Despite all representations to date, it seems that Forestry Tasmania will be logging this coupe for woodchips any time now and therefore destroying the breeding habitat of these invaluable global treasures.

A recent letter (22/9/08) to all Tasmanian Labor Senators, Labor Members of the House of Assembly and Labor Legislative Councillors outlines recent conversations South East Forest Protection Group have had with staff of Forestry Tasmania and the Forest Practices Authority.

The weak, unsustainable position the ’so-called’ Government business and regulatory authority are taking, sheds light on a lack of strategic direction and failure to manage our forests for maximum economic and ecological return.

Science is telling a completely different story, as recent research from ANU has shown.

The exercise of political will seems to be the only course of action left open to avert the impending loss of species, habitat and carbon sink values.

Consider speaking with or emailing your elected representatives and the media to raise the profile of this issue, before it is too late.

The aforementioned letter supplies reference material for your contribution. Raise your voice!

If you want to join national swift parrot specialists in the survey party on Sunday, please email wildwielangta at gmail dot com NOW.

A Swift Parrot and Lorikeet Identification Guide to Tasmania (A4) and an information sheet about the status of swift parrots in Wielangta is available from the Recent Photos flickr stream (right column). To download….right select the image and Save Target/Image As…

Vehicles gathered at the locked gate in glorious sunshine and after introductions proceeded though the gate in convoy to the coupe, a drive of 5km or so. The two lucky last vehicles got waylaid by a small flock of Swift Parrots foraging in flowering Blue Gums just off to the side of the access road. The Swift Parrots are back in Wielangta!

We then spent several fascinating hours, under the expert guidance of biologist Andy North, scanning the rock-strewn ground for orchids and other plants of interest. Many orchid species were discovered, either in flower or sending up leaves. Both of the threatened and endangered species of orchids that had been discovered in the coupe at the Picnic Day were found again.

On the way back down the access road, we all stopped at the spot where the Swift Parrots had been seen earlier in the day. After a fair while spent scanning the Blue Gums that were in flower, that unmistakeable call was heard approaching. Two Swift Parrots flashed overhead, heading straight for the Blue Gums!

Another Survey Day is planned for Sunday 28th September. If you’d like to join us and come and experience Wielangta and its wildlife for yourself, then contact us through the email: wildwielangta at gmail dot com
* The Exclusion Zone covers a large area including the access road and coupe 19D itself (the forest at the centre of Bob Brown’s court case, which is now scheduled for logging this year). It is illegal to enter the Zone without a permit. Forestry had issued us with a permit and key to the locked gate across the access road, to enable us to conduct the survey.

The picnic-walk into the proposed logging coupe 19D on July 19 was a great success, and it’s hoped that those of you who came along enjoyed the day. With the Mercury reporting an attendance of around 250, and TV news coverage on all channels, it certainly got the word out that people are taking an active interest in the area, and are concerned about the threatened species that are known to be there. Let’s not forget the scandalous disregard for carbon storage that logging would represent, too.

The question remains now: What else can we do?

At this stage Forestry Tas tells us that they are still intent on logging this coupe “sometime during this financial year”. We cannot sit and do nothing and let this happen. As you know, it is not just any patch of forest, but rather an extremely high-value old-growth habitat supporting several threatened species, and is also highly symbolic because of the recent court proceedings with Bob Brown.

Some exciting news!!!

On the picnic walk, Andy North, a well respected ecologist was able to identify in the coupe not one, but TWO species of orchid, that are on the threatened species list!! The Threatened Species Unit in the Department of Primary Industries and Water and Forestry Tasmania have been notified. There is the potential for an Interim Protection Order to be invoked. Select to view more details and photos.

It is hoped that a small representative group can arrange to have a personal meeting with Premier Bartlett. Steve Whitely of Forestry Tas may also be willing to do some ‘COMMUNITY CONSULTATION’ with our campaign.

There is a mainland “Save the Swift Parrot” group that is being contacted in the hope that some pressure from NSW can be brought to bear on saving the breeding habitat here of the swifties (they only breed in Tasmania).

We have web presence!

Everyone (all ages) is encouraged to share his/her expertise and educate our community of readers/viewers, by becoming a subscriber and publishing on this blog.

We welcome the sharing of any media related to Wielangta forest and our threatened species: writing, poems, songs, links to sites we need, art work, sound files (podcasts), slideshows.

Please subscribe, sign up to an edublogs account and publish. Young people are especially encouraged to show what they know.

There is also a Facebook network/group and cause for Wild Wielangta.

Go to www.facebook.com, search for wildwielangta, sign up and invite your friends to join the group and cause.

If anyone has Premier Bartlett as his/her facebook friend, please invite him to join the wildwielangta group.

We can ALL do something, and we can only hope that it will be enough. Take a look at the number of online and offline initiatives that are being considered.

Just choose what interests you and phone Mark Agnew (62571434) or email Mel Hills (mel.hills at activ8 dot net dot au)

This is, of course, 100% volunteer effort – so it really needs people to do whatever they want to. Hopefully there is enough variety for everyone to find SOMETHING to be part of. If you have other ideas please suggest them.

Use our new email address to make contact: wildwielangta at gmail dot com

Your support and participation is much appreciated. A big thank you to all those who helped out in so many ways on the picnic day.

PS – Forestry repeatedly emphasise the importance of models and modelling to both their rationale and modus operandi. Are there any models out there who can think of something that might excite Forestry staff other than habitat destruction?

Two of these are of particular significance:

Pterostylis atriola – Snug Greenhood – so named as it was first discovered on Snug Plains only 11 years ago.

This is particularly significant because it is listed as endangered not only on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 but also on the Commonwealth Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Corunastylis nuda (ex–Genoplesium Nudum) the tiny midge orchid. This was also previously found on W17E. It is listed as rare on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995.

It is reasonable to assume that these occur elsewhere on the proposed W19D logging coupe as he only saw a small portion of it. It was however somewhat fortuitous that he did at all, as these orchids flower in late summer and autumn. The specimens although undoubtedly identifiable are somewhat dried out.

The publication: Flowering Times of Tasmanian Orchids: A Practical Guide to Field Botanists – M. Wapstra, N. Roberts, H. Wapstra and A. Wapstra (2008) identifies flowering times specifically to direct targeted orchid survey recognising the cryptic habit of orchids. This guide is specifically written to assist administrators (including forest managers) ‘…in making rational decisions regarding the timing of surveys for orchids’.

Thorough survey to determine the extent and distribution of these species should be undertaken during the flowering periods which are identified, for both species, as occurring from January to March.

Join our Wild Wielangta Facebook group and spread the word.

Photos are credited to H. & A. Wapstra.