The Daintree forest, the oldest in the world, returns to the hands of the aborigines who have always inhabited and protected it
The Daintree forest, the oldest in the world, returns to the hands of the aborigines who have always inhabited and protected it
Il Daintree National Park, in the north of Australia, is part of the 160.108 hectares of land that has now returned to its rightful owners, members of the Kuku Yalanji tribe, thanks to a historic agreement with the Queensland government. With the pact signed last Wednesday, in fact, the national parks of Daintree, Ngalba Bulal (Cedar Bay), Kalkajaka (Black Mountain) and Hope Islands are once again owned by the Kuku Yalanji, who will manage the areas in collaboration with the Australian government.
This pact recognizes the right of Aborigines to own and manage their territory, to protect their culture and to share it with visitors, by becoming administrators of the tourism industry of the area - the Queensland Environment Minister said. Meaghan Scanlon.
The wooded area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and home to generations of Australian Aborigines, is very old: the forest is estimated to be 180 million years old - making it the oldest in the world. It is known for its rich ecosystem and natural beauty that includes pristine forest, rivers, waterfalls, ravines and white sandy beaches. Furthermore, the area is home to more than 3.000 species of plants, 107 species of mammals, 368 of birds and 113 of reptiles. In short, a natural heritage of inestimable value, which returns under the responsibility of one of the oldest living cultures in the world.
The Daintree Forest also has historical significance, as it still shows traces of the great Gondwanan forest that covered Australia and parts of Antarctica before the two continents split (between 50 and 100 million years ago): that's why it represents an unparalleled testimony of the evolutionary processes of ecosystems which gave birth to the flora and fauna present in Australia today.
@DaintreeRainforest.com
It is a very important milestone for the Kuku Yalanji people - he said in an interview Chrissy Grant, a member of the Aboriginal community that for more than 35 years has been committed to safeguarding the cultural values, traditions and natural heritage of its people. - Our community has always lived inside the forest, with which it has created a unique symbiotic relationship in the world. Our goal now is to lay the foundations for an educational and training path for professionals who can deal with land management, the tourism sector, trade, but also research. Only in this way will we truly have control over our land and our destiny.
@DaintreeRainforest.com
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Source: The Guardian
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