This programme will produce share farmers with sufficient horticultural skills to create new horticultural opportunities, on private or State owned land and could be relevant at many sites east of the Great Dividing Range, from Cape York to Tasmania.
The aim is to grow rainforests with the Rainforester Programme being the sustainable means to develop projects like Rainforests, Cabinet Timbers, Bush Foods and Chooks. The Rainforester Programme will be sustainable because of the benefits described and that it can offer lifelong employment in an off the grid, bush lifestyle with support, security and opportunities. An Initial 3 year development period with a purpose of producing a 2 year programme which will equip Rainforesters with these skills:
- First aid, work place health and safety and other life skills for off the grid bush lifestyle and work.
- Rainforest understanding, plant ID, design, planning and development.
- A works programme including: site preparation, erosion repairs, fencing, tree planting, watering and other rainforest maintenance tasks, will result in practical knowledge and tickets for: tractor, excavator, wood chipper, chainsaw, small engines, poisons as well as a truck licence.
- Some general nursery and botanical knowledge and experience, with particular skills in seed collecting, processing and the propagation of plants.
- Some animal husbandry (poultry) knowledge.