philanthropy, grants, verifiable unit sales), multi-year partnerships, focus on demonstrating profitability & Return on Regeneration.
Market Development (Nature Markets)
Proactive engagement, focus on high-integrity verifiable units (Biodiversity Credits), pilot transactions, contributing to standard development.
Weed Pressure (Organic Management)
Certified organic weed management protocols (mulching, specific timing, targeted removal), strategic planting for rapid canopy closure, adaptive management based on mapping.
SDG Alignments
Project Details
Implementation & Stakeholders
Implementing Partners
Primary Stakeholders
Financial Highlights
- $4.3M Philanthropy Raised
- Resilience Unit Sales
- Government Grants
- Blended Finance Approach
- Future Revenue: Verifiable Biodiversity Credits, Carbon Credits, Sustainable Yields
- Focus on Profitability & Return on Regeneration
Applicable Standards
Map Location
Related Projects
Mixed Native/Cacao/Durian Agroforestry (51/45/4) - Year 5 Simulation
Simulating Year 5 of the 1-hectare Mixed Native/Cacao/Durian Agroforestry Project (51/45/4). Assumes whole fruit Durian sales, short-cycle intercropping, and organic certification. Showing early yields, monitoring data, and completed initial authentication steps.
PO 1 Pure Native Regen (2021)
Pioneering pure native regeneration in the heart of the Daintree, using TEK-informed species selection and provenance tracking. This initial plant-out directly compares high-density (800mm) vs. standard (1,200mm) spacing to understand optimal strategies for accelerating canopy closure and maximizing biodiversity return in previously cleared areas. It serves as a living laboratory, gathering crucial data on growth rates (via LiDAR) and ecosystem recovery (via bioacoustics), providing a vital alternative to struggling local monocultures like sugarcane and paving the way for scalable, high-impact rainforest restoration under organic management protocols.
Basic Permaculture Agroforestry System
An foundational exploration into integrating productive agriculture with ecological restoration using organic permaculture principles. This system applies permaculture principles to establish a diverse mix of fruit trees, understory crops, and support species, managed with organic inputs and IPM. It aims to demonstrate how food production can coexist with, and even enhance, biodiversity and soil health in the wet tropics. Represents an early model for diversifying local economies beyond traditional agriculture, offering potential for higher value crops and increased ecological resilience compared to conventional farming.