Nature-Based Business Opportunities
Working with Traditional Owners to explore new and sustainable nature-based businesses.
One of the key components of our work is to develop sustainable nature-based business opportunities for the local communities, including harvesting of raw/natural materials, and to facilitate supply agreements with industry leading businesses. This enables businesses to have a positive impact on society beyond simply delivering high-quality products, and enables economic pportunities for Indigenous communities that don’t come at the expense of their landscapes and biodiversity.
To have the balanced, well-functioning ecosystems that our global well-being relies on, we must bring solutions that involve local people and local communities. We understand that to expect people to care about biodiversity, then they need to benefit from it.
People For Wildlife is working closely with Traditional Owners to explore and establish new and sustainable nature-based businesses on the Apudthama landscape.
Chantarelle Mushrooms from the Apudthama reserve
In 2023 we discovered chantarelle mushrooms growing wild in the Apudthama reserve. We engaged food safety expert and collected samples for DNA testing. Using molecular genetic analysis we have now confirmed that these are two new species of chantarelle mushrooms. To date, these mushroom have also only been recorded in Australia from the Apudthama landscape. We have been mapping the locations and working with the traditional custodians on a sustainable harvesting business model. We are looking to partner with local restaurant/retail businesses to buy chantarelle mushrooms harvested by Indigenous people in Cape York.
Distillation of essential oils
People For Wildlife has begun identifying and evaulating native plants in the Apudthama reserve that have the potential to be distilled for thier essential oils. These essential oils can then be utilised for fragrances and perfume, presenting another nature-based business opportunity for the local communities.
