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JCU Daintree Rainforest Observatory

JCU's Daintree Rainforest Observatory (DRO) is our classroom in the rainforest. Offering researchers and students access to a large range of ecosystems, it hosts Australia's only rainforest canopy crane.

Here are two ways to support the Daintree Rainforest Observatory:

Operating a research station is a costly activity that is vitally important to our students and researchers. Whilst JCU covers the operational expenses, there are often special projects that the station manager would like to undertake that would enhance the student and research experience. This might include new walkways, tracks and plant identification trails. Each calendar year the station manager will identify the project of greatest need and all donations raised in that year will be spent on that project.

Sometimes our students need a little extra help to gain a hands-on experience or complete their research at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory. Donations to this fund provide grants to JCU students to enable research and vital study experiences or to alleviate financial burdens associated with visiting the station.

Real-world experiences undertaken within our region and research conducted at JCU Research Stations like the Daintree Rainforest Observatory help our students and researchers solve the complex issues facing our world today.

JCU is a leading tertiary institution in Australia and the Asia Pacific and among the best universities in the world.

The Daintree Rainforest Observatory is designed to enable, support and showcase the best in Australian environmental and sustainability science. Located in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest continual rainforest in the world, the DRO is the only field station in Australia operating a rainforest canopy crane, and is one of only five long-term ecological monitoring sites in Australia.

The unique combination of environment, climate and location are the perfect basis for ground-breaking research. The field station is nestled in lowland wet tropics rainforest at the base of Mount Sorrow and only minutes from access to the upland  rainforest, fringing reefs, mangrove habitats and the Great Barrier Reef. The DRO's 47-metre-tall canopy crane has a radius of 55 metres. It was the first canopy crane to be installed in the southern hemisphere and is the only canopy crane located in Australian rainforest.

The DRO hosts a variety of researchers including Associate Professor Susan Laurance, rainforest biologist who is studying how draughts affect rainforests.

The Daintree Rainforest Observatory is a truly unique research facility that helps students and researchers answer critical questions that make a difference to the tropics and beyond.

Your support of our students, our researchers and the hand-on research experiences like those provided at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory helps make positive change for our region, for Australia and for the World.

James Cook University is an Australian registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), which means donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.