In far north Queensland, the Jirrbal people are walking back onto their rainforest Country

Wooroora is 20,000 hectares of wet rainforest and savanna in far north Queensland — waterfalls, headwaters that flow toward the Great Barrier Reef, and a place the Jirrbal people have belonged to for generations, even through decades when their access was limited. That is changing: Traditional Owners are reclaiming access to Wooroora, with plans for the Jirrbal ranger team to work with Elders to safeguard sites of cultural significance, and for the station to become a place of community camps where Elder stories are shared. 'It's a beautiful place, an important place that's been there for generations — to reconnect back to their ancestors, where they've walked, their songlines, their storylines… it's a really deep feeling,' one community member told AAP. Liam Roberts, chair of the Wabubadda Aboriginal Corporation, imagines the possibilities opening up; another Elder, Mr Noble, is plainer about what being on Country does: 'Being able to be on Country and have access to Country strengthens all of us — it just makes our lives better, stronger, healthier.' Conservation fundraising to buy and protect the property has drawn more than A$19 million (about $12 million) in private donations.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: funding & finance