Volunteers from across Tasmania, from Southport to Grindelwald, from Bruny Island to Triabunna offered their help and many cards were also requested from supporters in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT.

We even had a request for cards from Darwin!

Right select ‘Save target As…’ to download the print version and send it off yourself.

Wild Wielangta members met with the Tasmanian Premier’s office yesterday, hearing that the Premier’s getting the message, loud and clear, that the community wants immediate action to save this beautiful bird. The Premier’s forestry advisor admitted that they’d been swamped by cards and emails about Swift Parrots.

Questions have now been asked in State and Federal Parliaments and there’s been intense media interest, with The Australian, Canberra Times, Age, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Radio National, local ABC radio and TV stations all covering the unfolding story.

The National Swift Parrot Recovery Team are visiting Hobart next week and we are hoping to have the opportunity to take them out to Wielangta, to see the birds we’ve observed nesting there and to talk with them about the Government’s response to this conservation emergency.

Right select ‘Save target As…’ to download this fabulous new report ‘The Swift Parrot in Tasmania: its Conservation Status and the Impact of Logging on its Breeding Habitat’ by Marg Blakers and Isobel Crawford, for lots of detail on what’s happening to Swift Parrots and their habitat.

Cassy O’Connor, Green Parliamentarian in Tasmania has also been challenging Premier Bartlett and Minister Llewellyn on their lack of action to protect the Swift Parrot. Right select ‘Save target As…’ to download the Hansard notes of her recent speech.

So, many thanks to all of you who’ve helped with postcards, written to politicians and kept the Letters to the Editor rolling in to your local papers.

Other areas where these endangered birds are breeding are, most likely, being logged right now, with the loss of eggs, chicks and the adult birds at the nest. For ideas for a letter see the recent post on blog: Swift Parrot ‘Reprieve’ Not Enough to Halt Extinction Threat

Please help keep the pressure up by writing to the Tasmanian Premier, David Bartlett, GPO Box 123, Hobart 7001. Tell Premier Bartlett that it’s not enough to temporarily halt logging in one coupe in Wielangta Forest.

You can also write to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, C/o Parliament House, Canberra 2601. Ask him to intervene to save the Swift Parrot’s breeding habitat in Tasmania using his powers under the Regional Forest Agreement.

See the recent post Swift Parrot Critically Endangered – Faulkner undertakes to tell Rudd about his Swift Parrot responsibilities for ideas for your letter.

Oh! If you live in Australia, check out your local cafes for another Swift Parrot postcard that’s been produced by Greens Senator, Bob Brown’s office and is being distributed around the country by AvantCard (the free postcard people). Grab one and send it off to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asap!

Sharon East
For Wild Wielangta
wildwielangta at gmail dot com

Swift Parrot “Reprieve” Not Enough to Halt Extinction Threat

Local residents welcome yesterday’s announcement by David Llewellyn, Minister for Energy and Resources, Primary Industries and Water, that logging and woodchipping will be postponed in Wielangta Forest where endangered Swift Parrots are currently breeding.

“The Minister’s announcement will allow the Swift Parrots to breed in safety in Wielangta for this year, but still leaves the way open for Forestry Tasmania to log this all important breeding habitat as soon as the parrots migrate back to the mainland” said Sharon East, spokesperson, Wild Wielangta, South East Tas Forest Protection Group.

“If it had not been for the threatened species surveys conducted by local volunteers in recent weeks, Forestry Tasmania would still be unaware of this significant breeding event of a federally-listed endangered species in Wielangta Forest.  The very trees where the birds are now nesting could have been chipped and on their way to Japan by now if it had been left to Forestry Tasmania staff to conduct appropriate surveys” said Ms East.

“Minister Llewellyn’s reassurance that the State Government is committed to the conservation of the Swift Parrot is completely at odds with warnings from the National Swift Parrot Recovery Team and Birds Australia that the woodchipping of Swift Parrot breeding habitat in Tasmania is the key threat to its survival” said Ms East.

“Swift Parrots are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species which gives global recognition to their endangered status.  With less than 1,000 breeding pairs, they are rarer than China’s Giant Pandas and Africa’s Mountain Gorillas.   The Tasmanian and Federal Governments must act to protect this jewel of a bird.  This is a conservation emergency” said Ms East.

“On the mainland there are hundreds of volunteers re-afforesting areas specifically as Swift Parrot winter feeding habitat and yet here in Tasmania, the only place in the world that they breed, the State Government allows the destruction of their nesting and feeding habitat.

“Wild Wielangta has launched a ‘Save the Swift Parrot’ postcard campaign and 3,000 cards are currently winging their way to the Tasmanian Premier from across our state and the mainland.  We are calling on Premier Bartlett to protect the Swift Parrots’ critical breeding habitat in areas such as Wielangta, the Southern Forests and Bruny Island.  Surely David Bartlett doesn’t want to become known as the Premier of Extinction!” concluded Ms East.

For more information contact:
Sharon East 6253 5348
Lisa Cuatt 6253 5493  0428 399103
http://wildwielangta.edublogs.org
wildwielangta@gmail.com

David Llewellyn agreed to send scientists into Coupe 19D and surrounding areas to verify the sightings of swift parrots by community members. He said he would make a decision about logging Coupe 19D once he had obtained information from the scientists.

A reprieve for the parrots for a little bit longer!!!!

Forestry Tasmania have since agreed to stop the logging and woodchipping of Coupe 19D until after the 2008/09 swift parrot breeding season!

This decision is a direct result of survey information provided to Forestry Tasmania by members of the community.

Congratulations! and Thank you!!

Forestry Tasmania are collaborating with the Threatened Species Unit in DPIW and the Forest Practices Authority (who authorise logging plans) to “…carry out a strategic assessment of the Wielangta forests”. (Dr Hans Drielsma, Forestry Tas)

The Forest Practices Authority wants to “…assure us that all parties are working towards ensuring a sound scientific basis for the long term management of habitat for Swift Parrot across its range”.

So, a further reprieve for the forest and residents in Coupe 19D until maybe late January 2009!!!!

The next few months are critical – now is the time to work towards the long term protection of swift parrot breeding habitat in Tasmania.

Be active.

The National Swift Parrot Recovery team are meeting in Hobart in November – so it’s good timing.

Make sure that every one of the 3,000 parrot postcards lands on Premier David Bartlett’s desk.

Write letters to Minister David Llewellyn and Premier David Bartlett asking for the protection of swift parrot habitat.