Daintree Rainforest Observatory

Daintree Rainforest Observatory

Explore the oldest rainforest in the world with the convenience of state of the art facilities at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory. Open to researchers, students, and educational groups, this unique location is the perfect place to gain hands on experience and knowledge about the incredible diversity of this ancient tropical rainforest.

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About the DRO

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Facilities

Classroom in the Rainforest

What better place for conducting your Year 12 Biology Mandatory practicals, or other immersion subjects, than in the hyper-diverse world heritage rainforest

What we provide

Research

Education and Teaching

Resources

The height of rainforest research

What better way to learn about tropical entomology, sensors for scientists, and diverse flora and fauna than to get up close and personal with the tech and creatures? As the only field station in Australia operating a rainforest canopy crane and one of only five long-term ecological monitoring sites in Australia, the DRO provides unique opportunities to be immersed in the subject of your study.

Unique fauna and flora

The Daintree boasts the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem in Australia. From dominant canopy trees above a complex vine forest to the various tree-kangaroos, pygmy possums and cassowaries traversing the forest floor, you’ll encounter new wonders at every turn.

Research making a difference

The Daintree Rainforest Observatory offers researchers access to a large range of ecosystems. The unique combination of environment, climate and location are the perfect basis for Tropics-focused research. With cutting-edge technology such as the canopy crane, automated sensors, cameras, and even weather stations, you’ll have the equipment and data you need to make discoveries in the Daintree.

World Heritage-listed habitat

The Daintree is a unique and breath-taking landscape woven together with unique biota, including numerous living fossils. When you step into the Daintree, completely off-grid, you step into an ancient world. With another World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef, just beyond the tree line, you’ll have endless wonders to explore.

Real stories

Researcher
Johan Larson
Station Manager
The Daintree Rainforest Observatory is a unique hub for scientific discovery, immersive education, and connection to Country. We support researchers, university students, and high school groups with access to world-class infrastructure, expert-led fieldwork, and the chance to engage with ancient rainforest.
Student
Shelby Farmer
Casual Technical Officer and Masters Student
Its great to be able to come to a remote area in the rainforest and do all my research right on-site, without worrying about transporting my samples. The lab facilities at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory makes it more convenient to do ground-breaking research.
Researcher
Dr Alex Cheesman
Research Fellow
The Canopy Crane allows easy and unparalleled access to the plant biology at the canopy level of the Daintree rainforest. This canopy access system is very special and unique in tropical forests of this part of the world.

Experience has no substitute

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Support rainforest research

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Classroom in the Outback

Orpheus Island Research Station

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