QUEENSLAND, Australia – Local 10’s Eco Hero team left the red sands of the Australian Outback behind and entered one of the world’s oldest living ecosystems — the Daintree Rainforest — uncovering a landscape teeming with rare wildlife, ancient plants, and indigenous culture.
Kristi Krueger, Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill and Local 10’s 2025 Eco Hero, 18-year-old Brielle Martinez, are in far north Queensland, exploring the 180-million-year-old rainforest that sits just inland from the Coral Sea.
“This is the oldest rainforest in the world,” Magill said. “A fossil found here dates back millions of years. It’s like walking through a living time capsule.”
The team’s first encounter came hanging from the trees — literally. Dozens of spectacled flying fox bats, a species known for their large wings and fox-like faces, crowded the branches above.
“They may look a little scary, but they play a huge role in this ecosystem,” Magill said. “They help pollinate and spread seeds, keeping the rainforest alive.”
The team also came across one of the most dangerous plants on the planet — the gympie-gympie, a stinging tree known for causing excruciating pain on contact.
“This plant is no joke,” Magill said. “The effects of its sting can last for days or even weeks. It’s one of the rainforest’s hidden dangers.”
Along the way, the team met Josephine, a local naturalist who pointed out tiny native insects that give off a peppermint scent when disturbed — one of nature’s subtle defense mechanisms.
Lazy crocodiles lounged along the Daintree River, offering another reminder that this rainforest is not just ancient — it’s alive with tooth and scale.
But the moment that stood out most was a rare sighting of a young cassowary, a flightless bird often called a “living dinosaur.”
Known for their bright blue necks, helmet-like head crests, and powerful legs, cassowaries are vital to seed dispersal in the rainforest — but they’re also endangered.
“Just being here is like stepping into Jurassic Park. Everything looks prehistoric and seeing the cassowaries has been unreal,” said Martinez.
Later in the day, the team visited Bulbuji Trevayne, also known as “Mossman Gorge,” and met a member of the Kuku Yalanji people, an Indigenous group whose cultural traditions stretch back thousands of years.
“We’ve lived in harmony with this rainforest for generations,” said Trevayne. “It provides, and we protect it.”
As their Australian journey continues, Krueger and Magill say the lessons they’re learning go far beyond wildlife.
“This has been such an eye-opening experience,” Krueger said. “The people here care deeply about preserving their environment and culture. That’s a message worth sharing.”
The eco hero team’s next stop: the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, where the focus turns to marine life and reef conservation.