Protecting Victoria’s Forests
Location: Online: Zoom & Facebook Live
Why are Victoria’s forests so special? Join Sarah Rees and Dr Chris Taylor for an update on Victoria’s remaining forests, and what we can do to save what is left.
Join us on Wednesday 25 August to hear about the latest updates in the fight to protect Victoria's forests. Sarah Rees and Dr Chris Taylor live and breathe forest protection, contributing to research and conservation initiatives for Victoria’s forests, bushfire, logging and the proposed Great Forest National Park.
The Victorian government announced the cessation of native forest logging by 2030, however Vic Forests continues to be embroiled in legal fights over alleged breaches of the law. Environmental Justice Australia and Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum are in an ongoing court battle with VicForests all the way to the High Court, made even important by the ongoing bushfire threat.
It is proposed that a Great Forest National Park would protect the forests of the Central Highlands and species of conservation concern. The concept was developed by regional community groups, forest ecologists and researchers from the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne following the devastating bushfires in 2009. The Traditional Custodians of these forests are the Bunurong (Boon Wurrung), Gunaikurnai, Taungurung (Daung warring) and Wurrundjeri Peoples.
Dr Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor is a Research Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University. Chris specialises in spatial analysis of forest ecosystems and disturbance regimes, remote sensing, environmental modelling, land use and Forest certification. He has been involved with a number of research projects, ranging from the analysis of fire severity patterns across Australian forests through to climate change adaptation in Australian agriculture. Chris is also a passionate landscape photographer and has held a number of exhibitions of his photography.
Sarah Rees
Sarah Rees is a long term conservationist for the forests and wildlife of Australia with most of her work focused in the Ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands. With conservation successes for species such as the Baw Baw Frog and Leadbeater’s Possum attributable to her work, Sarah participates in policy development with community, government and business. Sarah is a Board Director of the Forest Stewardship Council, science facilitator with several large universities, Committee member for the Office of Conservation Regulator and a founder of the Great Forest National Park initiative.
They are co-authors of the soon to be released book, The Great Forest: The Rare Beauty of the Victorian Central Highlands.
As our speakers are from interstate, we will run this event online. Join us on Zoom and Facebook Live from 7:30PM.